January 15, 2018
Anna Anderson's claim to be Anastasia Romanov--sole survivor of the murder of the czar's family during the Bolshevik Revolution--is explored in this drama of historical suspense.In her third novel, Lawhon (Flight of Dreams, 2016, etc.) fictionalizes the story of a woman named Anna Anderson, who was pulled out of a canal in Germany after a 1920 suicide attempt. She claimed to be the surviving daughter of Nicholas and Alexandra Romanov. The czar, his wife, and his five children, along with a few family servants, were famously shot en masse...but this woman claims she escaped. Not only does she resemble Anastasia, but she has the scars on her body that would necessarily be there if she had survived the shooting, and in the course of the 50-year period during which she makes this claim, she wins important supporters, including a childhood friend of the czarevna--as well as many detractors, particularly among the extended Romanov family. Lawhon tells Anna's story in reverse: from 1970 in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she awaits the results of the final German court ruling on her identity, going backward to 1920, when she was pulled out of the canal. Anastasia's tale is told in the first person in the opposite direction, starting in 1917 with the Romanovs being taken prisoner in their palace and going forward through their exile in Siberia to the night of the murders. This makes a certain amount of sense, as it allows the story to converge on the moment of truth, when we will find out if Anna is, as she certainly seems to be, Anastasia. What pushes it a little too far from the point of view of readability is the decision to tell individual Anna chapters backward. So, for example, a chapter that covers the period 1928-29 starts in November '29, then has a section set four months earlier, then six months earlier, then one month earlier, and so forth. Anna's globe-trotting trials and tribulations are hard enough to follow without this level of intricacy. So the Anastasia story ends up being the more compelling of the two, hurtling as it does to its grisly ending. Then comes an interesting Author's Note, where Lawhon discusses her process and decisions.Somewhat overcomplicated but ultimately satisfying. Anastasia Romanov lives yet again!
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January 29, 2018
Lawhon’s spectacular, emotionally rich third historical thoroughly imagines the events leading up to the execution of Russia’s royal family in 1918, after the October Revolution by the Bolsheviks. In a dual narrative, Lawhon also tackles the life of Anna Anderson, a woman who claimed to be Anastasia Romanov in Berlin in 1920. She has what look like scars from old bullet wounds, consistent with the manner in which the Romanovs were murdered. Anna’s claims spread fast, and she’s wooed by a long list of wealthy patrons who jump at the chance to be near possible royalty. Using material from the correspondence of the Romanov servants, Lawhon (Flight of Dreams) fleshes out the minutiae of the life of young Anastasia, a vibrant young lady confronting the loss of everything she’s ever known. The tragic story of Anastasia is an enduring one, and the woman who laid claim to her birthright is a testament to the world’s desire to believe in Anastasia’s survival. This sprawling, immersive tale travels from revolutionary Russia to interwar France and Germany, bringing its characters to sparkling life.
May 1, 2018
Not long after the execution of the Romanov family, headed by Tsar Nicholas, rumors fly that their youngest daughter, Anastasia, has escaped the carnage and is alive and well. Anna Anderson, a young woman rescued from a canal in Germany, bears an uncanny resemblance to the young tsarina, and her supporters are sure that she is, in fact, Anastasia and can regain the Romanov fortune and power. Her detractors see her as a money-hungry fake. Neither side offers definitive proof. Anastasia's story moves forward from the early months of 1917 to the executions in 1919, while Anna's begins when she is an older woman in the 1960s and works backward through time to the moment she is plucked from the canal. Readers move in and out of time and perspectives, switching sides and opinions along the way. The fate of the Romanovs directly clashes with the modern world that is emerging from the industrial revolution, the rise of social consciousness, and the questioning of the historical privilege granted to monarchs. Anastasia's tale reveals the family's disconnect with the common people, while Anna's narrative highlights the cultural shifts that underlie the time period. This is an excellent read for teens. The storytelling makes the novel come alive with tension and intrigue. VERDICT For those who like mysteries and historical fiction.-Connie Williams, Petaluma Public Library, CA
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
February 1, 2018
The mystery about the fate of Grand Duchess Anastasia, youngest daughter of Russia's imperial family, has officially been resolved, but the subject still exerts fascination. Was she murdered alongside her parents and siblings after the Russian Revolution, or did she survive? Incorporating themes of identity and hope, Lawhon's novel intertwines two strands: one following Anastasia up to that horrific night in 1918 and another about Anna Anderson, whose unwavering claims to be Anastasia inspired and confounded her contemporaries. Anastasia's story, evoking her youthful spirit, becomes increasingly tense as her world grows dangerously constrained, while Anna's story unfolds in snapshots flipping backward in time from 1970. The suspense hinges on the reader's unfamiliarity with the real history, and John Boyne's The House of Special Purpose (2013), also about Anastasia, handles the dual-chronology structure more smoothly. However, Anna's narrative, involving institutionalizations, glamorous excursions, legal battles, and meetings with people who want to support, exploit, or debunk her, compels with its many contrasts. Recommended mainly for readers unacquainted with this twentieth-century mystery or anyone interested in Anna Anderson's troubled life.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)
January 1, 2018
Grand Duchess Anastasia, daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, has 354 entries in WorldCat; hers is a familiar story told in many forms. With nearly a century of doubts and imposters to build on, Lawhon (Flight of Dreams) mimics DNA's twisting strands by telling two tales, one of the real Anastasia, the other of Anna Anderson, who claimed to have survived the 1918 execution of the Tsar and his family. Until clear DNA evidence emerged in 2007 that proved Anastasia died with her family, Anna had the most credible claim on the Romanov title and bank accounts. Can we still even want to believe that Anastasia somehow survived? As a historical fiction novelist, Lawhon adjusts the facts to fit her dual narratives. Writing as "an enthusiast, not an expert," the author relies on meaningful items from letters and other records to add convincing details. VERDICT If you want to relive the legend of Anastasia, this engrossing tale will not disappoint. Readable, masterful, and grisly, it entices belief. [See Prepub Alert, 10/9/17.]--Barbara Conaty, Falls Church, VA
Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
November 1, 2017
A century after Tsar Nicholas II and his family were executed in a grimy basement in Yekaterinburg, fascination with the Romanovs continues unabated; even Matthew Weiner joins the game with a new series titled The Romanoffs. Lawhon, author most recently of Flight of Dreams, tells the story of so-called Anna Anderson, rescued from a canal in 1920 Germany and insistent that she is the Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia.
Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.