The Countess

In the 1870s, Angelica is handed over by her mother to the owners of a milk-toddy bar in one of Copenhagen’s working-class districts. As a young woman, she has a daughter out of wedlock, who is placed in foster care, and she takes a position as a live-in maid at a vicarage in Jutland. But fate does not unfold quite as expected. Falling in love with one of Kolding’s leading citizens sends her off on an adventure to South Africa during the gold boom, then on to Italy, Switzerland, London, and back to Copenhagen.

At the age of thirty, Angelica inherits an enormous fortune, which makes it possible for her to buy the small pleasure palace Aldershvile by Lake Bagsværd, where she settles with her daughter, whom she collects from her foster parents. All of a sudden she is one of the richest women in Europe, now invited onto the polished parquet floors of high society. But no one has any way of knowing what she comes from – and, not least, how she has managed to reach the position in life she now occupies.

The countess is a novel about the longing for love and recognition, about poverty and wealth, greatness and downfall. It tells the story of Angelica Pierri (1870–1914), who in the Danish public was known as the Countess of Bagsværd.

• “Henriette Rostrup is a fantastic interpreter of women’s lives, with sharp and vivid character portraits and fascinating milieus that, all in all, mean you are really well entertained. The Countess is a dramatic, colourful, and, not least, gripping novel about a slice of Danish history and women’s history. The Countess fits perfectly into the wave of exofiction about historical figures and especially forgotten women whose stories have seldom, if ever, previously been told in a work of fiction.”

  Litteratursiden

• “A gripping historical novel.”

  Midtjyllands avis

• “Henriette Rostrup has written an excellent piece of exofiction and stays true to the time and the milieu she describes. The pages practically turn themselves, the dialogues are sharp, and we also meet well-known figures such as Herman Bang and the Brandes brothers. I was completely absorbed through all 600-ish pages. A major novel that I recommend to everyone who loves The Innermost Core, The Second Branch, Where the Light Is, and Half in Heaven”

  Litfix

• “The Countess is one of the best books I have read this year. Angelica’s distinctive story is truly unique and quite extraordinary for the time she lived in. The book is thick, but the story never becomes boring. In fact, it is extremely well told and almost impossible to put down. Besides Angelica’s story, the depictions of the various settings are incredibly thorough and give the book its historical touch, which I find really interesting. I can only urge everyone to read this book, and therefore I give it 6 out of 6 stars”

  Litteraturhjørnet

  ******

• “You are WITH the very charismatic and independent Angelica all the way from Copenhagen, Vonsild, South Africa, Italy, Switzerland, London, and back to Copenhagen. When you turn the last page, you can’t help but bow and say THANK YOU for the story. The Countess is an obvious candidate for The Golden Laurels.”

  Bausagerbooks

• “What a fantastic woman! What a fantastic story! The novel The Countess is 650 well-written, thrilling pages that just flow along in a captivating narrative. Recommended for everyone who loves a gripping and surprising historical novel. May it be turned into a TV series!”

  Bogblogger.dk

• “There is something wonderful about reading a good, old-fashioned historical novel. Timeless drama spun into its own time; read and learn, breathe in the streets of Johannesburg and the salons on the Amalfi Coast, imagine centuries-old houses in London and Copenhagen’s art elite at Hermitage Palace. Rostrup’s understanding of the genre is faultless. It is an exciting story of greatness and downfall”

  Litteratur.dk

• “Henriette Rostrup creates a highly interesting and empathetic portrait of her main character; a woman who balances between society’s external expectations and her own longings and dreams.
  It is a fairly straightforward and well-written story with a plot that never stands still; for that very reason, the 658 pages do not feel a single page too long
  ”

  Bogtanken

• “If you are going to read ONE historical novel, it should be The Countess.
  Six stars (and a couple of extra stars for an excellent story about differences).”

  Rikke Smith

  ******

• “The Countess is 659 pages of insightful portrayal of hope, dreams, betrayal, longing, greatness, poverty, love and the lack of it, wealth, class differences, and of never really finding one’s place in life. A huge recommendation for everyone interested in history or those who want to gain insight into past eras.
  Gripping, captivating, and insanely well executed.
  ”

  Bogglæde

  *****

• “The novel tells Angelica’s story so vividly and realistically. I was deeply moved and almost felt as if I were with her all the way, out in the world and here in Denmark.
  A truly recommendable historical novel, which I would urge everyone who loves this genre to read.
  A masterpiece in book form.
  ”

  Bogfinken

  *****