It is my opinion that anyone who finds history books boring just isn’t reading about interesting people or events. Personally, I find the history of Russia to be diverse to the point it’s almost crazy. The country’s history has boasted Mongols, Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, and of course, the Romanovs. (And that’s all before the whole Communism thing.)
One thing that makes the Romanovs so compelling is how doomed they were. But it’s not like the Bolsheviks swept in one day and boom, no more Romanov. There was an entire Russian civil war brewing, a rumored magician named Rasputin worming his way through the royal family, and a little debacle called World War I.
That being said, I would recommend The Romanov Sisters by Helen Rappaport to a reader with a bit of knowledge of World War I and the role of the Romanov family in it. This is because this book is specifically focused on the daughters that were never able to wield power, and the the history is a bit more enjoyable when you know about the events surrounding the girls.
Most of us history nerds have studied World War I, Russia, and Nicholas and Alexandra Romanov. But are their daughters worth reading about? Without spoiling too many details, you probably haven’t heard everything. This is the story of four girls who were born into a rich, famous, and oh-so dangerous world. They were isolated for much of their lives, and were little fashion icons, but were required to be under armed guard for any outing, any party. The girls’ individual personalities are shown throughout the text. As I got to know them, I just felt sorry for them. I wish that they had not been Romanovs. I wish that they had been born to normal parents, and not had suffered the downfall of a royal lineage. What a fascinating, yet tragic world this book pulls you into. I recommend you curl up with it immediately, and I promise you will not be bored.
Written by Nicola
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