A spirited, poignant narrative history of the seven daughters of the great Empress Maria Theresia—including Queen Marie Antoinette of France—bringing their stories to life as they balance dynastic duty and personal defiance in a time of revolutionary turmoil

“Others make war; you, happy Austria, marry.”

This unofficial dictum had for centuries kept the Habsburgs at the peak of power, but by 1764, the dynasty was in a precarious position. After a difficult accession and two lengthy wars, the Empress Maria Theresia faced enormous debts, restive subjects, and shaken political ties. True to Habsburg tradition, she sought the remedy in marriage alliances, and her arsenal was full: her seven daughters Marianna, Marie Christine, Elisabeth, Carolina, Josepha, and Antonia were to serve as her pawns in the ruthless game of eighteenth-century dynastic politicking.

Delivered to the grandest or dingiest courts in Europe, they made their difficult and even dangerous way: Marianne the seeker; the grande dame Marie Christine; Elisabeth, the malicious, disfigured beauty; fractious and wayward Amalie of Parma; Caroline of Naples, Napoleon’s relentless enemy; the tragic bride Josepha; and Antonia, youngest of the seven, sacrificial offering to the gods of revolution, better known to history as Marie Antoinette.

Meticulously researched and animated by the sisters’ own memoirs and diaries and the almost daily letters traversing the continent, Seven Sisters reveals the drama and comedy in these exceptional yet all too human lives. It is a vivid portrait of a brilliant world collapsing in a fearful time.