Discovered a new-to-me author.
Loved this story!
Historical fiction at its finest.
STORY SUMMARY
It is 1914 and Russia is about to collapse. The Royal family...the Romanov Family...face a very uncertain future. Grand Duchess (similar to Princess) Tatiana has fallen in love with one of the cavalry officers. His name is Dimitri and they are totally in love. But...certain events take place that puts their romance...and their very lives..in danger.
Fast forward to 2016 and Kitty Fisher has left her home and husband in London England to visit her dead great-grandfather's cabin on Lake Akanabee in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. Kitty has just found out that her husband has been having an affair! And she had NO idea!! She is upset, angry, and mystified at these turn of events in her life. She begins to focus on restoring her great grandfather's cabin. It is on the shores of Lake Akanabee that Kitty discovers the beautiful jeweled pendant that will lead her to a very old family secret......
MY THOUGHTS
This book is loosely based on actual events from the Russian Revolution and the Romanov Family. Did Tatiana really get executed with the rest of her siblings and parents? Or perhaps she really did escape??
The Romanov's really were executed and Tatiana really did have a dog named Ortipo. She also really did like an officer of the cavalry. And yes, there were many imposters who tried to tell the world that they were either Tatiana or Anastasia.
The author has many end notes explaining her research and what really happened with the Romanov's as well as with the discovery of their bones in the late 1970s. Of course we all know the story now about the actual Romanov siblings....if you don't, read the book!
The character development in this story was exquisite and the author's description of Indian Lake and Lake Akanabee was spot on! There really is an Indian Lake Village in the central Adirondacks. This is where I do much of my hiking! And there is a lake there called Lake Abanakee which I've kayaked on many times as well as have gone swimming there with my family. I'm guessing the author just turned the letters around to create a fictional lake.
The rest of the description of the remote cabin and village are very much like what it really is like.
I love that she had Tatiana, Rosa, and Dimitri settle in Albany, NY too.
(that is the area where I live!).
I don't want to say too much about this story because I don't want to ruin it for you.
I was very impressed by how much I learned regarding Russia and Germany and the other Eastern European areas of that time period.
I was very drawn in to Dimitri's life and then of that with his dear companion Rosa. And then when he went back to Eastern Europe....oh my!! Great plot!
In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 14 and older.
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 10.
1 comment:
Well now you got me interested in the story. The title was kind of turning me off but I've always really been interested in the Romonav's so even a fiction story is interesting to me. I may have to check this one out.
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