The Secret History: A Novel of Empress Theodora
About this audiobook
Where Theodora went, trouble followed ...
In sixth-century Constantinople, one woman, Theodora, defied every convention and all the odds, and rose from common theater tart to empress of a great kingdom—the most powerful woman the Roman Empire would ever know. The woman whose image was later immortalized in glittering mosaic was a scrappy, clever, conniving, flesh-and-blood woman full of sensuality and spirit whose real story is as surprising as any ever told ...
After her father dies suddenly, Theodora and her sisters face starvation and a life on the streets. Determined to survive, Theodora makes a living any way she can—first on her back with every man who will have her, then on the stage in a scandalous dramatization of her own invention. When her daring performance grants her a backdoor entry into the halls of power, she seizes the chance to win a wealthy protector—only to face heartbreak and betrayal.
Ever resilient, Theodora rises above such trials and, by a twist of fate, meets her most passionate admirer yet: the emperor’s nephew. She thrives as his confidant and courtesan, but many challenges lie ahead. For one day this man will hand her a crown. And all the empire will wonder—is she bold enough, shrewd enough, and strong enough to keep it?
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About the author
Stephanie Marie Thornton is a USA Today bestselling author and a high school history teacher. She lives in Alaska with her husband and daughter.
Patricia Santomasso has always been an avid reader and storyteller. Her love of literature led her to earn a BA in English, and shortly afterward she moved from Connecticut to New York to study theater. She worked for years on stages around the country doing mostly classical plays and Shakespeare. It was there she met her husband, narrator Sean Patrick Hopkins, doing a production of As You Like It. Now she has merged her love of acting and the written word and happily reads stories out loud from the comfort of a booth. To date she has recorded over 150 audiobooks. Patricia's youthful voice and comic timing give heroines a warm relatability, and her surprising dips into baritone make her male characters engaging and believable. Paste Magazine has called her narration style "warm-but-tart," which she agrees is a fitting description. Patricia and Sean have a sweet baby daughter, Lyra Roisin, who isn't much interested in hearing either one of them read to her.
