Welcome to the virtual book club! December’s selection is I Was Anastasia, by Ariel Lawhon. It’s historical fiction about one of the great historical mysteries. During the Russian Revolution in 1918, the Bolshevik police put the entire royal Romanov family in front of a firing squad in Siberia. In 1920, authorities pull a young woman with an uncanny resemblance to Anastasia Romanov out of a canal in Berlin. Her body is covered in terrible scars and at first, she’s not speaking. When she finally speaks, she says she’s Anastasia, Grand Duchess of Russia. Is she?
That’s the question posed by the book, I was Anastasia, by Ariel Lawhon. It’s told in two alternate story lines; Anna’s story, starting from present day and moving backwards to when she was pulled from the canal and Anastasia’s story, going from her family’s imprisonment to their execution.
I Was Anastasia: Discussion
I love historical novels and I tore through this one. Up until the last few chapters, it kept me guessing. What I loved about this book was the asynchronous timeline. I would expect a story about Anastasia to start at her perfect, princess childhood and work it’s way up to when her family was imprisoned. However, this book starts with an old, cranky woman who used to live with 62 cats. From there, it goes back and forth between Anna’s story and Anastasia’s. Both stories are fascinating. When Anna comes on to the scene, there was no DNA testing. She had no way to prove her identity and her detractors had no way to disprove it. That back and forth makes for a great story.
“Am I truly Anastasia Romanov? A beloved daughter. A revered icon. A Russian Grand Duchess.
Or Am I an impostor? A fraud. A liar. The thief of another woman’s legacy.”
(from the prologue)
There was so much great writing in this book. This is an excerpt I wish I would have written:
“I’ve never realized before how clearly men need leaders. How adrift we are without them and how the mere sight of one can breathe courage into a room.”
Truth.
Questions:
What did you think of the timeline of the story? I read some reviews where people hated the time hopping and found it confusing. Did you?
Did you want Anna to be Anastasia? The author’s note at the end says that she wanted the reader to see the evidence on both sides and make up his/her own mind because that’s what Anna’s contemporaries felt. What happened to Anastasia’s family is so horrific and when you think of children in front of a firing squad, I think it’s natural to want a happy ending. Anastasia’s character is so bright, I definitely wanted her vindicated somehow. However, Anna’s a fighter. Regardless of whether or not she is a Russian princess, her story is just as valid and her scars need to be vindicated too. I was torn here. How did you want it to end?
When did you figure out whether or not Anna was Anastasia? What were your clues?
What did Maria Rasputin think? Did she know? What was her deal? Did she just want her book written? It seems like her name would have been enough to bring her fame.
Some Random Thoughts:
- The guard hates them so much that he kicks their dogs? I really wanted that guard to get his face bitten off…
- I hope Anastasia really had a Thomas.
- Definitely read the author’s note at the end. The story of how she blended fact and fiction is fascinating.
What did you think of this book? Drop me a comment and let me know.
Want more virtual book club? Check out November’s selection, Firefly Lane.