Author: Helen Rappaport
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: June 3, 2014
ISBN: 9781250020208
Number of Pages: 492
How I Got It: Brittany Leddy (St.Martin's Marketing)
Format: Hardcover
Inside Front Cover:
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 Rappaort aims to present a new and challenging take on the story, drawing extensively on previously unseen or unpublished letters, diaries and archival sources, as well as private collections.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.
My Review:
This book is full of photos, letters, and every possible piece of information about the Romanov sisters. I can't imagine a more thorough compilation exists. Helen Rappaport brings to life the young duchesses whose fame tends to currently lie in their demise. This dense volume is punctuated with numerous footnotes and a lengthy "Notes" section at the end of the book. This book would be enjoyed by readers interested in this particular time in history but I think it would be especially appreciated by young women scholars who so often are searching for a female perspective during any time in history.
** I received this book in exchange for an honest review **
** I received this book in exchange for an honest review **
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