New York Times Bestseller“Compelling and utterly fascinating.” —Lisa Wingate, author of Before We Were YoursAn enthralling feat of historical suspense that unravels the extraordinary twists and turns in Anna Anderson’s fifty-year battle to be recognized as Anastasia Romanov. Is she the Russian Grand Duchess or the thief of another woman’s legacy? Countless others have rendered their verdict. …
Countless others have rendered their verdict. Now it is your turn.
Russia, July 17, 1918: Under direct orders from Vladimir Lenin, Bolshevik secret police force Anastasia Romanov, along with the entire imperial family, into a damp basement in Siberia where they face a merciless firing squad. None survive. At least that is what the executioners have always claimed.
Germany, February 17, 1920: A young woman bearing an uncanny resemblance to Anastasia Romanov is pulled shivering and senseless from a canal in Berlin. Refusing to explain her presence in the freezing water, she is taken to the hospital where an examination reveals that her body is riddled with countless, horrific scars. When she finally does speak, this frightened, mysterious woman claims to be the Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia.
Her detractors, convinced that the young woman is only after the immense Romanov fortune, insist on calling her by a different name: Anna Anderson.
As rumors begin to circulate through European society that the youngest Romanov daughter has survived the massacre, old enemies and new threats are awakened. With a brilliantly crafted dual narrative structure, Lawhon wades into the most psychologically complex and emotionally compelling territory yet: the nature of identity itself.
The question of who Anna Anderson is and what actually happened to Anastasia Romanov creates a saga that spans fifty years and touches three continents. This thrilling story is every bit as moving and momentous as it is harrowing and twisted.
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When beautiful writing, interesting history, and skilled storytelling combine, you have a little bit of magic in the palm of your hands. I loved this book, was fascinated by the mystery. Add this little gem to your spring reading pile. You won’t be sorry.
Ariel Lawhon, a rising star in historical suspense, unravels the extraordinary twists and turns in Anna Anderson’s 50-year battle to be recognized as Anastasia Romanov. Is she the Russian Grand Duchess, a beloved daughter and revered icon, or is she an imposter, the thief of another woman’s legacy?
“I Was Anastsia” was a thought provoking novel. I knew a bit about the story of the Russian imperial family prior to this book. I am sure I saw the movie from 1956 when I was much younger. The story has always fascinated and saddened me.
This book was well written although not in my favorite style. I honestly do not like non-linear plots, but in this case, I have to agree that the nonlinear plot brought much more suspense, leaving me guessing what was true and not true, making me strive for the rest of the story.
Toward the middle of the book, I was so frustrated by the ending of one time line and jumping to another. It made me tense, just when I thought I would find out an answer, the answer was lost once again. It was a bit like what the characters were going through.
Even with my frustration, I enjoyed this book so much! I was so invested in the story. So many emotions were felt during the reading of this novel; sadness, joy, jealousy, pity, anger, and more anger, and much more anger. It left me drained on more than one occasion.
When I read a book, I want to be immersed in the story and feel everything the author put out there for the reader. I can say this was an excellent book in that regard, and I recommend it highly.
I want to thank NetGalley for giving me an advanced Reader’s Copy for an honest review.
I have always been fascinated with the Romanovs assassination and Anastasia’s story so I was excited to read I Was Anastasia. Wow. What a ride! Forward and backward in time, this book had me in it’s spell to the very last page!
Imagine being a princess in a time of hatred and war. Imagine seeing your family being killed before your eyes, barely escaping yourself. Would you let the world know who you are? Would you constantly run in fear because everyone wants your fortune? Or would you have to prove what is rightfully yours? I was Anastasia is just this and more. A compelling story about the Russian princess who goes from a life of luxury, to the fall of an empire, back to trying to get what is rightfully hers. Ariel Lawhon captivates us with the historical knowledge of the events, while putting a personal spin on the matter.
You learn a lot about the family and those they trust and learn to not trust. Anastasia learns the hard way who can really be trusted in your time of need. After countless fails at trying to prove who she is, will someone see Anna for who she really is? Anna stays within her confidants and hopes for the best while we learn the trials and tribulations that her family faced. Once a princess, always a princess no matter who or what stands in her way. The scars don’t lie but will they bring justice to Anna. This book is a solid four stars and teaches you a lot about the era and what happened in 1900’s Russia.
