Title: I Was Anastasia
Author: Ariel Lawhon
Genre: Historical Fiction
Anastasia Romanov was the youngest daughter to Nicholas II, the tsar of Russia in the early 1900s. At 17 years old, she, along with her family, was infamously murdered in 1918 after the Bolshevik Revolution. ...Or was she? In the years following the execution, many women came forward claiming to be Anastasia, stating that she had somehow survived the execution. The most prevailing of these women was known as Anna Anderson. In "I Was Anastasia," Ariel Lawhon presents two timelines: one moving forwards, which follows Anastasia and her life the few years before 1918; the other moving backwards, following Anna Anderson and her fight to be legally recognized as Anastasia Romanov. These two timelines converge on the execution of the Romanov family in 1918. The book reads as a suspense or mystery novel as you try to unravel what is happening and determine what is the truth.
While this book is a fictional retelling, many of the people, places, and major events are rooted in the facts and history. Lawhon did extensive research, using letters, journals, and other primary sources to craft conversations and other interactions. The book was a little slow to start, but I highly recommend sticking with it! It was an engrossing read! When I finished, I found myself researching more of the story to figure out what was true and what was fabricated. It is amazing to me that it actually took over 70 years for Anastasia's true fate to be conclusively determined! You will be fascinated.
While this book is a fictional retelling, many of the people, places, and major events are rooted in the facts and history. Lawhon did extensive research, using letters, journals, and other primary sources to craft conversations and other interactions. The book was a little slow to start, but I highly recommend sticking with it! It was an engrossing read! When I finished, I found myself researching more of the story to figure out what was true and what was fabricated. It is amazing to me that it actually took over 70 years for Anastasia's true fate to be conclusively determined! You will be fascinated.
- Sarah P.
