Had Elizabeth, the exquisite granddaughter of Queen Victoria, not married the Grand Duke Serge of Russia, she would not have found herself, first, at the heart of the opulent court in St. Petersburg and, after the brutal assassination of her husband, in the embrace of the Russian Orthodox Church and a convent dedicated to Christian charity. Nor would she have battled the mesmeric Rasputin for her sister Alexandra's soul or suffered the bloody consequences of a Revolution that would lead toher martyrdom and, ultimately, sainthood. The dramatic details of Elizabeth's story make this elegant volume a fascinating, compelling biography. "Mager's elegantly written biography restores [Elizabeth] to her rightful place in history, a remarkable woman overshadowed by her more famous sister, Alexandra." - Publishers Weekly "A remarkable story . . . [a] fluent and moving biography of an extraordinary woman" - Houston Chronicle "In this spirited biography, Mager reconstructs the far-from-trivial life of this woman who possessed a lovely character to match her lovely face." - Booklist "An authoritative, well-researched biography of a fascinating woman" - Library Booknotes