**Review by Terren, Late Night Reviewer for Up All Night w/ Books**
Direct, unflinching, and telescopic, I WAS ANASTASIA balances a compelling plot and a complex study of identity. It is unlike any work of fiction I have ever read, and I will be thinking about it for years to come.
Honestly, Lawhon is never not good, but here, she’s brilliant. Two timelines intertwine — one forward, one backward — rushing toward the inevitable, irresistible question: what really happened to Anastasia Romanov? The level of difficulty is sky-high and Lawhon sticks the landing, with finely drawn scenecraft along the way.
We all know how this ends, but it’s fun to start it as if you don’t. The reverse (and sometimes out of order altogether) order of events is disorienting, but I think that adds to the entertainment value of this novel. The Romanovs are a fascinating family, and the tragedy that took them from this world never fails to grab my attention. I also loved following along when I was a kid as the world tried to figure out whether one of them survived. I remember the Unsolved Mysteries episode about Anna Anderson vividly. This book doesn’t disappoint, taking us from one important event to another both in Anna’s life as well as Anastasia’s. The ending was fantastic, wrapping up both stories neatly and leaving no doubt (though there already was none of course) about Anna’s deception of an entire world. Highly recommend.
Wonderful, haunting telling of the mystery surrounding Anastasia Romanov.
Recommended for readers who are enthralled by the story of Anastasia, Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia — did she survive the murder of her family in 1918? Not a great book, but good twist ending.
It was okay
Did the Czar’s teenage daughter Anastasia survive the revolutionary firing squad in 1918 and get rescued from a freezing Berlin river in 1920? History has spoken on the myth of Anastasia, but Ms. Lawhon’s brave re-rendering maintains suspense until the end. As the story unfolds, we cheer for Anastasia’s deliverance just as populist sentiment in the mid-twentieth century embraced the belief that Anastasia had survived. The story of the Berlin girl’s claim to the Romanov fortune is told backwards, and we meet great characters who aid the claimant over a period of five decades. The tale of the Romanov family’s descent from opulence to captivity, and ultimately into the cellar in July 1918 is interspersed with the claimant’s story. Ms. Lawhon’s settings are memorable, from the Gatsby-esqe accommodations of the claimant’s benefactors, to the Romanov family’s palatial lifestyle and later its sparse Siberian existence in captivity. Characters are drawn skillfully, particularly as the motivations of the claimant’s benefactors are explored, ranging from pursuit of power to greed, to social climbing, patriotism and even quixotic nostalgic yearnings.
Was this review helpful? I am an avid world war based fiction reader and author. You can read more of my takes at https://brodiecurtis.com/curtis-takes/.
Audible version:
This was a fascinating story, but — the way the author jumped all over the place — forward and backward on the time line (3 days earlier …) (the next month …) — really detracted. The author explains her reasons for doing so in her note at the end, but hearing a character’s response or reaction 20 minutes before learning who that character was or why they were important to the story was irritating. Two stars.
Getting into the book was a bit tough but I forged forward as I am interested in this character from reading other books. Once I figured out the format of the book, I was ok and it was very interesting and entertaining, if that can be said of such a tragic situation. The epilogue was also well done and though it created a bit of angst for me, the truth is the truth.
A book out of left field that kept me guessing the entire
Interesting story, however the format takes getting used to – not only does it alternate between narrators, but the 1st narrator runs in a sequential time line, whereas the 2nd narrator runs in a reverse sequential timeline so they meet at the same point in history at the end of the story. Makes for a slightly confusing read.
Good story, but jumping around time frames was difficult to follow at times. Would have been better in a more chronological order.
We all know the truth about the Romanov family and that Anna Anderson was NOT Anastasia. I don’t know what I was expecting, but this book did not provide it. I found it’s order confusing. It was written in reverse order. It was not a good read for me.
Unconventional timeline made it confusing and hard to follow at times.
I love history and I enjoy the theoretical situations authors frequently create. This is such a book. It is factionalized history. I found the way the author jumped around in time frames a bit confusing and I found that the main character was frustrating with her holding on to secrets that clearly could have illuminated the situation. It was a fun read but not much historical fact.