What I Read This Weekend

What I Read This Weekend . . .

The Lost Crown by Sarah Miller -- Young Adult Historical Fiction

This novel tells the story of the last years of Imperial Russia told from the point-of-view of the four Grand Duchesses. There's the big pair: Olga, intelligent and sensitive big sister, Tatiana, "the governess," and the little pair, sweet Maria and mischievous Anastasia. The girls enjoy lazy summer days on the family yacht teasing each other and their little brother, flirting with soldiers and playing with their pets. Little do they know that their idyllic world is about to change in an instant. The Serbian assassination of the Archduke of Austria plunges the world into war with Russia siding with their Slavic kin rather than Mama's cousin "Willie" (Kaiser Wilhelm II and Alexandra Romanova were both grandchildren of Queen Victoria). The Russian people become discontented and the Tsar is forced to abdicate. The Romanovs face house arrest with an ever-increasing humiliating and degrading routine. The sisters face the uncertainty of their future bravely, clinging to each other and to their Faith. An author's note includes details on the deaths of the Romanovs and the search for the true story. An extensive bibliography follows. I found this novel very long and very slow. I had a hard time getting through it knowing what happened to the Romanovs. I liked the characterization of each of the Grand Duchesses but I felt that their personalities really did not show through in their diary-like chapters.  I couldn't tell which sister was telling the story without looking. The strongest voices are Olga and Anastasia. I also felt that the author did a little TOO much research. She includes many Russian words and phrases, some of which are unnecessary when the English word will do just as well.  I had to keep checking the glossary which interrupted the flow of the story as I was reading. I'm not sure I would recommend this book to teens unless they have an intense interest in the Romanovs. I would recommend this book to adults who love history but haven't really explored historical fiction.