I Was Anastasia
Russia, July 17, 1918: Bolshevik secret police force Anastasia Romanov, along with the entire imperial family, into a damp basement in Siberia, where they face a merciless firing squad. None survive. At least that is what the executioners have always claimed.
Germany, February 17, 1920: A young woman resembling Anastasia Romanov is pulled shivering and senseless from a canal. Refusing to explain her presence, she is taken to the hospital where an examination reveals that her body is riddled with countless horrific scars. When she finally does speak, this frightened, mysterious young woman claims to be the Russian grand duchess.
But is she the Russian Grand Duchess, or a thief of another woman’s legacy?
I Was Anastasia was a thrilling read. Lawhon kept me guessing as to which way this story was going until the very end. I must admit, I held out hope that Anna Anderson really was Anastasia, that she somehow escaped her family’s tragic end, but of course that was wishful thinking. That’s the reality when you read historical fiction: history follows you as you get further and further into the book and confronts you with the truth. But the journey along the way is worth it.
The way Lawhon laid out the story was impressive. Her ability to meld Anastasia’s story before her death in 1918, to Anna’s journey as she attempted to be recognized as the Grand Duchess, until the two timelines met up to reveal the truth, was well-done. She did it in such a way that I, as the reader, didn’t get lost along the way.
Anastasia Romanov’s story has mystified people around the world for decades. I Was Anastasia is a profoundly powerful story about a young woman whose untimely end inspired a new beginning for another.
I Was Anastasia Rating: ★★★★
Germany, February 17, 1920: A young woman resembling Anastasia Romanov is pulled shivering and senseless from a canal. Refusing to explain her presence, she is taken to the hospital where an examination reveals that her body is riddled with countless horrific scars. When she finally does speak, this frightened, mysterious young woman claims to be the Russian grand duchess.
But is she the Russian Grand Duchess, or a thief of another woman’s legacy?
I Was Anastasia was a thrilling read. Lawhon kept me guessing as to which way this story was going until the very end. I must admit, I held out hope that Anna Anderson really was Anastasia, that she somehow escaped her family’s tragic end, but of course that was wishful thinking. That’s the reality when you read historical fiction: history follows you as you get further and further into the book and confronts you with the truth. But the journey along the way is worth it.
The way Lawhon laid out the story was impressive. Her ability to meld Anastasia’s story before her death in 1918, to Anna’s journey as she attempted to be recognized as the Grand Duchess, until the two timelines met up to reveal the truth, was well-done. She did it in such a way that I, as the reader, didn’t get lost along the way.
Anastasia Romanov’s story has mystified people around the world for decades. I Was Anastasia is a profoundly powerful story about a young woman whose untimely end inspired a new beginning for another.
I Was Anastasia Rating: ★★★★