A “compelling” historical novel of a seamstress in Imperial Russia and Paris (Booklist).
Marguerite Laurent has been summoned to the Imperial Court of Empress Elizabeth to work as her personal embroiderer. The journey is long and dangerous, but in her new position, Marguerite will form a friendship with the empress’s daughter-in-law, who will become known as Catherine the Great. And she will find herself the object of desire for three men: a handsome Englishman named Tom Harwell, a landscape gardener whose task is to create beautiful gardens for the empress; Konstantin, a colonel in the Russian army; and a Dutch art dealer . . .
“The period and the Russian winter truly come to life . . . The political intrigue, unusual royal personalities, and Marguerite's personal life keep the plot moving quickly.” —School Library Journal