"A bravura performance: a witty, moving, sexy book that bursts with as much color and excitement as the city of Constantinople itself." -Financial TimesRoman historian Procopius publicly praised Theodora of Constantinople for her piety-while secretly detailing her salacious stage act and maligning her as ruthless and power hungry. So who was this woman who rose from humble beginnings as a dancer to become the empress of Rome and a saint in the Orthodox Church? Award-winning novelist Stella Duffy vividly recreates the life and times of a woman who left her mark on one of the ancient world's most powerful empires. Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore is a sexy, captivating novel that resurrects an extraordinary, little-known figure from the dusty pages of history.

Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore: A Novel (A Novel of Empress Theodora)

Arts & Photography

Duffy, Stella

History & Criticism

Penguin??Books

Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore, Stella Duffy's chronicle of this amazing woman's early years, delighted readers with its exquisite blend of historical detail and vivid storytelling. Now, The Purple Shroud chronicles Theodora at the height of her power, bringing the ancient world alive in another unforgettable, epic saga.Theodora and Justinian have been crowned Emperor and Empress, but ruling an empire is no easy task. The two factions of Christianity are still battling for dogmatic supremacy, the Empire's borders are not secure, and Theodora worries about the ambitions of Justinian's two best generals. But the most pressing concern is close to home: Constantinople's two factions, the Blues and the Greens, are beginning to unite in their unhappiness with rising taxes. When that unhappiness spills over into all-out violence, thousands are killed (including someone very close to Theodora) and many of the City's landmarks are destroyed, including Theodora's beloved Hagia Sophia. In the aftermath of the riots, Theodora guides Justinian in gaining back the love and trust of the people, her unerring instinct for what the people want proving invaluable. Justinian promises to rebuild the Hagia Sophia to be even more spectacular than before. Theodora comes to realize that being the Augusta is simply another role she must play, though the stakes are much higher and there is no offstage. It's a role she was born to play.

The Purple Shroud: A Novel of Empress Theodora

In her accomplished and affecting novel State of Happiness, Stella Duffy has created a story as tender and captivating as Love Story about a great love challenged by illness. Jack and Cindy are immediately attracted to one another from the moment they meet at a friend's party, and in time this first infatuation develops into a passionate and enduring love affair. A celebrated cartographer, Cindy maps the contours of their developing relationship as they explore its depth and test its boundaries. Five years later, Jack and Cindy believe that they have navigated every obstacle when a sudden crisis threatens their blissful state. Cindy falls dangerously ill, and as she battles her body's betrayal, the couple must also confront their diverging paths and uncharted future. Told with wit, tenderness, and unflinching honesty, State of Happiness is an irresistible story of love and loss from a writer at the height of her powers.

State of Happiness

Literature & Fiction

Genre Fiction

Thomas Dunne Books

A princess, perfect in every way except one, arrives in London from a land of milk and honey, and sets up home in a Notting Hill tower block. Her self-appointed mission - to break up couples in love. For what she lacks is a heart.With gleeful dedication, she sets about seducing a husband-to-be, prizing apart two devoted gay men, and ensnaring a contentedly married woman. But things start to go wrong: despite herself she becomes fond of one of her lovers, and discovers a tiny heart growing in her chest. The Queen and King, meanwhile, have despatched her brother to stop her. Will he be a match for her? Her magic is stronger, but then he does have a heart of his own ...

Singling Out the Couples

Hodder&Stoughton

Lullaby Beach

'FAULTLESS STORYTELLING' Observer\n'A PORTRAIT OF SISTERHOOD ... POWERFUL, WISE, CELEBRATORY' Daily Mail\nA compelling novel about family secrets and the legacy of trauma, set against the changing fortunes of an English seaside town, from award-winning writer Stella Duffy.\nWhen Lucy discovers the body of her great aunt Kitty, with a puzzling note and empty pill bottles by her bed, she can't believe that the formidable woman who held her family together is gone - or understand why she has taken her own life.\nLucy is determined to decipher Kitty's final message. What she finds will overturn everything she thought she knew about her family.\nLullaby Beach takes the reader on a journey through three generations of a complicated, close-knit family whose joys and misfortunes track many of the most pressing conflicts and concerns of post-war Britain, from the promise and hypocrisies of 1950s London to the political divides and risky freedoms of the present day.\n'Whether it's down to the sure rhythm of Duffy's faultless storytelling or the faded backdrop of the south coast of England, her latest novel is a comforting tale despite some gritty subject matter ... Wise, generous and atmospheric' OBSERVER\n'Duffy is a fearless writer ... A portrait of sisterhood in the wider sense - one that's as powerful and gritty as it is wise and celebratory' DAILY MAIL\n'Lullaby Beach explores familial legacy, generational secrets and the effects of long-lasting trauma with a distinct tenderness' NEW STATESMAN\n'A writer who never lets you down' ALI SMITH

Lullaby Beach: 'A PORTRAIT OF SISTERHOOD ... POWERFUL, WISE, CELEBRATORY' Daily Mail

Contemporary

Virago

Presents twenty edgy, exciting tales of outrageous, badly behaved heroines with questionable morals by Val McDermid, Sparkle Hayter, Liza Cody, Lisa Jewell, Laura Lippman, and other popular British and American mystery writers. Reprint.

Tart Noir

Henderson, Lauren

United States

BERKLEY

An award-winning novelist describes the colorful life of Theodora of Constantinople, who rose from her humble beginnings and left behind a career as a sexy stage dancer to become the empress of Rome and ultimately a saint in the Orthodox Church. (general fiction).

Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore (Kennebec Large Print Superior Collection)

Kennebec Large Print

"Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore," Stella Duffy's chronicle of this amazing woman's early years, delighted readers with its exquisite blend of historical detail and vivid storytelling. Now, "The Purple Shroud" chronicles Theodora at the height of her power, bringing the ancient world alive in another unforgettable, epic saga.Theodora and Justinian have been crowned Emperor and Empress, but ruling an empire is no easy task. The two factions of Christianity are still battling for dogmatic supremacy, the Empire's borders are not secure, and Theodora worries about the ambitions of Justinian's two best generals. But the most pressing concern is close to home: Constantinople's two factions, the Blues and the Greens, are beginning to unite in their unhappiness with rising taxes. When that unhappiness spills over into all-out violence, thousands are killed (including someone very close to Theodora) and many of the City's landmarks are destroyed, including Theodora's beloved Hagia Sophia. In the aftermath of the riots, Theodora guides Justinian in gaining back the love and trust of the people, her unerring instinct for what the people want proving invaluable. Justinian promises to rebuild the Hagia Sophia to be even more spectacular than before. Theodora comes to realize that being the Augusta is simply another role she must play, though the stakes are much higher and there is no offstage. It's a role she was born to play.

The Purple Shroud: A Novel of Empress Theodora (Thorndike Press Large Print Superior Collection)

Money In The Morgue

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

MARSH, NGAIO

Mystery

Aurora Large Print

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