--- product_id: 23714370 title: "The Pearl: A Tale of Forbidden Love in Catherine the Great's Russia" brand: "douglas smith" price: "1392551₫" currency: VND in_stock: true reviews_count: 11 url: https://www.desertcart.vn/products/23714370-the-pearl-a-tale-of-forbidden-love-in-catherine-greats store_origin: VN region: Vietnam --- # The Pearl: A Tale of Forbidden Love in Catherine the Great's Russia **Brand:** douglas smith **Price:** 1392551₫ **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Pearl: A Tale of Forbidden Love in Catherine the Great's Russia by douglas smith - **How much does it cost?** 1392551₫ with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vn](https://www.desertcart.vn/products/23714370-the-pearl-a-tale-of-forbidden-love-in-catherine-greats) ## Best For - douglas smith enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted douglas smith brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Images ![The Pearl: A Tale of Forbidden Love in Catherine the Great's Russia - Image 1](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41-uS3bn1iL.jpg) ![The Pearl: A Tale of Forbidden Love in Catherine the Great's Russia - Image 2](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/31uS10HXWTL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love and Death *by W***N on Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2014* Setting the stage by giving the contrasting lives prior to their first meeting, certainly prepares the ground for the thesis that this was not a match made in heaven. We have a member of the extreme top one percent (in today's jargon) and Friday (her name in Russian through the Greek) - his Gal Friday! - is bottom what? Ten percent? She is his property. This reminds me of the situation Thomas Jefferson had with his slave (and cousin) Sally Hemings - the mother of most of his surviving children. Upstairs / Downstairs merges. Granted the situation with serfs was much different in many ways from American slavery - though my understanding of how things ran with  Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power  estate were certainly better by far than the rule. And the same differences were there in Russia as well since it was up to the individual owner how people were treated. A fascinating part of the book concerns the Thieving Magpie - a serf singer much like Friday that was sold as part of the troupe on the death of the owner who was going to give them all their freedom. The new owner was a letch that was furious with rejection and the singer resigned herself to death. Contrast this with the presumption that Friday loved Nicholas. Or did she? Even Nicholas writes that she was more in love with Matrimony than with him. But this book describes an incredible economics. While in my book group one friend said it reminded her of War and Peace, I replied it reminded me more of Woody Allen's  Love and Death ! Picture hundreds of carriages taking all the servants, food, and a wagon full of clothes for them from one estate to another so they could attend the coronation. Seeing something like that would put me more in mind of a straight faced Woody Allen clearly communicating the hysterical behaviors of the rich while people were starving around them. Another thing this book reminded me of was  Europe's Physician: The Various Life of Theodore de Mayerne  - from a century earlier - and the fight among physicians to introduce chemicals as part of health. The health issues among the rich and how they were treated, with leeches, bloodletting, Spanish fly, milk baths, seem a horrid approach. Were things better in France? George Washington probably died from such care. All in all, this was a slow book to attract my interest but a fast read, so the interesting things came up pretty quickly once I got into it. Thanks to the Internet, and most of the sites in the book are still there and museums with web sites, you can follow along in the book while looking at what the places look like today. I am glad I read it, though I admit I was hesitant to get started. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ THE PEARL by Douglas Smith *by P***N on Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2013* The book presents a fascinating aspect of Russian history and I would recommend it to those interested in such subject. It deals with the family history of Count Boris Sheremetev, General during the Thirty-Year War, who won the Poltava Battle for Peter the Great. The book centers on the romance of Nicholas Sheremetev (Boris' grandson) with one of his serf women, who he married later in life, and the scandal such a union caused in the circles of Imperial Russia during Catherine the Great, especially the stigma such a union caused to the future Sheremetev heirs. For obvious reasons, it is a sad story, but interesting nonetheless because of the impact the family had on developing the future of opera, ballet and theater in Russia, the precursors also of the Bolshoi Ballet in modern times. Nobody recommended this book to me ... I came across it by accident while browsing the internet in search of books on the Pushkin palaces and the Tretyakov Gallery. Highly recommended for those interested in a little-known piece of Russian history. The book was delivered in perfect condition and on time by seller, who I also recommend. ### ⭐⭐ Misleading title and cover discription *by S***M on Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2008* The title and the cover's description lead one to expect a biographical story of the love story between the Pearl, Praskovia Kovalyova (the Count's mistress and later wife) and Count Nicholas Sheremetev which occurred during an exciting time in Russian history, the time of Catherine the Great. However, the author admits there is little information about this love affair and actually spends most of the book describing the Count's theaters, operas, and dazzling homes. The author even spends a few chapters describing things that bear little relationship to the so-called love story. There is very little information, in fact, about the Pearl, after whom the book is title. Quite misleading!However, well researched the book, the love story is still to be told.Disappointing book. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vn/products/23714370-the-pearl-a-tale-of-forbidden-love-in-catherine-greats](https://www.desertcart.vn/products/23714370-the-pearl-a-tale-of-forbidden-love-in-catherine-greats) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vietnam* *Store origin: VN* *Last updated: 2026-05-23*