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The Romanov Sisters #2
The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra
Goodreads Choice Award
Winner for Readers' Favorite History & Biography (2014)They were the Princess Dianas of their day—perhaps the most photographed and talked about young royals of the early twentieth century. The four captivating Russian Grand Duchesses—Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia Romanov—were much admired for their happy dispositions, their looks, the clothes they wore and their privileged lifestyle.
Over the years, the story of the four Romanov sisters and their tragic end in a basement at Ekaterinburg in 1918 has clouded our view of them, leading to a mass of sentimental and idealized hagiography. With this treasure trove of diaries and letters from the grand duchesses to their friends and family, we learn that they were intelligent, sensitive and perceptive witnesses to the dark turmoil within their immediate family and the ominous approach of the Russian Revolution, the nightmare that would sweep their world away, and them along with it.
The Romanov Sisters sets out to capture the joy as well as the insecurities and poignancy of those young lives against the backdrop of the dying days of late Imperial Russia, World War I and the Russian Revolution. Rappaort aims to present a new and challenging take on the story, drawing extensively on previously unseen or unpublished letters, diaries and archival sources, as well as private collections. It is a book that will surprise people, even aficionados
Over the years, the story of the four Romanov sisters and their tragic end in a basement at Ekaterinburg in 1918 has clouded our view of them, leading to a mass of sentimental and idealized hagiography. With this treasure trove of diaries and letters from the grand duchesses to their friends and family, we learn that they were intelligent, sensitive and perceptive witnesses to the dark turmoil within their immediate family and the ominous approach of the Russian Revolution, the nightmare that would sweep their world away, and them along with it.
The Romanov Sisters sets out to capture the joy as well as the insecurities and poignancy of those young lives against the backdrop of the dying days of late Imperial Russia, World War I and the Russian Revolution. Rappaort aims to present a new and challenging take on the story, drawing extensively on previously unseen or unpublished letters, diaries and archival sources, as well as private collections. It is a book that will surprise people, even aficionados
492 pages, Hardcover
First published June 3, 2014
1974 people are currently reading
92193 people want to read
About the author
Helen Rappaport
27 books846 followersHelen Rappaport is a historian specialising in the Victorian period, with a particular interest in Queen Victoria and the Jamaican healer and caregiver, Mary Seacole. She also has written extensively on late Imperial Russia, the 1917 Revolution and the Romanov family. Her love of all things Victorian springs from her childhood growing up near the River Medway where Charles Dickens lived and worked. Her passion for Russian came from a Russian Special Studies BA degree course at Leeds University. In 2017 she was awarded an honorary D.Litt by Leeds for her services to history. She is also a member of the Royal Historical Society, the Genealogical Society, the Society of Authors and the Victorian Society. She lives in the West Country, and has an enduring love of the English countryside and the Jurassic Coast, but her ancestral roots are in the Orkneys and Shetlands from where she is descended on her father's side. She likes to think she has Viking blood.
Helen is the author of 14 published books with 2 forthcoming in 2022:
"In Search of Mary Seacole: The Making of a Cultural Icon" - Simon & Schuster UK, 17 February 2022
"After the Romanovs: Russian Exiles in Paris through Revolution and War" - St Martin's Press USA, 8 March 2022
For her next project she is working on a biography of Juliane of Saxe-Coburg aka Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna of Russia
Follow her also on Facebook at:
HelenRappaportWriter
Helen is the author of 14 published books with 2 forthcoming in 2022:
"In Search of Mary Seacole: The Making of a Cultural Icon" - Simon & Schuster UK, 17 February 2022
"After the Romanovs: Russian Exiles in Paris through Revolution and War" - St Martin's Press USA, 8 March 2022
For her next project she is working on a biography of Juliane of Saxe-Coburg aka Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna of Russia
Follow her also on Facebook at:
HelenRappaportWriter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,413 reviews
January 30, 2018
Well that was damn tragic and beyond sad 😕
February 1, 2021
“Dutiful members of the newly liberated proletariat, ‘munching apples and caviar sandwiches…’ were encouraged to visit [the Alexander Palace] on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays, making sure first to don the ugly but obligatory felt overshoes to protect the beautiful waxed parquet floors from damage. After doing so, they would be ushered through the imperial apartments to an accompanying – and frequently contemptuous – account of their former occupants. The well-drilled official guides did their best to decry the decidedly bourgeoise tastes of Russia’s last tsar and his wife. The old-fashioned, art-nouveau-style furniture, the cheap, outmoded oleographs and sentimental pictures, the English wallpaper, the profusion of knick-knacks scattered around on every available surface…reminded visitors of the ‘typical parlor of an English or American boarding house’ or a ‘second-class Berlin restaurant.’ The family themselves were dismissed in the glib phrases of Soviet-speak as an historical irrelevance…As visitors were conducted from room to room…they could not avoid an increasing sense of Nicholas II, not as the despotic ruler painted to them but rather as a dull family man, who had crammed his study and library…with photographs of his children at every stage of their development from babyhood to adulthood…”
- Helen Rappaport, The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra
The most interesting choice Helen Rapaport makes in The Romanov Sisters is what she decides to leave out of the narrative: the deaths of her subjects. The four daughters of Emperor Nicholas II and his wife, Alexandra, were murdered by the Bolsheviks on July 17, 1918, along with their parents, brother, and four retainers. This essential fact has tended to dominate the Romanov legacy and to overshadow the lives of Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia.
Instead of providing any sort of description of their final moments – which Rappaport has covered elsewhere, in her The Last Days of the Romanovs – she opens her book with a hushed tour of the Alexander Palace, where the former-person Nicholas Romanov had lived with his family. She takes us room to room, pointing out the things that were left behind. In the girls’ rooms are jewelry boxes, combs and brushes, exercise books, even their baby clothes and christening robes. In attempting to create a presence by describing an absence, Rappaport delivers a more profound statement on their fates than any number of graphically detailed reconstructions of what happened in the basement of the House of Special Purpose.
Following this sad prologue, Rappaport circles back to happier days, before revolution and imprisonment and death. Rappaport starts the central narrative by providing a mini-biography of Empress Alexandra, the oft-absence, somewhat hypochondriacal mother who dominated the lives of her daughters. Oft maligned by history, Rappaport is perceptive in explaining her, if never excusing her.
From this recounting of Alexandra, the story flows chronologically, tracing her courtship with Nicholas II, their eventual marriage, and the births of four daughters, all of whom would be outshone by the arrival of an heir, Alexei, whose hemophilia played a role in the downfall of their family.
The contours of this tale will be familiar to anyone who has read about the Romanovs. However, the difference between The Romanov Sisters and your typical book about the Russian Revolution is that Rappaport runs the story through Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia. Events are depicted as seen through their eyes. More than that, she attempts – successfully – to differentiate the girls from one another. As Rappaport rightly points out, they are often described as a single unit (including by their mother). Here, she strains to carve out a personality for each, from a lovesick Olga to a mischievous Anastasia.
Much of The Romanov Sisters takes on aspects of an idyll. There are vacations to the Crimea and pleasant cruises on their yacht. Yet the storm is always approaching, and almost everything is tinged with the unspoken knowledge of the doom to come. For instance, Rappaport relates the remembrances of Hallie Wheeler, wife of American diplomat Post Wheeler. Hallie saw the Romanov children at the orchestra, and noted how Alexei received the most attention. Her eyes, though, were on two of the girls:
In attempting to steer clear of their deaths, Rappaport does go a bit too far. The time spent in the Ipatiev House is very streamlined. This is somewhat understandable, especially since Rappaport has thoroughly tilled this soil in other books. Nonetheless, certain important aspects with regard to the Romanov girls – especially Maria’s alleged trysting with a guard – are entirely excised. This is extremely odd, especially in comparison to Rappaport’s earlier exploration of Olga’s love life.
The portrait that emerges of Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia is one ordinariness. They were born into incredible privilege and wealth, yet they were exceedingly normal in their everyday concerns, whether that was lovesickness, their weight, or their schoolwork. At one point, they had everything, but when it was all taken from them, they never complained, content above all that they should be together as a family.
Naturally, as I read this, I saw the opportunities for some of them to escape. What if, for example, Olga had married a foreign prince, and gotten herself out of Russia? Inevitably, though, you come to the conclusion that if they had to die, they would have wished to die together. I’m in no position to discuss the canonization of the family by the Russian Orthodox Church. I will say, though, that the evidence of how the girls acted in their final days, their acceptance of their circumstances, feels like a kind of martyrdom, even if it was forced upon them.
I read a lot of history, and hence, I read a lot about troubling events. But something about the Romanov murders really lingers in the dark side of my imagination. Maybe it is seeing the extant photographs and videos of the children, and then imagining them pale-faced and shivering in the basement of the House of Special Purpose, waiting for Yurovsky and his executioners. Maybe it's the botched brutality of the job. Maybe it's the simple fact that they were children.
Big historical events tend to overwhelm us. It is hard to understand the shape of certain tragedies, because it is beyond the imagination to conjure. Millions of Russians died in the First World War. Many millions more – mostly civilians – died in the Russian Civil War that followed. How do you imagine a million of anything, much less bodies? The Romanovs – especially Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Alexei – give us a frame of reference. We know their names, their faces. We know some of their thoughts and facets of their character. They come to stand for all the victims who died unremembered, in unmarked graves. They are not the simple facts of history; they were people.
- Helen Rappaport, The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra
The most interesting choice Helen Rapaport makes in The Romanov Sisters is what she decides to leave out of the narrative: the deaths of her subjects. The four daughters of Emperor Nicholas II and his wife, Alexandra, were murdered by the Bolsheviks on July 17, 1918, along with their parents, brother, and four retainers. This essential fact has tended to dominate the Romanov legacy and to overshadow the lives of Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia.
Instead of providing any sort of description of their final moments – which Rappaport has covered elsewhere, in her The Last Days of the Romanovs – she opens her book with a hushed tour of the Alexander Palace, where the former-person Nicholas Romanov had lived with his family. She takes us room to room, pointing out the things that were left behind. In the girls’ rooms are jewelry boxes, combs and brushes, exercise books, even their baby clothes and christening robes. In attempting to create a presence by describing an absence, Rappaport delivers a more profound statement on their fates than any number of graphically detailed reconstructions of what happened in the basement of the House of Special Purpose.
Following this sad prologue, Rappaport circles back to happier days, before revolution and imprisonment and death. Rappaport starts the central narrative by providing a mini-biography of Empress Alexandra, the oft-absence, somewhat hypochondriacal mother who dominated the lives of her daughters. Oft maligned by history, Rappaport is perceptive in explaining her, if never excusing her.
