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Filled with a remarkable cast of characters and set against the backdrop of imperial Russia, this tale of forbidden romance could be the stuff of a great historical novel. But in fact The Pearl tells a true tale, reconstructed in part from archival documents that have lain untouched for centuries. Douglas Smith presents the most complete and accurate account ever written of the illicit love between Count Nicholas Sheremetev (1751-1809), Russia's richest aristocrat, and Praskovia Kovalyova (1768-1803), his serf and the greatest opera diva of her time.

Blessed with a beautiful voice, Praskovia began her training in Nicholas's operatic company as a young girl. Like all the members of Nicholas's troupe, Praskovia was one of his own serfs. But unlike the others, she utterly captured her master's heart. The book reconstructs Praskovia's stage career as “The Pearl" and the heartbreaking details of her romance with Nicholas—years of torment before their secret marriage, the outrage of the aristocracy when news of the marriage emerged, Praskovia's death only days after delivering a son, and the unyielding despair that followed Nicholas to the end of his life. Written with grace and style, The Pearl sheds light on the world of the Russian aristocracy, music history, and Russian attitudes toward serfdom. But above all, the book tells a haunting story of love against all odds.

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Price Summary

  • We started tracking this book on June 22, 2015.
  • This book was £16.14 when we started tracking it.
  • The price of this book has changed 184 times in the past 3,203 days.
  • The current price of this book is £28.00 last checked one day ago.
  • This book is at its lowest price in the past 90 days.
  • This lowest price this book has been offered at in the past year is £20.90.
  • The lowest price to date was £3.27 last reached on July 17, 2018.
  • This book has been £3.27 one time since we started tracking it.
  • The highest price to date was £28.00 last reached on February 10, 2023.
  • This book has been £28.00 4 times since we started tracking it.
  • This book is currently at its highest price since we started tracking it.

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Additional Info

  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • Lending: Disabled
  • Print Length: 352 Pages
  • File Size: 3,286 KB

We last verified the price of this book about one day ago. At that time, the price was £28.00. This price is subject to change. The price displayed on the Amazon.co.uk website at the time of purchase is the price you will pay for this book. Please confirm the price before making any purchases.