The Buzz...About Books

Countess
Sophie Potocka (1760 – 1822), largely unknown in North
America, has come down through European history with a somewhat
negative reputation. She is known for being a courtesan and for clawing her way from poverty in a small Greek village in Turkey to wealth and privilege in what is now the Ukraine. This was accomplished via numerous affairs and two marriages.

Her lifetime was witness to turbulent times. Poland (the nation of her two husbands) was partitioned out of existence. She ended up living in Russia
as the area of her husband’s estate became part of that country. Along
the way, she met and flirted with royalty and politicians.

Eva Stachniak, a Torontonian of Polish descent, has written an engrossing novel of  Sophie’s life, Garden of Venus .
Stachniak was intrigued by Sophie’s story and has written a sympathetic
portrait. Since verifiable details are scant and dependent on possibly
unreliable witnesses, her tale is of by necessity a novel. It tells
Sophie's story from her birth in Turkey to her death in Berlin.

In addition to this book, Sophie lives on in the garden she created on her husband’s estate in the Ukraine. It's called Sofiyivka and is open to visitors.