From this recounting of Alexandra, the story flows chronologically, tracing her courtship with Nicholas II, their eventual marriage, and the births of four daughters, all of whom would be outshone by the arrival of an heir, Alexei, whose hemophilia played a role in the downfall of their family.
The contours of this tale will be familiar to anyone who has read about the Romanovs. However, the difference between The Romanov Sisters and your typical book about the Russian Revolution is that Rappaport runs the story through Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia. Events are depicted as seen through their eyes. More than that, she attempts – successfully – to differentiate the girls from one another. As Rappaport rightly points out, they are often described as a single unit (including by their mother). Here, she strains to carve out a personality for each, from a lovesick Olga to a mischievous Anastasia.
Much of The Romanov Sisters takes on aspects of an idyll. There are vacations to the Crimea and pleasant cruises on their yacht. Yet the storm is always approaching, and almost everything is tinged with the unspoken knowledge of the doom to come. For instance, Rappaport relates the remembrances of Hallie Wheeler, wife of American diplomat Post Wheeler. Hallie saw the Romanov children at the orchestra, and noted how Alexei received the most attention. Her eyes, though, were on two of the girls:
Returning to her box after the interval, Hallie noticed that Anastasia and Maria had already taken up their places near her side of the railing. ‘She was not a beautiful child, but there was something frank and winning about her,’ she recalled of Anastasia. ‘On the flat railing sat the now depleted box of chocolates and her white gloves were sadly smudged. She shyly held out the box to me, and I took one.’ As the music struck up Anastasia began humming the folk tune they were playing. Hallie asked her what it was. ‘Oh,’ she replied, ‘it is an old song about a little girl who had lost her doll.’ The lingering notes of that lovely song hummed by the young grand duchess, and the sight of her chocolate-soiled gloves that evening, would stay with Hallie for many years…
In attempting to steer clear of their deaths, Rappaport does go a bit too far. The time spent in the Ipatiev House is very streamlined. This is somewhat understandable, especially since Rappaport has thoroughly tilled this soil in other books. Nonetheless, certain important aspects with regard to the Romanov girls – especially Maria’s alleged trysting with a guard – are entirely excised. This is extremely odd, especially in comparison to Rappaport’s earlier exploration of Olga’s love life.
The portrait that emerges of Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia is one ordinariness. They were born into incredible privilege and wealth, yet they were exceedingly normal in their everyday concerns, whether that was lovesickness, their weight, or their schoolwork. At one point, they had everything, but when it was all taken from them, they never complained, content above all that they should be together as a family.
Naturally, as I read this, I saw the opportunities for some of them to escape. What if, for example, Olga had married a foreign prince, and gotten herself out of Russia? Inevitably, though, you come to the conclusion that if they had to die, they would have wished to die together. I’m in no position to discuss the canonization of the family by the Russian Orthodox Church. I will say, though, that the evidence of how the girls acted in their final days, their acceptance of their circumstances, feels like a kind of martyrdom, even if it was forced upon them.
I read a lot of history, and hence, I read a lot about troubling events. But something about the Romanov murders really lingers in the dark side of my imagination. Maybe it is seeing the extant photographs and videos of the children, and then imagining them pale-faced and shivering in the basement of the House of Special Purpose, waiting for Yurovsky and his executioners. Maybe it's the botched brutality of the job. Maybe it's the simple fact that they were children.
Big historical events tend to overwhelm us. It is hard to understand the shape of certain tragedies, because it is beyond the imagination to conjure. Millions of Russians died in the First World War. Many millions more – mostly civilians – died in the Russian Civil War that followed. How do you imagine a million of anything, much less bodies? The Romanovs – especially Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Alexei – give us a frame of reference. We know their names, their faces. We know some of their thoughts and facets of their character. They come to stand for all the victims who died unremembered, in unmarked graves. They are not the simple facts of history; they were people.
April 28, 2017
Quick read. Informative. Learned a lot. I picked it up to see what their story was all about. And I was surprised at the amount of impact was both on the world and on them as a family.
The author does a good job at keeping things at just the right level -- not too complex, not too simple. She explains all the connections to the British family, covers some of the world tensions causing the problems for the Romanov's. And their deaths are handled with the right level of respect.
You really learn a lot about their marriage, the ways the girls were raised, and what people's thoughts on love were in the early 20th century.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
The author does a good job at keeping things at just the right level -- not too complex, not too simple. She explains all the connections to the British family, covers some of the world tensions causing the problems for the Romanov's. And their deaths are handled with the right level of respect.
You really learn a lot about their marriage, the ways the girls were raised, and what people's thoughts on love were in the early 20th century.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
April 28, 2015
"We too have to understand through it all, that God is greater than everything, and that he wants to draw us, through our sufferings, closer to Him. But my country, my God, how I love it with all the power of my being, and her sufferings give me actual physical pain." –Alexandra Romonova
I cannot stress enough what a wonderful book this was! For the duration of my reading, I was transported back in time through Russia, Finland and Britain at the turn of the century. Revolution, death and hard times were ahead for Russia and its people after 1918. Knowing that this book would not have a happy ending though, didn't diminish the pleasure I had at glimpsing what life was like for the private Romanovs, a family that incited both controversy and intrigue.
Rappaport did an excellent job of relating the story of the Romanov sisters, by not focusing all of her attention on the great love story that was Nicholas and Alexandra, or even the mythical Rasputin, though they were an integral part of Russian history. Instead, by means of surviving diaries and letters from the family, servants and friends, Rappaport paints how the quiet family lived, frustrations the girls had about being sheltered from the outside world, and even the first blooms of love. From each of their births down to their tragic deaths, I came away with a deep appreciation for each of their different characters and strengths, also a profound sense of loss for what they might have accomplished had they lived. What a wonderful read; a new all-time favorite!
February 10, 2017
Helen Rappaport paints a compelling portrait of Tatiana, Olga, Maria and Anastasia the four daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra in this well written account of the girls and their lives at court.
I have read a great deal of books on the subject of Russia and the Romanov family and wasn't particularly sure what new information I would gain from this book. But I was plesently surprised with the author's approach to the Novel and the research she had done.
Rappaport's skill at showing life within the Romanov family makes a genuinely new and interesting contribution to the Romanov story. I found on reading this book that I gained a better insight into the girls lives and personalities and found that I came away with a better understanding of what life was like for these girls growing up and for the family on a whole.
The one thing that amazed me when reading this book was how unsuitable Nicholas and Alexandra were for the position in society that they found themselves in and I had great admiration for the family life that they tried to lead and how close as a family they really were. The personality of Alexandra is extremely well analysed in this book and I think by doing so we getting a better understanding of events within the family.
For readers interested in the Romanov Family this is a great book, extremely well written and researched. I love the fact that the book contained photos and but I would love if the author had included a map with names of the places mentioned in the book.
March 20, 2018
As I, a recovering sick person (who’s had an entire day to ponder over the book) sit down to write this review, I still find myself grasping at whispy clouds of thoughts. I don't know how to write a review that would honour this gruesome tale of the end to one of the greatest dynasties of the modern world.
Don Bluth's Anastasia (its historical inaccuracies notwithstanding) was probably the first historical movie I watched and not unlike many, obsessed over. So much so that I still remember how years later, an eleven-year-old Anya used to hole up in her father’s office during summer vacation and pour over articles after articles online about the last Romanovs, the Bolshevik Revolution, and Anna Anderson. And the day I turned seventeen, I vividly remember feeling crushed because Anastasia was never going to be older than me now.
In The Romanov Sisters, Helen Rappaport effortlessly glides through the last Russian imperial family’s history without making it seem like a tedious read which I for one was immensely grateful for. I have had an abysmal track record with non-fiction and unless it fully engages me, I drop books like dead flies.
Unlike all the historical accounts on the four sisters that I have read over the years, Rappaport’s novel hits the closest; even though she focuses on the imperial family as a whole (as opposed to what the title suggests), one can’t help but applaud how brilliantly she captures the personality of every single sister and make them seem human (with quirks, personal achievements, flaws, hopes etc) rather than portraying them as mere spectres of history.
The story of the last Romanovs is essentially a story of love; for it was an era when matrimony was a machination to a political alliance and finding a love match amongst imperial families was as rare as experiencing the warmth of a sunny December day in Tobolsk. It's a story of familial love, of schaste, of a warm and happy childhood.
‘I dare complain the least, having such happiness on earth, having a treasure like you, my beloved Alix, and already the three little cherubs. From the depth of my heart do I thank God for all His blessings, in giving me you. He gave me paradise and has made my life an easy and happy one.’
Nicky and Alix (of Hesse) whose marriage was a love match in the truest sense were blessed with a healthy baby girl Olga Nikolaevna in the winter of 1895. Olga was the greatest joy to her parents from the moment she was born although the entire empire was disappointed as it was hoping for a male heir.
[image error]
[Out of all the five siblings, I feel the closest to Olga. She was an ardent reader, prone to regular crushes and temperamental like me.]
Three more times, the Tsarina got pregnant and every time having birthed a girl child had to face the escalating resentment of a nation growing anxious for a male heir. Russia was a nation deeply entrenched in imperialism, starving for an heir and their Tsarina had to bear the brunt of their escalating resentment for she a woman of foreign birth was seen as cold and aloof and was not popular among her people. There was a widespread panic amongst the royal relatives trying to clamber to the throne either through matrimony or succession but the four girls were adored by their parents.
[Olga with Nicky's mum. So terrifying]
[The Tsarina with a young Olga and a baby Tatianochka]
[A young Tatiana in a formal pose]
[Tatiana Romanova]
(A true nurse that she was with an iron soul, I must admit I have a serious crush on her. I mean, holy crap, just look at her.)
[Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna or 'Fat Marie' as she was lovingly called by her siblings.]
[Anastasia Romanova, the imp]
[The Big Pair]
[The Little Pair]
[OTMA]
Finally in 1904, their fifth child, Alexey Nikolaevich was born but it was only the beginning of their troubles. The little prince was haemophilic-a closely guarded secret- that was passed on to him by his great grandmother Queen Victoria of England. However, the birth of the tsarevich did very little to crush the seeds of revolution that were growing in the womb of an indignant Russian empire plagued by mismanagement, a defeat in the war with Japan, anti-Jewish pogroms and riots (Bloody Sunday in particular). The first family was beginning to get virtually isolated in light of a battery of assassinations and the Empress' growing paranoia about the well-being of her husband and children.
The birth of this one precious little boy provided a field day for soothsayers and omen seekers, although some were deeply malevolent. For even now, the worst kind of superstitious nonsense was being put about that the little tsarevich was in a fact a changeling – substituted by Nicholas and Alexandra for an unwanted fifth daughter who had been spirited away.
