The Volga Flows Forever ~ Book One
Catherine
Sigrid Weidenweber
“You look astonishingly pretty,” admits Johanna
when Sophia steps out of her bedroom dressed
in Ulrika’s magnificent gown. Sophia is stunned,
halting in mid-step. This is rare praise from
her cold mother, so she must, indeed, look very
good. At Frederick’s side during the elaborate
court dinner, Sophia shines and sparkles with
youth and wit. The monarch is very pleased
with his choice. Indeed, he is so enamored
with the girl that he opens his purse to outfit
mother and daughter, both woefully deficient
in material matters appropriate for court life.
So begins the transformation of Princess Sophia of Anhalt-Zerbst into Catherine the Great of Russia. The personal and professional triumphs and tribulations of this remarkable woman are retold by Sigrid Weidenweber, whose research into the life of Catherine reveals a new perspective on Catherine, from the inside out. Sigrid portrays with heartfelt understanding what it was like to have been such a major European political and military, social and cultural figure during the eighteenth century.
Catherine is the first book in a trilogy entitled
“The Volga Flows Forever.” Book Two follows
Vadim and Svetlana to the German colonies along
the lower Volga and into the lives of the Meininger
family and their friends, who have settled in Schaffhausen. In Book Three, Sigrid weaves her
story through the hardships of collectivization and
deportation during the early Soviet years to finally
bring young Katharina to join the Volga Germans
who had earlier immigrated to the San Joaquin
Valley of Central California.
Published by the Center for Volga German Studies at Concordia University - Portland, Oregon
Praise for
Sigrid Weidenweber and Catherine
Sigrid Weidenweber has carefully researched the history of the times, and presented it so colorfully that one would think she was an eyewitness to all the intrigue at the Russian court in the 18th century. It's excellent, engrossing reading!
– Paul L. Maier
Western Michigan University
“… a splendid fictional, yet historical romp through the fragile crystal of the eighteenth century.”
– Dona Reeves-Marquardt
Texas State University
“With great skill and passion Sigrid Weidenweber unveils an epic and important historical journey, bringing to life the danger, violence, and intrigue of European royalty through the eyes of one of its most prominent and fascinating members.”
– Tim Green
New York Times Bestselling Fiction Author
“The more one reads, the more impressive the research, delightful the rich detail, and engaging this drama of the loves, lure and limitations of power of the Enlightened Empress Catherine – from a distinctively woman’s perspective!”
– Hans Spalteholz
Concordia University – Portland
“Great nations become great because of great people. Sigrid has combined her research and writing skills to trace the story of one of Russia’s great leaders. Catherine is superb reading about an exciting monarch who changed the course of European history – a real ‘page turner’!”
– John Van Diest
Founder, Multnomah Press
Associate Publisher, Tyndale House Publishers
“The author’s successful allusions to Catherine’s sexual escapades are tastefully and appealingly depicted …”
– LaVern J. Rippley
Saint Olaf College
Ordering Information:
Click here to order The Volga Flows Forever Trilogy online.
- ISBN(10): 1-934961-00-0
- ISBN(13): 978-1-934961-00-1
Price $29.95 (including shipping)
To order: make check for US$29.95 payable to Concordia University; and send it to:
The Center for Volga German Studies
Concordia University
2811 NE Holman Street
Portland, OR 97007
To order by credit card, call 503.493.6370
Books will be shipped the first week of August.
- Catherine is the first in a trilogy entitled The Volga Flows Forever.
- The second volume is entitled The Volga Germans and is scheduled for release on December 1, 2008.
- The third volume is entitled From Gulag to Freedom and is scheduled for release on April 1, 2009.
Order all three volumes now at a discounted rate of $80.00, including shipping.
Sigrid Weidenweber
Born in Germany in 1941, Sigrid Weidenweber remembers firsthand the horrific aftermath of fascism. At the end of the war, she found herself living under communism. Both of these totalitarian regimes left indelible marks on her psyche. After the Berlin Wall was built, she finally escaped this repressive environment with the help of friends and a French passport. Sigrid holds degrees in medical technology and psychology. Her first book, Escaping the Twilight, deals with aspects of medical anthropology in an Islamic culture. Her wide range of interests led to the writing of the trilogy, The Volga Flows Forever. In this first volume, Catherine, she brings to life a fascinating historical character. She has been married 44 years, has two children and two adorable grandsons. They live on a mountaintop outside Portland, Oregon, with a panoramic view of the Cascades.
For information about the author and her other publications: