The Life You Had Imagined : From Imperial Vienna to Hollywood, the mystery of Empress Elisabeth of Austria's secret daughter

"Ambitious, subtle, engrossing" (LES ECHOS)

"An unforgettable novel" (PARIS MATCH)

 In October 1930, a young actress named Elissa Landi, touted by Fox Studios as the next Greta Garbo, sets foot in Hollywood. She has talent, striking looks and a mysterious background : her mother, Karoline Zanardi Landi, has always claimed to be the hidden daughter of Empress Elisabeth of Austria. Fantasy or reality ? Fascinated by the mystery surrounding the two women, Nelly Alard investigates the case. Did the famously free-spirited, eccentric Empress Sisi really go as far as raising a child in secret, away from the stuffy Viennese court? If not, why on earth did Karoline make up this outlandish story, years before the collapse of the Austrian Empire, exposing herself to retaliation from the emperor's police ?

 As she tries to answer these questions, Alard takes us through the ups and downs of her own career as an actress, from her childhood dreams of glory to her first literary efforts, all related to the empress in one way or another. Her search - and her writing - take a new turn when Alard starts to wonder if Karoline's motive could have been to hide her Jewish ancestry from an antisemitic fiance...

 In this third novel, award-winning author Nelly Alard thrusts us into the lives of three glamourous, fiercely independent women, intertwining epochs and characters with such fluidity that they all come to life, vivid and authentic. Full of surprising twists and witty personal insights, it is as brilliant in its formal aspects as it is thought-provoking and surprising in content. Published in France by Gallimard, it was enthusiastically received by both audience and press.

"A gripping investigation shot through with cheerful humor" (ELLE)

"An enthralling quest that is also a superb self-portrait in which the personal lives and destinies of these uncommon heroines intermingle and mirror one another." (LE FIGARO)

"A fascinating investigation where fiction merges with reality. Surprising - different from anything you've read before" (L'OBS)

 "A subtle storyline worthy of the most exciting thrillers" (BIBA MAGAZINE)