[The young tsarevich]
Desperation and the failing health of Alexey led Nicholas and Alexandra to consult every doctor they could but all their efforts were fruitless in easing the excruciating pain their only son was suffering through until they were brought in contact with Grigory Rasputin, a Russian peasant and a healer who miraculously healed the tsarevich on numerous occasions. Such was the mystical religious fervour of the family that over the following months, they came to rely heavily on the staret who apart from healing the haemophilic son, began to influence political decisions. This only acted as a catalyst to the growing unpopularity of the royal couple amongst the populace which reached a grim crescendo during the First World War.
[A caricature]
Political unrest abound, Nicholas was forced to abdicate the throne at the end of the February Revolution and in 1917, the family was imprisoned in Siberia and then to Yekaterinburg.
"They walked unsteadily, or rather unevenly. I decided that this was because each one was carrying a very heavy suitcase and also because the surface of the road had become squelchy from the incessant spring rain. Having to walk, for the first time in their lives, with such heavy luggage was beyond their physical strength … They passed by very close and very slowly. I stared at their lively, young, expressive faces somewhat indiscreetly – and during those two or three minutes I learned something that I will not forget till my dying day. It felt that my eyes met those of the three unfortunate young women just for a moment and that when they did I reached into the depths of their martyred souls, as it were, and I was overwhelmed by pity for them – me, a confirmed revolutionary. Without expecting it, I sensed that we Russian intellectuals, we who claim to be the precursors and the voice of conscience, were responsible for the undignified ridicule to which the Grand Duchesses were subjected … We do not have the right to forget, nor to forgive ourselves for our passivity and failure to do something for them."
[A local Yekaterinburg engineer's account]
In 1918, the seven Romanovs were assassinated.
Whatever mantle he donned in court, Nicholas Feodorovich Romanov was a family man who loved his wife and children deeply. Even though the Tsar wasn't a wise ruler (having ascended the throne unprepared at the age of twenty-six), it breaks my heart to see atrocities committed against him and how he was mocked and jeered at by the public. Oh, and how he suffered through all the ignominy with a calm demeanour and his self-respect intact.
The twentieth century was a ruthless and an unforgiving chapter in the annals of modern history, but the cold-blooded murder of the Russian royal family was especially appalling because innocent children were punished for the deeds of their parents. Children who despite being born into a royal house were brought up without any extreme or special consideration on account of their high position and imperial birth’.
In spite of her many short-comings and her (s)mothering concern, Alix was a doting mother and I respect her for this- she raised her children well.
"'She [Tatiana] too was deeply altruistic and sensitive to what others did for her. On once discovering that her nursemaid and Miss Eagar [her nanny] were paid for their services because they had no money of their own and needed to earn a living, she came to Eagar’s bed the next morning and got in and cuddled her, saying ‘Anyway, you are not paid for this.'"
I wish I could meet them even for an hour so that I could tell them how ardently I love them. I feel so attached to them- a broken family they were. Despite.
As Jonathan Safran Foer wrote,“One day you will do things for me that you hate. That is what it means to be family.”
PS- Many heartfelt thanks to Abubakar for sending me the link to the OTMA's fan instagram. Seeing all the pictures made me burst into tears. https://www.instagram.com/theromanovs...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One upside of being bedridden (thank you, food poisoning)- I get to read as much as I want.
Review to come; I'm crying.
Don Bluth's Anastasia (its historical inaccuracies notwithstanding) was probably the first historical movie I watched and not unlike many, obsessed over. So much so that I still remember how years later, an eleven-year-old Anya used to hole up in her father’s office during summer vacation and pour over articles after articles online about the last Romanovs, the Bolshevik Revolution, and Anna Anderson. And the day I turned seventeen, I vividly remember feeling crushed because Anastasia was never going to be older than me now.
In The Romanov Sisters, Helen Rappaport effortlessly glides through the last Russian imperial family’s history without making it seem like a tedious read which I for one was immensely grateful for. I have had an abysmal track record with non-fiction and unless it fully engages me, I drop books like dead flies.
Unlike all the historical accounts on the four sisters that I have read over the years, Rappaport’s novel hits the closest; even though she focuses on the imperial family as a whole (as opposed to what the title suggests), one can’t help but applaud how brilliantly she captures the personality of every single sister and make them seem human (with quirks, personal achievements, flaws, hopes etc) rather than portraying them as mere spectres of history.
The story of the last Romanovs is essentially a story of love; for it was an era when matrimony was a machination to a political alliance and finding a love match amongst imperial families was as rare as experiencing the warmth of a sunny December day in Tobolsk. It's a story of familial love, of schaste, of a warm and happy childhood.
‘I dare complain the least, having such happiness on earth, having a treasure like you, my beloved Alix, and already the three little cherubs. From the depth of my heart do I thank God for all His blessings, in giving me you. He gave me paradise and has made my life an easy and happy one.’
Nicky and Alix (of Hesse) whose marriage was a love match in the truest sense were blessed with a healthy baby girl Olga Nikolaevna in the winter of 1895. Olga was the greatest joy to her parents from the moment she was born although the entire empire was disappointed as it was hoping for a male heir.
[image error]
[Out of all the five siblings, I feel the closest to Olga. She was an ardent reader, prone to regular crushes and temperamental like me.]
Three more times, the Tsarina got pregnant and every time having birthed a girl child had to face the escalating resentment of a nation growing anxious for a male heir. Russia was a nation deeply entrenched in imperialism, starving for an heir and their Tsarina had to bear the brunt of their escalating resentment for she a woman of foreign birth was seen as cold and aloof and was not popular among her people. There was a widespread panic amongst the royal relatives trying to clamber to the throne either through matrimony or succession but the four girls were adored by their parents.
[Olga with Nicky's mum. So terrifying]
[The Tsarina with a young Olga and a baby Tatianochka]
[A young Tatiana in a formal pose]
[Tatiana Romanova]
(A true nurse that she was with an iron soul, I must admit I have a serious crush on her. I mean, holy crap, just look at her.)
[Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna or 'Fat Marie' as she was lovingly called by her siblings.]
[Anastasia Romanova, the imp]
[The Big Pair]
[The Little Pair]
[OTMA]
Finally in 1904, their fifth child, Alexey Nikolaevich was born but it was only the beginning of their troubles. The little prince was haemophilic-a closely guarded secret- that was passed on to him by his great grandmother Queen Victoria of England. However, the birth of the tsarevich did very little to crush the seeds of revolution that were growing in the womb of an indignant Russian empire plagued by mismanagement, a defeat in the war with Japan, anti-Jewish pogroms and riots (Bloody Sunday in particular). The first family was beginning to get virtually isolated in light of a battery of assassinations and the Empress' growing paranoia about the well-being of her husband and children.
The birth of this one precious little boy provided a field day for soothsayers and omen seekers, although some were deeply malevolent. For even now, the worst kind of superstitious nonsense was being put about that the little tsarevich was in a fact a changeling – substituted by Nicholas and Alexandra for an unwanted fifth daughter who had been spirited away.
[The young tsarevich]
Desperation and the failing health of Alexey led Nicholas and Alexandra to consult every doctor they could but all their efforts were fruitless in easing the excruciating pain their only son was suffering through until they were brought in contact with Grigory Rasputin, a Russian peasant and a healer who miraculously healed the tsarevich on numerous occasions. Such was the mystical religious fervour of the family that over the following months, they came to rely heavily on the staret who apart from healing the haemophilic son, began to influence political decisions. This only acted as a catalyst to the growing unpopularity of the royal couple amongst the populace which reached a grim crescendo during the First World War.
[A caricature]
Political unrest abound, Nicholas was forced to abdicate the throne at the end of the February Revolution and in 1917, the family was imprisoned in Siberia and then to Yekaterinburg.
"They walked unsteadily, or rather unevenly. I decided that this was because each one was carrying a very heavy suitcase and also because the surface of the road had become squelchy from the incessant spring rain. Having to walk, for the first time in their lives, with such heavy luggage was beyond their physical strength … They passed by very close and very slowly. I stared at their lively, young, expressive faces somewhat indiscreetly – and during those two or three minutes I learned something that I will not forget till my dying day. It felt that my eyes met those of the three unfortunate young women just for a moment and that when they did I reached into the depths of their martyred souls, as it were, and I was overwhelmed by pity for them – me, a confirmed revolutionary. Without expecting it, I sensed that we Russian intellectuals, we who claim to be the precursors and the voice of conscience, were responsible for the undignified ridicule to which the Grand Duchesses were subjected … We do not have the right to forget, nor to forgive ourselves for our passivity and failure to do something for them."
[A local Yekaterinburg engineer's account]
In 1918, the seven Romanovs were assassinated.
Whatever mantle he donned in court, Nicholas Feodorovich Romanov was a family man who loved his wife and children deeply. Even though the Tsar wasn't a wise ruler (having ascended the throne unprepared at the age of twenty-six), it breaks my heart to see atrocities committed against him and how he was mocked and jeered at by the public. Oh, and how he suffered through all the ignominy with a calm demeanour and his self-respect intact.
The twentieth century was a ruthless and an unforgiving chapter in the annals of modern history, but the cold-blooded murder of the Russian royal family was especially appalling because innocent children were punished for the deeds of their parents. Children who despite being born into a royal house were brought up without any extreme or special consideration on account of their high position and imperial birth’.
In spite of her many short-comings and her (s)mothering concern, Alix was a doting mother and I respect her for this- she raised her children well.
"'She [Tatiana] too was deeply altruistic and sensitive to what others did for her. On once discovering that her nursemaid and Miss Eagar [her nanny] were paid for their services because they had no money of their own and needed to earn a living, she came to Eagar’s bed the next morning and got in and cuddled her, saying ‘Anyway, you are not paid for this.'"
I wish I could meet them even for an hour so that I could tell them how ardently I love them. I feel so attached to them- a broken family they were. Despite.
As Jonathan Safran Foer wrote,“One day you will do things for me that you hate. That is what it means to be family.”
PS- Many heartfelt thanks to Abubakar for sending me the link to the OTMA's fan instagram. Seeing all the pictures made me burst into tears. https://www.instagram.com/theromanovs...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One upside of being bedridden (thank you, food poisoning)- I get to read as much as I want.
Review to come; I'm crying.
July 26, 2015
Having read all of Helen Rappaport’s books, including her 2009, “Ekaterinburg: the Last Days of the Romanovs,” I was delighted to read her latest work. “The Romanov Sisters” concentrates on the story of the Romanov’s from a slightly different viewpoint; rather than highlighting the relationship of Nicholas and Alexandra, or the illness of Alexey and Alexandra’s reliance on Rasputin, she takes the largely untold life stories of four sisters and examines them in detail. Of course, the marriage of Nicholas and Alexandra, the birth of Alexey and Rasputin are all there, but instead of the mere mention of four Grand Duchesses, they become individuals – possibly for the first time in print.
