Author: Sarah Miller
First Published: June 2011
Publisher: Atheneum
448 pages (paperback)
I saw this book in the bookstores about a year ago, and I knew I had to read it. Ever since watching the animated Anastasia movie as a little kid way back when, I’ve been a “fan” (if you can call it that) of the tragic Romanov family, and I devoured information about them. I didn’t actually end up reading this book till a year later because I decided to wait for it to come out in paperback instead, which it did about a month ago (at the time of this writing).
This book is narrated in alternating viewpoints by the four daughters of the last tsar of Russia: Olga, Tatiana, Marie and Anastasia. The novel details the last four years of their lives, from when World War I breaks out, to their father abdicating the throne, to being under house arrest and then prisoners of the Russian Revolution. It’s not a diary-format kind of story, but it sort of feels like one.
I think most people already know what ended up happening to the Romanov family during the revolution, so the ending is no surprise at all. Still, it was so sad to read! As the reader, I have accompanied these girls for nearly 400 pages and have become intimately acquainted with these characters. As I neared the end, I kept wishing and wishing history turned out differently for these four girls. The author did a splendid job with the characters and writing out the conditions of their imprisonment. The girls were incredibly loyal to their family and the servants who chose to join them in exile. They were even nice to the guards around their prison of a home. I think that’s what makes their death in this book even more tragic, as they were portrayed as such nice, good girls.
The story is great, the characters are great and I loved how the end of the book included photos of the Romanov family. It kind of made the entire novel even sadder than it already was, to have real faces to attach to the characters in the book, and knowing what a horrible end they faced. One thing that bugged me about this book though was how similar the four girls sounded. I can’t tell you how many times I would be reading and forget who the narrator was because 1) it switched frequently, the chapters being rather short and 2) they narrated pretty much the same way, except for perhaps Anastasia, the most mischievous grand duchess.
Even though this book is considered a YA book, I think adults will enjoy reading this a lot too (I certainly did!) I think this book did a great job painting a portrait of what it was like to live during a revolution and of about the enduring spirit of family and sisterhood. Plus, just knowing that all this happened to real people tugs on the heartstrings too. Just prepared to feel a little sad and depressed when reading this book.
My Rating: 4/5
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