Knyzhka Corner Book Review: Empress of the East by Leslie Pierce

Empress of the East by Leslie Pierce is the biography of Roxelana, a captive slave who became the wife of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent. This profoundly insightful look at one of the most mysterious figures of the sixteenth century weaves a fascinating story of a slave captured in what is modern-day Ukraine.At the time, Ukraine was known as Ruthenia.She was sold to the Ottoman harem, but later became the wife of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent. She ruled with her husband and had a lasting impact on the country known as Turkey today.The subtitle of the book sums up Roxelana’s importance, “How a European Slave Girl Became Queen of the Ottoman Empire.” This is a very well researched biography of a mysterious historical figure who impacted the Ottoman Empire and ruled with her husband at a time when women were not considered worthy to be leaders. Her rise from slave to concubine to royal wife is staggering in its speed, audacity and importance. Roxelana’s story has recently been revived in the Turkish historical television series Muhteșem Yüzyil [Magnificent Century] which was originally broadcast from 2011 to 2014. It has since been seen by more than 150 million viewers in dozens of languages worldwide. For the full transcript, click here. Buy the book (and support Nash Holos at no extra cost) by clicking here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.