When Olga was born, in 1895, Nicholas and Alexandra were besotted with their daughter. After all, Alexandra had given birth to a healthy and beautiful child and there was no reason to believe that the son needed as heir to the dynasty would not follow. In 1897 with the birth of Tatiana, Alexandra did ask what the nation would say to the birth of another daughter – obviously realising that public opinion might shift against her if she failed to produce a son. If she was concerned then, the birth of two more daughters; Maria in 1899 and Anastasia in 1901 could only have caused her – and Nicholas – extreme concern. However, as a couple they adored and loved their daughters. It is reasonable to say that, had Nicholas been in almost any other situation, four royal daughters would have been an asset. However, with Alexandra alienating the aristocracy by her non participation in society, with relatives circling and seeing the possibility of nudging their own sons nearer the throne and with only a male heir able to succeed as Tsar, the situation was a worrying one. The birth of Alexey in 1904 should have solved all problems – sadly, as we know, it caused new ones.
It is fascinating to read that, even before the first world war, many members of the foreign press were nonplussed by the Russian reaction to the birth of the four Grand Duchesses, with some objecting to the discrimination shown the girls. One American journal thought four daughters enough to guarantee the security of the succession and their visit to England in 1909 was a triumph; where the young girls enchanted press and crowds alike. However, in Russia, the knowledge that Alexey had haemophilia led their parents to retreat in order to hide their secret and the world of the four girls began to shrink amidst widespread unrest. As members of the aristocracy bemoaned their lack of contact with society and to blame Alexandra for keeping them almost prisoners in their palaces, the healer and mystic Rasputin entered their lives. Alexandra was wracked with guilt for giving her precious son the hereditary illness and, retreating into solitude and ill health herself, the girls often became carers to both their mother and brother.
This book gives all the girls their own personality and makes fascinating reading. While both Nicholas and Alexandra tended to treat their girls as younger than their age, we read of how they began to receive marriage proposals and to develop crushes on young officers that accompanied the family or on those soldiers they treated during the first world war. By 1914 there were no more desirable and marriageable royal princesses than Olga and Tatiana and, it is apparent, that both girls were young women by this time – naive and unworldly – but certainly struggling with crushes and feelings they were unable to ignore. However, the author also asks the interesting question of whether the girls were also deemed less of a desirable marriage prospect by the fear of haemophilia and the instability of Russia, plus the isolation of the girls, which made them often shy and uncomfortable in society. Although Alexandra insisted her girls were too young and inexperienced to be allowed into the St Petersburg society she objected to, she allowed them often inappropriate contact with officers in the gilded cage she confined them in – and against which they obviously longed to leave, although they rarely voiced that wish, as they were generally obedient and loving daughters.
This book follows their life – from the glittering palaces of Imperial Russia, through rare, but much loved trips abroad, and on to the war and revolution. We learn of how the girls nursed the injured, how they studied and how they forlornly hung on to every word about life outside of the one they lived in. Helen Rappaport really makes this time come alive and this is a book to immerse yourself in and which, should you have any interest in this period of history, which you will enjoy immensely. Wonderfully written, sympathetic but honest, this is a welcome appraisal of the life of the four daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra – often sidelined by history, but now shown as the individuals they were and the tragedies they faced with dignity and fortitude. This is another success from an author that I admire greatly and whose books are always a pleasure to read – and re-read.
I received a copy of this book, from the publishers, for review.
When Olga was born, in 1895, Nicholas and Alexandra were besotted with their daughter. After all, Alexandra had given birth to a healthy and beautiful child and there was no reason to believe that the son needed as heir to the dynasty would not follow. In 1897 with the birth of Tatiana, Alexandra did ask what the nation would say to the birth of another daughter – obviously realising that public opinion might shift against her if she failed to produce a son. If she was concerned then, the birth of two more daughters; Maria in 1899 and Anastasia in 1901 could only have caused her – and Nicholas – extreme concern. However, as a couple they adored and loved their daughters. It is reasonable to say that, had Nicholas been in almost any other situation, four royal daughters would have been an asset. However, with Alexandra alienating the aristocracy by her non participation in society, with relatives circling and seeing the possibility of nudging their own sons nearer the throne and with only a male heir able to succeed as Tsar, the situation was a worrying one. The birth of Alexey in 1904 should have solved all problems – sadly, as we know, it caused new ones.
It is fascinating to read that, even before the first world war, many members of the foreign press were nonplussed by the Russian reaction to the birth of the four Grand Duchesses, with some objecting to the discrimination shown the girls. One American journal thought four daughters enough to guarantee the security of the succession and their visit to England in 1909 was a triumph; where the young girls enchanted press and crowds alike. However, in Russia, the knowledge that Alexey had haemophilia led their parents to retreat in order to hide their secret and the world of the four girls began to shrink amidst widespread unrest. As members of the aristocracy bemoaned their lack of contact with society and to blame Alexandra for keeping them almost prisoners in their palaces, the healer and mystic Rasputin entered their lives. Alexandra was wracked with guilt for giving her precious son the hereditary illness and, retreating into solitude and ill health herself, the girls often became carers to both their mother and brother.
This book gives all the girls their own personality and makes fascinating reading. While both Nicholas and Alexandra tended to treat their girls as younger than their age, we read of how they began to receive marriage proposals and to develop crushes on young officers that accompanied the family or on those soldiers they treated during the first world war. By 1914 there were no more desirable and marriageable royal princesses than Olga and Tatiana and, it is apparent, that both girls were young women by this time – naive and unworldly – but certainly struggling with crushes and feelings they were unable to ignore. However, the author also asks the interesting question of whether the girls were also deemed less of a desirable marriage prospect by the fear of haemophilia and the instability of Russia, plus the isolation of the girls, which made them often shy and uncomfortable in society. Although Alexandra insisted her girls were too young and inexperienced to be allowed into the St Petersburg society she objected to, she allowed them often inappropriate contact with officers in the gilded cage she confined them in – and against which they obviously longed to leave, although they rarely voiced that wish, as they were generally obedient and loving daughters.
This book follows their life – from the glittering palaces of Imperial Russia, through rare, but much loved trips abroad, and on to the war and revolution. We learn of how the girls nursed the injured, how they studied and how they forlornly hung on to every word about life outside of the one they lived in. Helen Rappaport really makes this time come alive and this is a book to immerse yourself in and which, should you have any interest in this period of history, which you will enjoy immensely. Wonderfully written, sympathetic but honest, this is a welcome appraisal of the life of the four daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra – often sidelined by history, but now shown as the individuals they were and the tragedies they faced with dignity and fortitude. This is another success from an author that I admire greatly and whose books are always a pleasure to read – and re-read.
I received a copy of this book, from the publishers, for review.
April 12, 2018
Me parece un libro completísimo sobre la vida de las cuatro hermanas Romanov, hijas del último zar de Rúsia (Nicolás II). Contiene muchos fragmentos de sus cartas y diarios, además de notas a pie de página y fotografías.
Me ha permitido conocer la infancia claustrofóbica y controlada al milímetro de estas cuatro jóvenes, su poca socialización viviendo sin apenas interactuar con jóvenes de su edad, su implicación durante la Primera Guerra Mundial,.. Sus preocupaciones de adolescentes y su forzada madurez repentina debida a las circunstancias.
No se centra demasiado en la política del momento sinó puramente en la vida familiar que llevaba la família Romanov, padres e hijos.
El problema llega cuando llegas al final del libro. Sabes cómo termina, es historia. Pero no es lo mismo leerlo en wikipedia que después de ir conociendo a Olga, Tatiana, Maria y Anastasia durante cientos de páginas. Y es devastador.
Me ha permitido conocer la infancia claustrofóbica y controlada al milímetro de estas cuatro jóvenes, su poca socialización viviendo sin apenas interactuar con jóvenes de su edad, su implicación durante la Primera Guerra Mundial,.. Sus preocupaciones de adolescentes y su forzada madurez repentina debida a las circunstancias.
No se centra demasiado en la política del momento sinó puramente en la vida familiar que llevaba la família Romanov, padres e hijos.
El problema llega cuando llegas al final del libro. Sabes cómo termina, es historia. Pero no es lo mismo leerlo en wikipedia que después de ir conociendo a Olga, Tatiana, Maria y Anastasia durante cientos de páginas. Y es devastador.
April 13, 2020
I personally am without religious faith. Some books demand that you be religious to understand how the characters think and behave. I just finished The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra. The religious faith of the girls and their mother is all encompassing and totally comprehensible…even to me. I really like books, like this, that let you experience a whole new way of looking at the world around you; I saw their world through their eyes.
You know what hits me? Everyone is reading horror stories for Halloween. Well, this is a horror story too, a real one.
I enjoyed this book very much, and so have given it four stars. It is by no means my first book on the last Russian czar and his family. I love Massie's Nicholas and Alexandra and highly recommend that too. What Rappaport's book has that is lacking from Massie's is a glimpse at the personalities of the four Grand duchesses: Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia. Having read this book, I feel I know them. The beginning isn’t focused on them. I was muttering, “But this is just the same thing as all the other books on the Romanovs! When am I going to be given the details on the girls?!” Be patient; it comes. Their characters are not simplistically summarized; you follow them from their birth to their death. Some personality aspects change; others remain stable. You see how they react in different situations and at different ages. You get different people's views of the four girls and their brother and mother and father too. Lots of quotes are given so you hear how they responded to each other in varying scenarios. I loved hearing how they girls behaved as children and then later as they worked as nurses in WW1 and finally when imprisoned first in the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo , then in Tobolsk and finally at Ekaterinberg. You learn about the whole family. It was a very close family. Family relationships are a central theme too, but you learn much more about the girls and their mother than father or son. You leave the book with a good understanding of what made each one of them tick and how outside events shaped them into who they were. Nature and nurture, both!
You also get an easily told story of the historical events. You don't get a political analysis of the situation in the Russian Empire. You are delivered a character study with the historical events as they unfold. If you want more go to Massie's book.
You cannot read this book without being horrified. You cannot read this book without getting emotionally invested. You cannot read this book without coming to understand the importance of faith and spiritual belief and love of family and country to Nicholas, Alexandra and their children. Personal decisions and choices affect history.
When I started this audiobook I was displeased with the narration by Xe Sands. She reads rapidly. She reads with emotion. You hear in her intonation her own emotional reaction to the events. She is not giving an unbiased presentation of the lines. There is gossip and she reads these lines with just such a tone. She sounds herself like a gossip when she relates what is being said about the Romanovs. BUT, I grew used to the speed. As I progressed I began to feel the lines simply HAD to be read with emotional fervor. How can you just read without passion....given what was happening? It works because her emotions reflect the author's lines very well.
