{"product_id":"the-purple-shroud-9780143122258","title":"The Purple Shroud","description":"\u003ci\u003eTheodora: Actress, Empress, Whore\u003c\/i\u003e, Stella Duffy's chronicle of this amazing woman's early years, delighted readers with its exquisite blend of historical detail and vivid storytelling. Now, \u003ci\u003eThe Purple Shroud\u003c\/i\u003e chronicles Theodora at the height of her power, bringing the ancient world alive in another unforgettable, epic saga.\u003cp\u003eTheodora and Justinian have been crowned Emperor and Empress, but ruling an empire is no easy task. The two factions of Christianity are still battling for dogmatic supremacy, the Empire's borders are not secure, and Theodora worries about the ambitions of Justinian's two best generals. But the most pressing concern is close to home: Constantinople's two factions, the Blues and the Greens, are beginning to unite in their unhappiness with rising taxes. When that unhappiness spills over into all-out violence, thousands are killed (including someone very close to Theodora) and many of the City's landmarks are destroyed, including Theodora's beloved Hagia Sophia. In the aftermath of the riots, Theodora guides Justinian in gaining back the love and trust of the people, her unerring instinct for what the people want proving invaluable. Justinian promises to rebuild the Hagia Sophia to be even more spectacular than before. Theodora comes to realize that being the Augusta is simply another role she must play, though the stakes are much higher and there is no offstage. It's a role she was born to play.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Penguin Publishing Group\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/25\/2012\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780143122258\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 416\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.50lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.70h x 5.10w x 0.80d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 10\/01\/2012 pg. 66\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 10\/15\/2012 pg. 24\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Stella Duffy","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44507379531957,"sku":"9780143122258","price":18.7,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_5536a5fd-43b7-4ae0-8058-605b9ecb0b24.jpg?v=1722312064","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-purple-shroud-9780143122258","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}