Book | Anna Brzezińska | Daughters of Wawel

The palace walls hold more secrets than the chronicles.

„Go, look! The Queen has given birth in the castle, and we have a queen in our chamber. It's just that one gave birth to a daughter, and the other to a dwarf bastard.“

On the same night in November 1526, two girls were born in Krakow: Catherine, daughter of King Sigismund I the Old of Poland and Queen Bona Sforza, and little Dosia, the illegitimate daughter of the maidservant Regina and the maltster Bartholomew. Fate decreed that Dosia would end up at the royal court and become an inseparable part of Catherine's life.

Growing up with the king and his sisters, Dosia became familiar with the daily life of the royal court and witnessed feasts, weddings, conspiracies, and dramatic events. She saw not only the magnificent halls of Wawel but also alchemists' workshops, birthing rooms, and brothels.

Dosia saw everything. And she remembered nothing.

Popular Polish writer and historian Anna Brzezińska in her novel „Daughters of Vavel“ presents a comprehensive picture of women's lives during the late Jagiellonian era. The heroines of these stories are not only the daughters of King Sigismund I the Old but also ordinary women of the 16th century, whose fates were often ruthless.

This is an intriguing, innovatively conceived historical novel about the flourishing of the Jagiellonian dynasty and, at the same time, the beginning of its decline.

„Nothing like this has been seen before. This is a story about Renaissance Poland, Wawel Castle, and the Jagiellonian royal family from a woman's perspective. And women see more – they see the kitchen, the bedroom, the treasury, and the stable. They hear whispers in the remotest corners, smell secrets, schemes, and deceptions.“
Wojciech Orliński, „Gazeta Wyborcza“

Anna Brzezińska (b. 1971) – popular Polish writer and historian, three-time recipient of the prestigious J. Zajdel Literary Award, author of novels and short stories, and editor „Policy“ and a collaborator for other magazines.

Author: Anna Brzezinska
Publisher: ALMA LITTERA
Year of license: 2025
ISBN 9786090164631
Formats: 143 × 235 mm / hardcover
Pages 672
Kalba Lithuanian