You cannot read just one book about the last Romanovs. This is worth reading and it is easy to follow. Its strongest focus is on the girls' personalities, with all the rest told too. It has an epilogue that states what happened after the deaths, that is to those who aided them and also those who enhanced their suffering.
You know what hits me? Everyone is reading horror stories for Halloween. Well, this is a horror story too, a real one.
I enjoyed this book very much, and so have given it four stars. It is by no means my first book on the last Russian czar and his family. I love Massie's Nicholas and Alexandra and highly recommend that too. What Rappaport's book has that is lacking from Massie's is a glimpse at the personalities of the four Grand duchesses: Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia. Having read this book, I feel I know them. The beginning isn’t focused on them. I was muttering, “But this is just the same thing as all the other books on the Romanovs! When am I going to be given the details on the girls?!” Be patient; it comes. Their characters are not simplistically summarized; you follow them from their birth to their death. Some personality aspects change; others remain stable. You see how they react in different situations and at different ages. You get different people's views of the four girls and their brother and mother and father too. Lots of quotes are given so you hear how they responded to each other in varying scenarios. I loved hearing how they girls behaved as children and then later as they worked as nurses in WW1 and finally when imprisoned first in the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo , then in Tobolsk and finally at Ekaterinberg. You learn about the whole family. It was a very close family. Family relationships are a central theme too, but you learn much more about the girls and their mother than father or son. You leave the book with a good understanding of what made each one of them tick and how outside events shaped them into who they were. Nature and nurture, both!
You also get an easily told story of the historical events. You don't get a political analysis of the situation in the Russian Empire. You are delivered a character study with the historical events as they unfold. If you want more go to Massie's book.
You cannot read this book without being horrified. You cannot read this book without getting emotionally invested. You cannot read this book without coming to understand the importance of faith and spiritual belief and love of family and country to Nicholas, Alexandra and their children. Personal decisions and choices affect history.
When I started this audiobook I was displeased with the narration by Xe Sands. She reads rapidly. She reads with emotion. You hear in her intonation her own emotional reaction to the events. She is not giving an unbiased presentation of the lines. There is gossip and she reads these lines with just such a tone. She sounds herself like a gossip when she relates what is being said about the Romanovs. BUT, I grew used to the speed. As I progressed I began to feel the lines simply HAD to be read with emotional fervor. How can you just read without passion....given what was happening? It works because her emotions reflect the author's lines very well.
You cannot read just one book about the last Romanovs. This is worth reading and it is easy to follow. Its strongest focus is on the girls' personalities, with all the rest told too. It has an epilogue that states what happened after the deaths, that is to those who aided them and also those who enhanced their suffering.
June 1, 2014
3.5 Although much in this book was known to me previously, I did like the way this was presented. The writing is very readable, clear and precise. It focused more on the family, their daily schedules, the people they were in contact with and their individual personalities. History of course invaded the focus, but only when necessary, and how it affected the family and what they thought about what was happening.
I did feel that I received a better understanding of the girls, their individual personalities, their thoughts and hopes for the future. Their first loves or crushes, their schooling and the many people, including Rasputin, who they trusted. I never knew the extent that they were secluded, kept out of the influence of the Russian nobility and I can't help but feel that this did them a huge disservice. They were often thought to be socially awkward, abroad and by their own people. I couldn't help but think that had the two oldest girls been allowed to marry, at least two lives would have been saved.
This book was extensively researched and I very much like that the book did not end of the murder of the Czar and his family but continued on to tell the fate of many of those who had supported the family.
ARC from NetGalley..
I did feel that I received a better understanding of the girls, their individual personalities, their thoughts and hopes for the future. Their first loves or crushes, their schooling and the many people, including Rasputin, who they trusted. I never knew the extent that they were secluded, kept out of the influence of the Russian nobility and I can't help but feel that this did them a huge disservice. They were often thought to be socially awkward, abroad and by their own people. I couldn't help but think that had the two oldest girls been allowed to marry, at least two lives would have been saved.
This book was extensively researched and I very much like that the book did not end of the murder of the Czar and his family but continued on to tell the fate of many of those who had supported the family.
ARC from NetGalley..
September 19, 2015
What happened to the Romanovs was haunting. I have always had an interest in this family and their and place in history and I thought this book painted a vivid picture for me.
What was most horrifying about their lives (besides the ending) was the illness. Months of recovery, hair loss and temporary deafness....sheesh. I recommend every anti-vaxer read this book, I guarantee you’ll change your mind. If I had children, I’d immediately run them to the nearest clinic and vaccine those little ones up, then I would give them a mercury chaser *just in case.
Then I would take borrow my friend’s time-mower and go back in time, find Alexander Fleming and kiss him on the lips and thank him for inventing penicillin. Sure, that stuff would kill me now, but living without the stuff back in the day was worse than death right before the death happened.
Because the five kids were so ill with measles, and other nasty things, they couldn’t travel and this prevented the Romanovs from a timely escape to England. Measles killed them; well, the guns helped.
I did enjoy this book quite a bit. I wonder what would have been different if they had survived……sad.
*Calm down, it’s a joke. But seriously, vaccinate your kids. Need more convincing? Google Small pox images.
What was most horrifying about their lives (besides the ending) was the illness. Months of recovery, hair loss and temporary deafness....sheesh. I recommend every anti-vaxer read this book, I guarantee you’ll change your mind. If I had children, I’d immediately run them to the nearest clinic and vaccine those little ones up, then I would give them a mercury chaser *just in case.
Then I would
Because the five kids were so ill with measles, and other nasty things, they couldn’t travel and this prevented the Romanovs from a timely escape to England. Measles killed them; well, the guns helped.
I did enjoy this book quite a bit. I wonder what would have been different if they had survived……sad.
*Calm down, it’s a joke. But seriously, vaccinate your kids. Need more convincing? Google Small pox images.
May 22, 2014
This poignant and haunting look at the Romanov daughters reminds us of why, so many years later, we continue to be fascinated by their beauty, their fragile world, and their untimely deaths. Focusing on Olga, Tatiana, Marie and Anastasia, Ms Rappaport pulls back the veil on their privileged but often cold upbringing; their difficult yet adoring relationship with the neurotic Tsarina, Alexandra; and the family's fervent focus on the only son, Alexis, whose hemophiliac disorder caused so much pain and turmoil. All four girls emerge to life in their contradictions and personalities. What strikes us most after finishing this book is the loss of innocence and potential; the Romanov sisters were an uneasy blend of the old world crumbling around them and the budding modernity of the 20th century. In time, they might have achieved great feats that, sadly, we shall never know.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in Russian history and the tumultuous, ultimately tragic, fate of the last Tsar and his family.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in Russian history and the tumultuous, ultimately tragic, fate of the last Tsar and his family.
May 28, 2016
It all started with "Anastasia", American animated epic musical film, in 1997.
I was touched by it and wanted to know more, but the information was unclear. I am really glad that I found this book in GR universe and managed to learn more about the real life of the Romanovs. At first I was cautious and thought it would be one of those difficult reads with lots of boring facts and historical information that would be long to read. But it wasn't. The fate of this famous family was so awful and the author managed to reveal it in engaging and interesting way. I just couldn't put it down and I would have finished it quicker if my job hadn't interfered.
The great quotes from the diaries and letters the Romanovs wrote (some of which had never been published before) helped to bring this outstanding family back to life.
Each of them had a very different personality, each was unique and interesting. This book definitely helped to clear their picture and mark them as personalities in history. The Romanov sisters were so normal, common and lovable with their certain innocence about the world, love, passion, fears, work as nurses, fame, ordinary day routine, faith and tragic fate. Although they were so popular in Europe, the details of their daily lives were hidden, to keep privacy.
Helen Rappaport offers a view to the Grand Duchesses as individual women with details about their daily lives, which was new and interesting. It definitely helped me to understand more about the Romanovs, clarifying their actions and relationships. Oh, how I hoped for the good and happy ending for them. Their tragic end was described in just a few sentences though and it made an unfinished story for me with a too quick ending (Rappaport wrote another book about their last days). But still “The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra ” is an amazing story about the Romanov family. It definitely helped me to understand all its members better.
I was touched by it and wanted to know more, but the information was unclear. I am really glad that I found this book in GR universe and managed to learn more about the real life of the Romanovs. At first I was cautious and thought it would be one of those difficult reads with lots of boring facts and historical information that would be long to read. But it wasn't. The fate of this famous family was so awful and the author managed to reveal it in engaging and interesting way. I just couldn't put it down and I would have finished it quicker if my job hadn't interfered.
The great quotes from the diaries and letters the Romanovs wrote (some of which had never been published before) helped to bring this outstanding family back to life.
Each of them had a very different personality, each was unique and interesting. This book definitely helped to clear their picture and mark them as personalities in history. The Romanov sisters were so normal, common and lovable with their certain innocence about the world, love, passion, fears, work as nurses, fame, ordinary day routine, faith and tragic fate. Although they were so popular in Europe, the details of their daily lives were hidden, to keep privacy.
Helen Rappaport offers a view to the Grand Duchesses as individual women with details about their daily lives, which was new and interesting. It definitely helped me to understand more about the Romanovs, clarifying their actions and relationships. Oh, how I hoped for the good and happy ending for them. Their tragic end was described in just a few sentences though and it made an unfinished story for me with a too quick ending (Rappaport wrote another book about their last days). But still “The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra ” is an amazing story about the Romanov family. It definitely helped me to understand all its members better.
September 29, 2015
Find this and other reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....
Whether or not you appreciate Helen Rappaport's The Romanov Sisters will depend on how you approach it. I don't mean to be cynical, but the jacket description and cover art are not indicative of the material within and I personally found the book much less frustrating when I put aside my interest in the individual character of Nicholas' daughters and considered the book as I would a general biography of the family.
Why? Oh I’m so glad you asked!
There once were four sisters – Victoria, Ella, Irene and Alix – who lived in an obscure grand duchy in south western Germany, a place of winding cobbled streets and dark forests made legendary in the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. In their day, these four princesses of the house of Hesse and by Rhine were considered by many to be ‘the flowers of Queen Victoria’s flock of granddaughters’, celebrated for their beauty, intelligence and charm.1 As they grew up they became the object of intense scrutiny on that most fraught of international stages – the royal marriage market of Europe. Despite their lack of large dowries or vast territories, each sister in tur married well. But it was to the youngest and most beautiful of the four that fate dealt the biggest hand.
This is the opening passage of The Romanov Sisters and as you might have noticed, it has nothing to do with the Romanovs. No, these lines refer to the daughters of Prince Louis, the Grand Duke of Hesse and Princess Alice, the second daughter of Queen Victoria. Feeling a little lost? Don't worry, Rappaport backtracks to July 1862, recreating Alice's marriage and tragic death before digging into the adolescence and romantic affairs of her youngest daughter.
