Women during this time were doing more, whether it be in riding horses or breaking barriers in the fields of science, and they yearned to be recognized for it. Yet, they were expected to adhere to the same society norms that keep them repressed in the first place. The notorious Italian Anarchist Maria Roda said, “It is exactly because we feel and suffer that we too want to become involved in the fight against this society because we also feel from birth the need to be free, to be equal.”

Anita’s feminism was very much like Maria’s in she believed women’s rights are human rights. It is in society’s best interest that women have the same freedoms as men. That equality was inherent in Anita’s nature. While Anita’s attraction to Giuseppe Garibaldi may have started as physical, it was his devotion to freedom that made her want to stay. He respected her and allowed her to make the choices that she wanted. Soon she found herself fighting to give others that same dignity and respect, regardless of their station in life. Anita carried these beliefs with her from Brazil to Uruguay, and finally to Italy. In each country, she not only fought beside the men, but she also spoke with the women, inspiring them to take up freedom’s cause.

Over the years I have gotten closer to finding the history behind my great grandparent’s immigration story. We still don’t know who the soldier is but in searching for my family I discovered something more, I discovered a woman who inspired me. Who made me want to be like her, even if I never stand on a ship’s bow as cannons whiz by my head.

Anita Garibaldi became my hero.

Antoinette’s Sister

Maria Carolina Charlotte, beloved sister of Marie Antoinette, has unexpectedly found herself the wife of the king of Naples.

Bursting with intrigue, adventure, and romance, follow Charlotte as she upends societal conventions and tries to save her sister from death while courageously living—and loving—on her own terms.

Please turn the page for an excerpt.

Here we are at the end of all things. You who thought you could best me. You are the Icarus, and I am the sun. All these years, you have been my constant tormentor. You took away my sister and my kingdom, but you can never take away my identity, for I am a queen, a Habsburg daughter, and you will forever be known as a usurper.

As you read this, know that the courts of Vienna have ruled in my favor. My husband and I will be restored to our rightful place as king and queen of Naples while you will be left with nothing. Which is more than you deserve.

Yours Faithfully,

Maria Carolina Charlotte

Queen of Naples and Sicily

Chapter One

1765

There were few things as enjoyable as being able to see the unveiling of a suitor’s portrait. The event, attended by four of my six sisters, was an opportunity for us to assess what our mother’s intentions were. Our mother, Empress Maria Theresa, was not only the ruler of the Austria-Hungary Empire, but was also the absolute ruler of the Habsburg royal family—all eleven of us. No Habsburg child, male or female, was immune to her strict cultivation. We were all expected to be rulers in whichever court the empress mother deemed appropriate, and as such, were savagely pruned by her sharp tongue.