Sisi

Sisi by Allison Pataki

Sisi: An Empress on Her Own tells the life story of Empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary, this book follows her later years as an established queen and empress. At age 16, Sisi is married to Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria-Hungary. She is very much in love with him, but soon finds herself isolated by her husband's obsessive commitment to duty and a strong-willed mother-in-law who makes all the domestic decisions. Sisi isn't even allowed to raise her own children. 

The only way she knows how to deal with the oppressive environment of the Habsburg family and her controlling mother-in-law is to flee Vienna as often as possible. Even though she has no control of the raising of her two older children, she takes her third child with her wherever she goes and positively dotes on the little girl. Sisi spends her adult life searching for an elusive happiness.

The story is well-researched and based strongly in historical fact and tells the story of tragedy that makes you realize that fact is often stranger than fiction.