Now if you're anything like me you're wondering why Rappaport wastes time on a grandmother OTMA never met. You're staring at the screen asking how on earth this episode ties to their joys and insecurities. You're hoping there is a rational explanation and having read the book cover to cover I can honestly tell you there isn't. This section explains more about Alexandra than the entire book does her daughters and besides being irrelevant to Rappaport’s thesis, it's also entirely bias. Why explain the mother and not the father, huh? Where is the exploration of Nicholas' childhood or the intricacies of his parents' marriage?
The girls themselves serve as benchmarks in the early years of Nicholas and Alexandra's marriage, failed efforts in their quest for a male heir. Olga arrives on page thirty-two, Tatiana on forty-three, Maria on fifty and Anastasia on fifty-nine, but true to life, all four are eclipsed by the birth of their brother on page seventy-four. Here the four girls fade, making way for Rappaport's exploration of the political tension that characterized their homeland and their parents' crusade to keep Alexei's affliction from becoming widely known.
It isn't until 1912, round about the halfway mark, that the personality of sixteen year old Olga finally begins to materialize. Tatiana, the other half the 'Big Pair' doesn't make much of an impression until 1914, but the 'Little Pair' unfortunately head off to Ekaterinburg virtual unknowns, with only a handful of erratic and predominantly secondhand accounts to evidence their individual natures.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the extensive description of Nicholas' Russia, the political state of the country and the culture of his court, but I fail to see how the impressions of Elinor Glyn - who did not even meet the family - relate the four young women who grace the cover of this piece. The jacket led me to expect a detailed and insightful portrait of Nicholas' daughters, but the book is much less about them than it is the fall of Tsarist imperialism and the family crushed in its wake.
Not a bad read, but Rappaport's work doesn't provide anything new or truly surprising for us aficionados and feels largely mistrepresented as it only touches on the elder set and is padded out with an excessive degree of well-known and regurgitated fact.
Whether or not you appreciate Helen Rappaport's The Romanov Sisters will depend on how you approach it. I don't mean to be cynical, but the jacket description and cover art are not indicative of the material within and I personally found the book much less frustrating when I put aside my interest in the individual character of Nicholas' daughters and considered the book as I would a general biography of the family.
Why? Oh I’m so glad you asked!
There once were four sisters – Victoria, Ella, Irene and Alix – who lived in an obscure grand duchy in south western Germany, a place of winding cobbled streets and dark forests made legendary in the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. In their day, these four princesses of the house of Hesse and by Rhine were considered by many to be ‘the flowers of Queen Victoria’s flock of granddaughters’, celebrated for their beauty, intelligence and charm.1 As they grew up they became the object of intense scrutiny on that most fraught of international stages – the royal marriage market of Europe. Despite their lack of large dowries or vast territories, each sister in tur married well. But it was to the youngest and most beautiful of the four that fate dealt the biggest hand.
This is the opening passage of The Romanov Sisters and as you might have noticed, it has nothing to do with the Romanovs. No, these lines refer to the daughters of Prince Louis, the Grand Duke of Hesse and Princess Alice, the second daughter of Queen Victoria. Feeling a little lost? Don't worry, Rappaport backtracks to July 1862, recreating Alice's marriage and tragic death before digging into the adolescence and romantic affairs of her youngest daughter.
Now if you're anything like me you're wondering why Rappaport wastes time on a grandmother OTMA never met. You're staring at the screen asking how on earth this episode ties to their joys and insecurities. You're hoping there is a rational explanation and having read the book cover to cover I can honestly tell you there isn't. This section explains more about Alexandra than the entire book does her daughters and besides being irrelevant to Rappaport’s thesis, it's also entirely bias. Why explain the mother and not the father, huh? Where is the exploration of Nicholas' childhood or the intricacies of his parents' marriage?
The girls themselves serve as benchmarks in the early years of Nicholas and Alexandra's marriage, failed efforts in their quest for a male heir. Olga arrives on page thirty-two, Tatiana on forty-three, Maria on fifty and Anastasia on fifty-nine, but true to life, all four are eclipsed by the birth of their brother on page seventy-four. Here the four girls fade, making way for Rappaport's exploration of the political tension that characterized their homeland and their parents' crusade to keep Alexei's affliction from becoming widely known.
It isn't until 1912, round about the halfway mark, that the personality of sixteen year old Olga finally begins to materialize. Tatiana, the other half the 'Big Pair' doesn't make much of an impression until 1914, but the 'Little Pair' unfortunately head off to Ekaterinburg virtual unknowns, with only a handful of erratic and predominantly secondhand accounts to evidence their individual natures.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the extensive description of Nicholas' Russia, the political state of the country and the culture of his court, but I fail to see how the impressions of Elinor Glyn - who did not even meet the family - relate the four young women who grace the cover of this piece. The jacket led me to expect a detailed and insightful portrait of Nicholas' daughters, but the book is much less about them than it is the fall of Tsarist imperialism and the family crushed in its wake.
Not a bad read, but Rappaport's work doesn't provide anything new or truly surprising for us aficionados and feels largely mistrepresented as it only touches on the elder set and is padded out with an excessive degree of well-known and regurgitated fact.
September 21, 2024
**4.5**
The Romanov Sisters is an easy-read nonfiction book about the last Russian tsar's four daughters—Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia. This is hands-down one of the best books I've ever read about the Romanovs. The author used a variety of primary sources, from diary entries and letters of the Imperial Family, to memoirs written by some of their close friends, and news articles from that time. It is a well-researched book written in an easy-to-follow prose taking readers through the story of four incredible and remarkable young ladies whose lives were truly taken too soon. It focuses on the entirety of the Romanov girls' story, not just writing about the abdication, arrest, and execution. I've been intently studying the Romanovs for a while now, and this was a solid addition to my research. And I loved the inclusion of the photo insert in the middle of the book. I would like to try out the author's other works. All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the Romanovs, the Russian Revolution, or the last days of Imperial Russia.
"They always say that nothing good or happy endures for long... but I also think that even awful things must come to an end some time." ~Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna Romanova in 1917.
The Romanov Sisters is an easy-read nonfiction book about the last Russian tsar's four daughters—Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia. This is hands-down one of the best books I've ever read about the Romanovs. The author used a variety of primary sources, from diary entries and letters of the Imperial Family, to memoirs written by some of their close friends, and news articles from that time. It is a well-researched book written in an easy-to-follow prose taking readers through the story of four incredible and remarkable young ladies whose lives were truly taken too soon. It focuses on the entirety of the Romanov girls' story, not just writing about the abdication, arrest, and execution. I've been intently studying the Romanovs for a while now, and this was a solid addition to my research. And I loved the inclusion of the photo insert in the middle of the book. I would like to try out the author's other works. All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the Romanovs, the Russian Revolution, or the last days of Imperial Russia.
"They always say that nothing good or happy endures for long... but I also think that even awful things must come to an end some time." ~Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna Romanova in 1917.
August 11, 2016
I don't tend to go much for stories of royalty. I don't care much about the different clothes they wore, or fancy trips to the sea, or that Alexandra's "trademark" was flowers in every room (super original and interesting, there).
Clearly, the author is knowledgeable and researched extensively; likewise, it's a terrible thing that happened to the family, and excuses a lot of the narrative bias. But, there just wasn't much there about the daughters. They come off like average girls -- which is probably the author's point -- a bit self-involved, forming love interests out of boredom, a bit spoiled, but friendly and nice. It's all very nice. It doesn't make much for compelling reading, and there isn't any counter perspective to make it interesting -- Rasputin's "ability" is quickly glossed over, the political tension is viewed rather simplistically, and the people come off as one-dimensional. For a book allegedly about looking at the lives of the Romanov daughters, we don't get much insight, despite the quoting from primary sources.
I was surprised to find out that cockroaches can survive in Siberia, though.
Clearly, the author is knowledgeable and researched extensively; likewise, it's a terrible thing that happened to the family, and excuses a lot of the narrative bias. But, there just wasn't much there about the daughters. They come off like average girls -- which is probably the author's point -- a bit self-involved, forming love interests out of boredom, a bit spoiled, but friendly and nice. It's all very nice. It doesn't make much for compelling reading, and there isn't any counter perspective to make it interesting -- Rasputin's "ability" is quickly glossed over, the political tension is viewed rather simplistically, and the people come off as one-dimensional. For a book allegedly about looking at the lives of the Romanov daughters, we don't get much insight, despite the quoting from primary sources.
I was surprised to find out that cockroaches can survive in Siberia, though.
April 29, 2014
**Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing this in exchange for an honest review**
I feel like this was a bait and switch. From the title and the book description one would think this would deal mostly with the Romanov sisters. That is not exactly the case. This is really more about the family as a whole, rather then the girls themselves. The material was very well researched and the writing is engaging enough, but this wasn't the book I feel I was promised. If you're just starting to gain interest in the late Romanovs, this would be a good book to start with.
My rating for the book as a whole: 4 Stars
My rating for the book that was described: 2 Stars
I don't think I'd be willing to pick up anything by this author again. I don't know that I'd trust the book described to be the actual book I'd received.
I feel like this was a bait and switch. From the title and the book description one would think this would deal mostly with the Romanov sisters. That is not exactly the case. This is really more about the family as a whole, rather then the girls themselves. The material was very well researched and the writing is engaging enough, but this wasn't the book I feel I was promised. If you're just starting to gain interest in the late Romanovs, this would be a good book to start with.
My rating for the book as a whole: 4 Stars
My rating for the book that was described: 2 Stars
I don't think I'd be willing to pick up anything by this author again. I don't know that I'd trust the book described to be the actual book I'd received.
August 8, 2016
This carefully researched, detailed, LONG and agonizingly linear recounting of the day-to-day lives of the Romanov family lacks much in the way of historical context or psychological depth. It reads like a fawning celebrity profile in "Tiger Beat" magazine - with hundreds of footnotes.
January 18, 2015
I received this book as a digital ARC from the publisher through Net Galley in return for an honest review.
Since the author is a writer historian russanist, this book majestically describes the life of the Romanovs, even if the title gives a false impression on the main plot. How to describe the sisters' life without mentioning their parents, Nicholas and Alexandra, and even their poor hemophiliac brother Alexey?
The book starts with the description of the married life of Nicholas and Alexandra, a favorite grandchild of Queen Victoria.
Through the description of the four sisters, Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Alexandra, the author describes their almost recluse lives in the beautiful Tsarskoe Selo (built by the Empress Catherine the Great) and Livadia (summer-house) palaces due to Nicholas' fear of terrorist attack on his family.
