Secrets of a Suitcase

‘From the intimate belongings of an unknown aristocrat, Terreehorst builds a richly detailed picture of life as it was lived in Middle Europe’s castles, before vanishing for ever in the turbulence of two World Wars.’ -- <b>Anne de Courcy, author of <i>Chanel’s Riviera</i>; <i>Margot at War<i/> and <i>The Husband Hunters</i></b> 'Terreehorst's instinct for well-chosen details keeps the story engaging, and she strikes an admirable balance between the texture of the characters' immediate surroundings and the broader arcs of social and political change. While her knowledge of design shines in descriptions of fin-de-siècle mantelpieces and extravagant carved beds, her engrossing history of the development of industrial mining in Silesia displays the book's depth of research.' -- <b><I>TLS</I></b> 'A vivid picture of aristocratic life in prewar central Europe. . . provides a reminder of the scale of Nazi plunder, not just from Jewish owners but from museums, galleries and art dealerships across occupied Europe. . . Readers interested in the dying days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire will find much to enjoy here.' -- <b><I>Literary Review</I></b> 'An impressive, multi-faceted historical narrative.' -- <b><i>NRC Handelsblad</i>4-star review</b> 'A fascinating account of Margarethe Szapary’s life and chronicle of Central Europe.' -- <b><i>De Volkskrant</i> 4-star review</b> 'Fascinating, accessible, and worth the read.' -- <b><i>De Standaard</i> 4-star review</b> 'Margarethe emerges from Terreehorst's account as a formidable figure of endurance.'  -- <b><I>Spear's Magazine</I></b> 'From one suitcase, Terreehorst unpacks the lost world of Central Europe's old aristocracy in all its brittle splendour. Her lens is never still, focussing on individual lives, then panning out to the fall of empires, the rise of Nazism, and the aftermath. Microhistory at its most vivid and instructive.' -- <b>Martyn Rady, author of <i>The Middle Kingdoms: A New History of Central Europe</i></b> ‘This is more than the colourful story of one family. It raises fascinating questions about the importance of objects, our relationship to them, and their poignant relationship to memory.’ -- <b>Elizabeth Wilson, author of <i>The Girl in Berlin</i>; <i>War Damage</i> and <i>The Twilight Hour</i></b> 'A fascinating and important study about the controversial role of aristocracy in the upheavals of Central Europe, from the Austro-Hungarian monarchy to the Third Reich.' -- <b>Paul Lendvai, author of <I>The Hungarians</I>; <I>Austria Behind the Mask</I>; and <I>Orbán</I></b> 'A compelling biography of an influential family gradually ensnared by the Nazis.' -- <b>Susan Ronald, author of <I>Hitler's Aristocrats</I></b>