I Was Anastasia
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of The Frozen River, this enthralling feat of historical suspense unravels the extraordinary twists and turns in Anna Anderson’s claim to be Anastasia Romanov. Is she the Russian Grand Duchess or the thief of another woman's legacy?
"Tantalizing, surprising, compelling, and utterly fascinating."—Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours
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. Refusing to explain her presence in the freezing water or even acknowledge her rescuers, 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 young woman claims to be the Russian grand duchess.
The questions swirling around Anna Anderson’s past and the mystery of Anastasia Romanov’s fate chart a saga that spans half a century and touches three continents. Every bit as vivid and climactic as it is poignant and enchanting, this novel brings a piece of legendary history to life.
"Tantalizing, surprising, compelling, and utterly fascinating."—Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours
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. Refusing to explain her presence in the freezing water or even acknowledge her rescuers, 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 young woman claims to be the Russian grand duchess.
The questions swirling around Anna Anderson’s past and the mystery of Anastasia Romanov’s fate chart a saga that spans half a century and touches three continents. Every bit as vivid and climactic as it is poignant and enchanting, this novel brings a piece of legendary history to life.
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Community Reviews
I have always been fascinated by the Romanov story so when I found this book I knew I had to read it! I found it a little confusing to follow the dual-but off-set timelines at first but as I got further in it it was easier.
I was 100% convinced that Anna was Anastasia for 95% of the book!! Thats how good the writing is and was the whole point of the timelines being how they were.
Definitely would recommend!
[Audiobook review]
I've never been fascinated with Anastasia Romanov, or any historical figure for that matter, but I do enjoy reading exploratory books about people and events I'd never study otherwise.
Anastasia Romanov is legendary. I knew that before I ever knew why she was, what catapulted her into the spotlight. But, I had never heard the name Anna Anderson before, so I did not know that she lived the majority of her life claiming to be this legendary Grand Duchess.
I'll admit, I did not feel satisfied or all that interested until the end of the book. I wasn't bored exactly, nor did I hate the book, but it just failed to grasp my fascination for some reason. Anna was....well, she was an interesting cat, and I couldn't ever quite decide if I believed - or wanted to believe - her story.
And let's face it: that backwards timeline was sooo confusing and disorienting. It makes sense 100% from the writing standpoint, having these 2 different timelines careening towards each other. But the actual reading experience is not my cup of tea. In the beginning, Anna is in her 80s. Then, everything you just learned about the character get put in perspective and thrown out the window at the same time as you go back a year or more, and she hasn't yet experienced what you just read, but it also shows you a little bit more of who she is, and what brought her to the point you just read.
Like I said, it's confusing.
Anastasia and her family intrigued me. They might not have been a very competent ruling family, but their family dynamics captured my interest. Mostly the way the relationship between Anastasia and Alexei was portrayed. And her dog, Jimmy, of course. It was sweet and only made the impending disaster more heartbreaking.
As I said earlier, the ending was my favorite part. And funny enough, it was in Anna's part, not Anastasia's, that I finally smiled a contented smile. I really, really liked that ending. Maybe because Anna ends it with a figurative smirk and "I told you so", maybe because, for me at least, all the questions and maybes were finally answered and put to rest.
The narrators were fantastic and made a difficult book easier to get through. The accents, the inflections, all of it was just perfection.
I've never been fascinated with Anastasia Romanov, or any historical figure for that matter, but I do enjoy reading exploratory books about people and events I'd never study otherwise.
Anastasia Romanov is legendary. I knew that before I ever knew why she was, what catapulted her into the spotlight. But, I had never heard the name Anna Anderson before, so I did not know that she lived the majority of her life claiming to be this legendary Grand Duchess.
I'll admit, I did not feel satisfied or all that interested until the end of the book. I wasn't bored exactly, nor did I hate the book, but it just failed to grasp my fascination for some reason. Anna was....well, she was an interesting cat, and I couldn't ever quite decide if I believed - or wanted to believe - her story.
And let's face it: that backwards timeline was sooo confusing and disorienting. It makes sense 100% from the writing standpoint, having these 2 different timelines careening towards each other. But the actual reading experience is not my cup of tea. In the beginning, Anna is in her 80s. Then, everything you just learned about the character get put in perspective and thrown out the window at the same time as you go back a year or more, and she hasn't yet experienced what you just read, but it also shows you a little bit more of who she is, and what brought her to the point you just read.
Like I said, it's confusing.
Anastasia and her family intrigued me. They might not have been a very competent ruling family, but their family dynamics captured my interest. Mostly the way the relationship between Anastasia and Alexei was portrayed. And her dog, Jimmy, of course. It was sweet and only made the impending disaster more heartbreaking.
As I said earlier, the ending was my favorite part. And funny enough, it was in Anna's part, not Anastasia's, that I finally smiled a contented smile. I really, really liked that ending. Maybe because Anna ends it with a figurative smirk and "I told you so", maybe because, for me at least, all the questions and maybes were finally answered and put to rest.
The narrators were fantastic and made a difficult book easier to get through. The accents, the inflections, all of it was just perfection.
It was Ok. I love Ariel Lawton’s writing. This one just didn’t wow me. It was a little too drawn out.
A really different and well done take on the death of the Romanovs and what happened after. Kept me guessing until the end. 8/10
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