Catherine Palace with a view of the Cameron Gallery; Tsarskoye Selo in a watercolor by Luigi Premazzi, c. 1855.
The story is enriched with plenty of archived letters and photographs (not available in this ARC copy) which give us the true feelings of this famous Royal family during their entire life.
It should be mentioned the famous historical and controversial character, Rasputin, who played an important role in the Romanov family, specially in Alexey's anytime his health was worsen.
Alexandra Feodorovna with her children, Rasputin and a governess in 1908
The author have previously published another book The Last Days of the Romanovs: Tragedy at Ekaterinburg which counts down to the last, tense hours of the family’s lives.
I really liked this book since the author gives us important insights of the Romanov's without making use of any artificial and romantically hints of the whole story. There are plenty of fiction books based on the Romanov family, including their final and tragical faith.
There is an interesting list of books The Best Romanov Books with some additional reading on this Russian Royal family.
Additionally, there is a list of films about the Romanovs.
March 1, 2016
I really can't go another day without writing a review of this. I finished this the first day of the year and yet I can't muster words to really express how rewarding this is, how much I enjoyed reading this. History is one of those subjects where one either loathes it, or completely loves it. Ever since I was a young child I have been firmly placed in the latter camp; the Victorian era, the history of film and Eurovision (no laughing) seem to be my specialist subjects. I have also, since childhood and the regular viewings of Don Bluth's historically inaccurate but extremely enjoyable 1997 animation Anastasia, had a designated place in my heart for Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova, technically the last Princess of Russia before the downfall of the Romanov dynasty, though my knowledge of Anastasia only truly was made up of the most basic parts of Anastasia's Wikipedia page. When I saw this book, I knew I had to have it. However, it was only after buying did I realise that this was more a biography of all four daughters of Tsar Nicholas II, the last Tsar (King) of Russia, and their mother Alexandra (a very interesting figure by herself), father and younger brother and haemophiliac heir, Alexei. Helen Rappaport is an expert in the violent, disturbing history of Russia and has already studied the close family's final days (resulting in a bloody ending in a basement in Yekaterinburg) before so if anyone is to tackle Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia's unfortunately short lives, it's her. And boy, does she do a good job. I can't recommend this book enough!! Yes, I'm not eloquent enough to put into words how excellent this is but you can just trust me, right?
[image error]
Olga (November 15th 1895 - 17th July 1918)
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Tatiana (10th June (11th after 1900) 1897 – 17 July 1918)
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Maria June 26 (27th after 1900) [O.S. June 14] 1899 – July 17, 1918)
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Anastasia (June 18 [O.S. June 5] 1901 – July 17, 1918)
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R.I.P
The Romanovs, 1911
[image error]
Olga (November 15th 1895 - 17th July 1918)
Tatiana (10th June (11th after 1900) 1897 – 17 July 1918)
Maria June 26 (27th after 1900) [O.S. June 14] 1899 – July 17, 1918)
Anastasia (June 18 [O.S. June 5] 1901 – July 17, 1918)
R.I.P
The Romanovs, 1911
May 16, 2014
I actually wish I could give this book a higher rating because it is very well researched and also well-written. Non-fiction can often appear a bit dry but the author manages to interweave facts, quotes from diaries and letters, and her own take on some events in a way that it's rarely boring.
However: I expected a book about the four Romanov-sisters and I don't really feel I got that. The first few chapters are mostly dedicated to the parents, especially Alexandra, the mother. I understand that you can't write about the sisters without mentioning the parents. After all they lived with them to the very end and their relationship to them is an important part of their life but I don't think it would have to be quite as in-depth.
Then, for more than half the book, the focus seemed to be mostly on Tatiana and Olga, the two older sisters. Anastasia and Maria stayed somewhat colourless. In the final part of the book that did not change too much. Anastasia did get some more depth (still not a lot) but I never felt that I learned very much about Maria.
Perhaps you could argue that Maria seemed to be a quieter person in general and combined with her early death that makes it hard to write much about her so perhaps I'm simply complaining on a very high level.
The decision not to write much about the final days of the Romanovs was also, well, a bit odd. In the introduction the author explained that she did that because she already wrote a book about that which is certainly great but perhaps I would have liked to know more about this without having to buy another book.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.
However: I expected a book about the four Romanov-sisters and I don't really feel I got that. The first few chapters are mostly dedicated to the parents, especially Alexandra, the mother. I understand that you can't write about the sisters without mentioning the parents. After all they lived with them to the very end and their relationship to them is an important part of their life but I don't think it would have to be quite as in-depth.
Then, for more than half the book, the focus seemed to be mostly on Tatiana and Olga, the two older sisters. Anastasia and Maria stayed somewhat colourless. In the final part of the book that did not change too much. Anastasia did get some more depth (still not a lot) but I never felt that I learned very much about Maria.
Perhaps you could argue that Maria seemed to be a quieter person in general and combined with her early death that makes it hard to write much about her so perhaps I'm simply complaining on a very high level.
The decision not to write much about the final days of the Romanovs was also, well, a bit odd. In the introduction the author explained that she did that because she already wrote a book about that which is certainly great but perhaps I would have liked to know more about this without having to buy another book.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.
October 7, 2018
Well, I'm properly sad now... No matter how many times and how many ways I hear the story of this family told, it always hits me. This particular book tells it beautifully, paying special attention to the four sisters. It's absolutely heartbreaking to read about these girls, so different from one another, kind, naive, and full of life, knowing all along how all of this ended. Loved Rappaport's writing style—nothing dry about this non-fiction book, she really knows how to create an atmosphere and draw the reader into the story. I actually ended up tearing up during certain parts, which doesn't happen too often to me when I read.
The only negative I have, which isn't reflected in my rating because I felt like it would be unfair to the book itself, has to do with the narrator of the audiobook. Unfortunately, the narrator really struggled with Russian names and locations. She tried, I'll give her credit, she got some of them right, but as a native speaker I can tell you that some of these took me out of the book because they ended up being unintentionally funny. I ended up purchasing a physical copy and I'm so happy to have it!
P.S. OK, I have one more nitpick: there aren't nearly enough photos in the book. I expected photos, maps, letters... but really, the edition I have only has a small section with some photos in the middle of the book and that's it. Definitely a missed opportunity here.
The only negative I have, which isn't reflected in my rating because I felt like it would be unfair to the book itself, has to do with the narrator of the audiobook. Unfortunately, the narrator really struggled with Russian names and locations. She tried, I'll give her credit, she got some of them right, but as a native speaker I can tell you that some of these took me out of the book because they ended up being unintentionally funny. I ended up purchasing a physical copy and I'm so happy to have it!
P.S. OK, I have one more nitpick: there aren't nearly enough photos in the book. I expected photos, maps, letters... but really, the edition I have only has a small section with some photos in the middle of the book and that's it. Definitely a missed opportunity here.
August 14, 2022
Lost Lives, Never Forgotten.
After reading the excellent and extremely poignant Ekaterinburg by Helen Rappaport I simply had to move onto Four Sisters. This book acts as a prequel, the lives of the Romanov family up until those fateful events in July 1917. The focus, as the title suggests is on the four Grand Duchesses, Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, but it essentially a look into the private lives of all the family.
It gives everything you would expect, when they were born, what was going on in Russia, how it was perceived, how the family interacted with each other and those around them, what they like to do for fun, their personalities and love interests. But the shame being, these young and sheltered girls lives were lost, cut short and stolen by angry and frustrated men.
The book reads well, is a great length for the subject matter and is essential reading for understanding Russia. They were a huge part of it, then as they are now. They should not be forgotten and serve as a reminder of the horrors of war and the Russian Revolution. Some may say that, the proletariat, peasant or lower classes suffered too. This is covered in this and other books, but this is a flaccid point and misses the point. They were part of a national institution that was washed away with the revolution. Everyone should be against the murder of innocent children. I raise my glass in memory.
After reading the excellent and extremely poignant Ekaterinburg by Helen Rappaport I simply had to move onto Four Sisters. This book acts as a prequel, the lives of the Romanov family up until those fateful events in July 1917. The focus, as the title suggests is on the four Grand Duchesses, Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, but it essentially a look into the private lives of all the family.
It gives everything you would expect, when they were born, what was going on in Russia, how it was perceived, how the family interacted with each other and those around them, what they like to do for fun, their personalities and love interests. But the shame being, these young and sheltered girls lives were lost, cut short and stolen by angry and frustrated men.
The book reads well, is a great length for the subject matter and is essential reading for understanding Russia. They were a huge part of it, then as they are now. They should not be forgotten and serve as a reminder of the horrors of war and the Russian Revolution. Some may say that, the proletariat, peasant or lower classes suffered too. This is covered in this and other books, but this is a flaccid point and misses the point. They were part of a national institution that was washed away with the revolution. Everyone should be against the murder of innocent children. I raise my glass in memory.
May 6, 2014
Comprehensive and well documented, this joint biography of the last Tsar’s four daughters stops just short of their violent deaths at the hands of revolutionaries, but it’s a poignant and haunting story from start to finish. Lovely, intelligent, and good humored, sisters Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia were seen as a unit, even referring to themselves as OTMA, but they come alive as individuals in the chapters of this book, with (roughly speaking) Olga the most emotional, Tatiana the most responsible, Maria the best natured, and Anastasia the most spirited. Their parents Tsar Nicholas II and Alexandra come across as devoted and doting, fatalistically pious in their beliefs, but not temperamentally suited for public life, and the Tsarevich Alexei, their lively younger brother, romps through the pages as much as his hemophilia allows.
Using sources that include their diaries and letters, the four sisters often get to speak for themselves. Their lives were sheltered, isolated, and privileged, but full of contradictions. They had lots of family love and idyllic summer excursions, but their mother was often incapacitated by illness, and Alexey was regularly bedridden and in great pain. The four were expected to marry well, especially Olga as the eldest, but they were kept from society so their crushes were on soldiers that guarded them, not European royals or members of their own class. They played silly child-like games far into adolescence, but during WWI spent their days tending to badly injured and disfigured soldiers, especially Tatiana who worked as a surgery nurse.
Too thorough and detailed to read like a novel, The Romanov Sisters is still moving and a hard book to put down, capturing some fascinating bits of history and rescuing Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia from history’s shadows. I read an advanced review copy of this book provided by the publisher. The opinions are mine.
Using sources that include their diaries and letters, the four sisters often get to speak for themselves. Their lives were sheltered, isolated, and privileged, but full of contradictions. They had lots of family love and idyllic summer excursions, but their mother was often incapacitated by illness, and Alexey was regularly bedridden and in great pain. The four were expected to marry well, especially Olga as the eldest, but they were kept from society so their crushes were on soldiers that guarded them, not European royals or members of their own class. They played silly child-like games far into adolescence, but during WWI spent their days tending to badly injured and disfigured soldiers, especially Tatiana who worked as a surgery nurse.
