The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia, Candace Fleming
Nonfiction
First line: “On the night of February 12, 1903, a long line of carriages made its way through the Imperial Gates of St. Petersburg’s Winter Palace.”
Booktalk: At the turn of the century, Nicholas II was the all-powerful ruler of Russia and the wealthiest monarch in history. But his reign was deeply troubled. He was widely viewed as weak and incompetent. Everyone loathed his German wife, who had fallen under the spell of a mysterious man named Rasputin. And even though he had five children, he had only one boy – sickly Alexei, the baby of the family.
During Nicholas’s 21-year reign, he oversaw the economic and military collapse of his once-powerful country, with disastrous results for his family and all of Russia. This nonfiction book tells the story of Nicholas and his family in the years leading up to their brutal murders at the hands of their political enemies. You also find out about what happened after their deaths, including the long history of impostors pretending to be Princess Anastasia or Prince Alexei, whose bodies went undiscovered for decades. Full of political intrigue, murder plots, bizarre characters, and fabulous luxury, this is a fascinating, fast-paced journey through Russian history.
Similar titles: The Lost Crown (Sarah Miller) and Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess (Caroline Meyer) tell the story of Nicholas II’s daughters’ lives before they were murdered. (You might have heard of Anastasia, the supposed lost princess of Russia – you might have even seen the movie of the same name. The main thing I learned from this book is that the movie Anastasia is full of lies! Seriously, nothing in that movie is true. However, the truth is even crazier than fiction.)