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Historical Fiction Read




*Here is a link to a podcast my friend and from work and I did on the Romanov Family and the musical Anastasia if you're interested* 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXqm6xZahxs 


Author: Ariel Lawhorn 

Title: I Was Anastasia 

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publication Date: March 27, 2018

Number of Pages: 352

Geographical Setting: Majority of Russia (St. Petersburg, Ekaterinburg), Romania, Germany, and Virgina  

Time Period: 1917-1970s

Series (If applicable): N/A 

Plot Summary: The oldest mystery in the world comes to life but we here from both sides, Anastasia Romanov and Anna Anderson. Anastasia was to be executed on July 17, 1918, by Bolshevik firing squad along with the rest of her family or so history says. July 17, 1920, a young woman is rescued by German police after a failed suicide attempt, she has a striking resemblance to that of the royal princess. The question of what really happen to Anastasia and who Anna Anderson is, will be told in this book for a long 50-year long journey for the reader to discover what truly happened to these two women. 
"This thrilling saga is every bit as moving and momentous as it is harrowing and twisted." (Amazon, 2023). 

Subject Headings:  Fiction

                               Historical Fiction 

                               Literature  

                               Mystery 
                              
                              
Appeal: Suspenseful: Hearing from both Anna and Anastasia's views kept me on my feet, because the descriptive details of privileged vs. hard life and leading up to the horrific events that took place kept me engaged and looking up the parts I was always curious about. 

Strong females: Both women were very stubborn in what they wanted for themselves and to make their thoughts known. Even if that meant it would cost them their life. 


3 terms that best describe this book: Suspenseful, thrilling, intense. 

Similar Authors and Works (why are they similar?): The Witches of St. Petersburg by Imogen Jones and The Tsarina's Daughter, are two books that have similar appeal when it comes to the Romanov family, but also suspenseful with the events leading up to the tragic events of July 1918. One has a daughter who hides her identity and the other is about how the family partakes in magic that ultimately invites trouble into their lives. 


3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors

The resurrection of the Romanovs: Anastasia, Anna Anderson, and the world's greatest royal mystery by Greg King and Penny Wilson 


Anastasia: the riddle of Anna Anderson by Peter Kurth 


Anastasia the lost princess by James Blair Lovell 




3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors

The last Grand Duchess by Bryn Turnbull 


Anastasia by Sophie Lark 


The Romanov empress: a novel of Tsarina Maria Feodorovna by C.W. Gortner 









Comments

  1. A Book Worm and Her BooksMarch 22, 2023 at 2:23 PM

    Great annotation, Bre! I actually read "I Was Anastasia" a few years ago and I immensely enjoyed it, right up until the ending. It did not end how I had expected it to but it was still an enjoyable read. I agree that both women were incredibly stubborn and extremely strong-willed when it came to survival and continuing on despite what was happening throughout the book.

    I think it's really cool that you and your friend did a podcast on this; I'll have to give it a listen! Your read-a-likes are also going on my ever growing 'to be read' list. I've always been fascinated with the mysterious Romanov family and Anastasia as a whole. You have to wonder if there are surviving members out there somewhere, just waiting... or if the line really died that night with the rest of the family.

    Great job!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bre WeeksMarch 22, 2023 at 6:59 PM

      Book Worm and Her Books,
      Thank you for your kind words. I've always loved Anastasia, ever since I was a kid, as I got older, I wanted to learn more about her and her family. So you can imagine when I found out that she really didn't survive that fateful night in Ekaterinburg, I was devastated. However, see how she and her family are portrayed today, with the platforms we have made me realize that the mystery gave her people hope. It makes you wonder what would happen had her father had better guidance and went with his own thoughts. Maybe just maybe the family would have lived, but sadly that is something we cannot know.
      I highly recommend seeing the musical, it combines the 1999 animated film with the historical side, and it made a great story come to life. While Nicholas II line did not continue on, there were surviving members of the Romanov's that did continue the bloodline, two of them being the Duke of Cambridge and Sussex. So a bittersweet ending to a 300-year dynasty.

      Delete
  2. Molly MillsopMarch 26, 2023 at 6:43 PM

    Oh, I'm glad to have a new title to keep in mind for recommendations. I appreciate that it is outside of the popular WWII range. This sounds like it has some thriller elements.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bre WeeksMarch 27, 2023 at 11:35 AM

      Molly,
      This did have some thrilling moments, if one is aware of the history of Anastasia and Anna Anderson, you can only imagine what horrific things these women had to go through.

      Delete

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