Too thorough and detailed to read like a novel, The Romanov Sisters is still moving and a hard book to put down, capturing some fascinating bits of history and rescuing Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia from history’s shadows. I read an advanced review copy of this book provided by the publisher. The opinions are mine.
December 18, 2014
A wonderfully engaging novel about the Romanov girls and the tragedy of their lives. It makes one especially glad that my wish of being a princess never came true. It was a book that even though you knew the ending, you hoped in your head that you could have changed it.
August 6, 2019
Aunque nunca fue mi dinastía favorita, me apetecía conocer algo de esta familia de la que no sabía mucho, solo había leído alguna biografía breve. Así empecé este ensayo, que además tenían en la biblioteca y la experiencia ha sido interesante.
Para empezar, todo lo que lees está absolutamente comprobado y es rigurosamente real. Rappaport no se hace prácticamente eco de rumores y desarrolla sus informaciones en base a datos contrastados, fuentes primarias, fiables u oficiales. Con respecto a la vida de las hermanas, me extrañó que con edades como los dieciocho años, aún jugasen al escondite. Su vida tan aislada de la corte, el pueblo, la vida real... pudieron interferir en su desarrollo y ser la respuesta.
Me decepcionó bastante la omisión absoluta del más mínimo detalle con respecto a la escena de su ejecución. Luego me enteré que la autora tiene otro libro sobre los últimos días de la familia Romanov, y ahí pude entender un juego que nunca me ha gustado del todo. Guardarse cosas en el tintero para otros libros. Me gusta que en los ensayos se ponga toda la carne en el asador.
Como curiosidad, había tal cantidad de personajes (oficiales del Sthandart, la escolta real, miembros del séquito...) que con frecuencia tuve que recurrir al glosario de nombres del principio del tomo y a su acertado índice analítico del final.
Para empezar, todo lo que lees está absolutamente comprobado y es rigurosamente real. Rappaport no se hace prácticamente eco de rumores y desarrolla sus informaciones en base a datos contrastados, fuentes primarias, fiables u oficiales. Con respecto a la vida de las hermanas, me extrañó que con edades como los dieciocho años, aún jugasen al escondite. Su vida tan aislada de la corte, el pueblo, la vida real... pudieron interferir en su desarrollo y ser la respuesta.
Me decepcionó bastante la omisión absoluta del más mínimo detalle con respecto a la escena de su ejecución. Luego me enteré que la autora tiene otro libro sobre los últimos días de la familia Romanov, y ahí pude entender un juego que nunca me ha gustado del todo. Guardarse cosas en el tintero para otros libros. Me gusta que en los ensayos se ponga toda la carne en el asador.
Como curiosidad, había tal cantidad de personajes (oficiales del Sthandart, la escolta real, miembros del séquito...) que con frecuencia tuve que recurrir al glosario de nombres del principio del tomo y a su acertado índice analítico del final.
August 11, 2016
Ciertamente las Hermanas Romanov pasaron a la historia por ser las últimas herederas del Imperio Ruso y por las supuestas teorías de que algunas habían sobrevivido al terrible ataque del que fueron víctimas en 1918 en un sótano de Ekaterimburgo. El caso más conocido es el de Anna Anderson, quien sacudió al mundo entero al afirmar que era la legítima Anastasia Romanov hasta que un examen de ADN derivado de los restos de la familia imperial que se encontraron décadas después desmintió esa posibilidad. Así mismo miles de libros y películas han mostrado sobre lo ocurrido en ese período tan complejo como lo fue la Revolución Rusa. Siempre en una guerra o en un hecho, hay dos caras de la moneda, pero siempre he pensado que este suceso es el que más tiene sus complejidades. Por un lado nos encontramos con un pueblo que sufre, que se muere de hambre y que envía a sus hombres al frente en plena Guerra Mundial, mientras por otro lado tenemos al Zar Nicolás II intentando hacer bien las cosas, siendo amado y odiado por muchos. Pero personalmente nunca he aprobado el modo en que procedieron los revolucionarios al fusilarlos porque a pesar de ser considerados un peligro, las chicas eran inocentes del todo, eran unas niñas que ni siquiera habían tenido la oportunidad de vivir realmente. En este libro Helen Rappaport saca de la leyenda a estas cuatro jóvenes para mostrarnos lo que en realidad eran: simplemente unas muchachas como muchas en esta vida.
Como todo tiene un inicio, la novela empieza con un breve repaso sobre los antecedentes familiares de los últimos zares, donde la joven princesa Alejandra, quien para mi sorpresa era nada menos que la nieta de la Reina Victoria, detalle que no conocía, es criada tanto por su padre como por su abuela luego de perder a su madre. Se hacen varias menciones a sus valores y creencias, así como lo que ella misma esperaba de la vida, hasta que su camino se cruza con el del joven heredero Nicolás de Rusia, surgiendo el amor entre ambos a pesar de pequeños obstáculos que dejaban indecisa a la joven princesa, principalmente su fe luterana a diferencia de la religión Ortodoxa que en Rusia se practica. Aquí la autora cita un montón de cartas, anotaciones, diarios para construir un relato desde sus inicios, pasando por varios años, décadas y un cambio de siglo donde todo estaba cambiando. También se hace una detallada descripción de la llegada de cada bebé, Olga, Tatiana, María y Anastasia, con la esperanza de que fuera un heredero al trono, pero que en cambio fueron cuatro niñas preciosas que dejarían su huella en el mundo sin que nadie lo sospechara, hasta la llegada del tan ansiado heredero, el zaverich Alexei, quien tristemente nunca tuvo una buena salud en su corta vida. Lo que más me ha gustado es que la autora se ha dado su tiempo para presentarnos a cada hermana tal cuál era a través de diarios y cartas, ninguna es dejada de lado, sino que es presentada de manera individual demostrándonos que muchas veces distaban de ser iguales. Cada una tenía su propia personalidad y su modo de ver las cosas, sin dejar de lado el contexto histórico en que estas cuatro jovencitas estaban insertadas y cuál era el rol que se esperaba de ellas. Otro detalle que me ha gustado es que no se omite ningún juicio, ni siquiera en los momentos donde usualmente se debe emitir uno, como los errores que pudo haber cometido la zarina Alejandra en su excesivo amor materno, el papel que Rasputín haya jugado con la familia imperial o la mismísima Revolución Rusa, es una novela absolutamente imparcial dejando que sea el lector quien emita su juicio o su opinión.
Los que conocen esta historia, sabrán sin duda su final, pero no por ello, dejo de recomendarla. Es en mi humilde opinión, la biografía más completa de las cuatro hermanas Romanov y creo que todos deberían leerlo porque vale la pena.
Como todo tiene un inicio, la novela empieza con un breve repaso sobre los antecedentes familiares de los últimos zares, donde la joven princesa Alejandra, quien para mi sorpresa era nada menos que la nieta de la Reina Victoria, detalle que no conocía, es criada tanto por su padre como por su abuela luego de perder a su madre. Se hacen varias menciones a sus valores y creencias, así como lo que ella misma esperaba de la vida, hasta que su camino se cruza con el del joven heredero Nicolás de Rusia, surgiendo el amor entre ambos a pesar de pequeños obstáculos que dejaban indecisa a la joven princesa, principalmente su fe luterana a diferencia de la religión Ortodoxa que en Rusia se practica. Aquí la autora cita un montón de cartas, anotaciones, diarios para construir un relato desde sus inicios, pasando por varios años, décadas y un cambio de siglo donde todo estaba cambiando. También se hace una detallada descripción de la llegada de cada bebé, Olga, Tatiana, María y Anastasia, con la esperanza de que fuera un heredero al trono, pero que en cambio fueron cuatro niñas preciosas que dejarían su huella en el mundo sin que nadie lo sospechara, hasta la llegada del tan ansiado heredero, el zaverich Alexei, quien tristemente nunca tuvo una buena salud en su corta vida. Lo que más me ha gustado es que la autora se ha dado su tiempo para presentarnos a cada hermana tal cuál era a través de diarios y cartas, ninguna es dejada de lado, sino que es presentada de manera individual demostrándonos que muchas veces distaban de ser iguales. Cada una tenía su propia personalidad y su modo de ver las cosas, sin dejar de lado el contexto histórico en que estas cuatro jovencitas estaban insertadas y cuál era el rol que se esperaba de ellas. Otro detalle que me ha gustado es que no se omite ningún juicio, ni siquiera en los momentos donde usualmente se debe emitir uno, como los errores que pudo haber cometido la zarina Alejandra en su excesivo amor materno, el papel que Rasputín haya jugado con la familia imperial o la mismísima Revolución Rusa, es una novela absolutamente imparcial dejando que sea el lector quien emita su juicio o su opinión.
Los que conocen esta historia, sabrán sin duda su final, pero no por ello, dejo de recomendarla. Es en mi humilde opinión, la biografía más completa de las cuatro hermanas Romanov y creo que todos deberían leerlo porque vale la pena.
September 8, 2014
The basic problem is not with the writing, which is good, nor with the odd nugget of information (Grand Duke Dmitri's letter to Nicholas II is a very odd nugget indeed), but with the subject matter itself. To put it bluntly, the girls just aren't interesting enough in and of themselves to sustain a biography, and so Rappaport goes into some detail about Alexei (fair enough) and Nicholas and Alexandra --- but only insofar as their parents were understood by the girls. Which is to say, not at all. One can't blame the children for that, of course, but one can blame the Tsar and Tsaritsa for ensuring that all five of them were killed. Rappaport finally comes out and calls Alexandra a basket case, but I think we all sort of knew that. The more telling indictment is Nicholas', and here she has no more explanation for his truly astounding passivity than any other historian has brought forward.
There is good information about Olga's and Tatiana's nursing experience during the war, and a particularly poignant appreciation of Maria's maturity after the abdication.
For those with a lot of interest in the subject matter.
There is good information about Olga's and Tatiana's nursing experience during the war, and a particularly poignant appreciation of Maria's maturity after the abdication.
For those with a lot of interest in the subject matter.
August 26, 2014
Compelling, engrossing, fast paced but doesn't leave out the details. A solid, comprehensive look at the Romanov sisters from birth until death--and it will probably all surprise you, including what could have been done to change their awful fates. They were goofy, kind, sometimes bawdy, and devoted to one another and their parents. Highly recc. Highly. I super loved this book. .
July 20, 2023
I love this book. The strength of their mother and the unending love for another is tested over and over. It was dramatic and I really enjoyed it. I recommend it very much to add to your library or just read it
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