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A review by melodywicket
The Secret History: A Novel of Empress Theodora by Stephanie Marie Thornton
4.0
3.5 stars rounded up - A good read about a historical figure I knew very little about from a period in history that has always fascinated me.
There are countless books of historical fiction from a Eurocentric perspective, and it's always nice to find one that covers topics, places and people less familiar. Theodora's ascension from abject poverty to Empress was a triumphant achievement laced with its share of heartbreak and horrors. Theodora's strength of character is evident in her own clear-eyed pragmatism as she picks herself up and dusts herself off after each setback. Refreshingly to this reader, Thornton portrays the challenges of Theodora's early life with great empathy, but avoids indulging in mawkishness and melodrama.
The book focused on that first part of Theodora's journey in far greater detail than her reign as Augusta, which is somewhat of a shame. I was invested in the personal dramas portrayed in this story - her romance with Justinian and her female friendships were well-developed, her rivalries perhaps a little less so - but if I were to nitpick, it would be because I would have liked to learn more about her reforms (she is credited as an early feminist) and how she was perceived by the people she and her husband ruled over. It's touched upon briefly in the interview with the author in the back of the book, but why, for example, is her historical record by Procopius by derogatory to her character when there was little evidence in-book to suggest that the public continued to look down upon her for her humble beginnings? Still, if anything, this book just makes me want to look for some more material - fiction and nonfiction both - about Theodora, Justinian, and the Byzantine Empire.
ETA: Now that I think about it, it would have been nice to read more about the world they lived in, actually. Place names are mentioned but I didn't got a feel for scale or location, nor did we get many descriptions of the surroundings. I might excuse it as Theodora's character being unsentimental or unobservant about such things - some people are just like that, after all - but it did make it harder to fully immerse myself in her world.
There are countless books of historical fiction from a Eurocentric perspective, and it's always nice to find one that covers topics, places and people less familiar. Theodora's ascension from abject poverty to Empress was a triumphant achievement laced with its share of heartbreak and horrors. Theodora's strength of character is evident in her own clear-eyed pragmatism as she picks herself up and dusts herself off after each setback. Refreshingly to this reader, Thornton portrays the challenges of Theodora's early life with great empathy, but avoids indulging in mawkishness and melodrama.
The book focused on that first part of Theodora's journey in far greater detail than her reign as Augusta, which is somewhat of a shame. I was invested in the personal dramas portrayed in this story - her romance with Justinian and her female friendships were well-developed, her rivalries perhaps a little less so - but if I were to nitpick, it would be because I would have liked to learn more about her reforms (she is credited as an early feminist) and how she was perceived by the people she and her husband ruled over. It's touched upon briefly in the interview with the author in the back of the book, but why, for example, is her historical record by Procopius by derogatory to her character when there was little evidence in-book to suggest that the public continued to look down upon her for her humble beginnings? Still, if anything, this book just makes me want to look for some more material - fiction and nonfiction both - about Theodora, Justinian, and the Byzantine Empire.
ETA: Now that I think about it, it would have been nice to read more about the world they lived in, actually. Place names are mentioned but I didn't got a feel for scale or location, nor did we get many descriptions of the surroundings. I might excuse it as Theodora's character being unsentimental or unobservant about such things - some people are just like that, after all - but it did make it harder to fully immerse myself in her world.