Garden of Venus by Eva Stachniak

Garden of Venus by Eva Strachniak
Genre of book

Sophie Potocka grew up in late 1700s Turkey as a Greek Christian, who married a Pole and eventually moved to Russia. For most of her life, it's just her and her mother, who manipulates to get her way. At a young age she loses her virginity to a cousin, which enrages her father so they move and he dies from illness. Due to her beauty, Sophie becomes the mistress to high ranking people where she has to fake her virginity multiple times. We learn about her romantic life as she grows up, but also learn about her life as it's coming to an end. The other side of the story is Sophie on her death bed, being treated for her illness by a French doctor and her young nurse Rosalia. Sophie recounts her past as she gets weaker and weaker.

The start of this book is quite confusing because it's hard to get a good handle on where the story is taking place. Greece, Turkey, Poland, Russia, France, and Germany are all mentioned within the first few pages, causing the confusion. Honestly, I got about 250 pages in and couldn't take it anymore. The book was bland, not well written, and just not worth continuing so I gave up. Not a read I would recommend.

First Line: "In the end, it fell to Rosalia to make sure that the imminent departure of Countess Sophie Potocka (accompanied by her daughter, Countess Olga Potocka, and companion Mademoiselle Rosalia Romanowicz) via Paris to the town of Spa for her prescribed water cure - had been announced three times in the Petersburg Gazette."

Rating:
(1.5/5)