Review - I Was Anastasia

I Was Anastasia
by Ariel Lawhon
release date 3/27/2018
352 pages
Chapters:  Medium
4 out of 5 stars

I received a copy of this eBook from the wonderful people at Doubleday Books and NetGalley in exchange for a review.  The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.  

Since it's difficult to talk about this book without giving anything away, I'll share the summary written by the publisher:

"In an enthralling new feat of historical suspense, Ariel Lawhon 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?

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."

I was extremely excited to receive this book, because when I was younger, I was obsessed with the story of Anastasia.  The possibility that there was a long-lost Russian princess just wandering around somewhere was completely magical to me.  Unfortunately, the DNA findings that came out a while back proving that Anastasia was killed by the Bolsheviks along with the rest of her family really ruined the dream for me.

I'm going to be honest - as I was reading the book, I was sure I was going to give it a lower rating than four stars.  I was being really judgmental the whole time, certain that the author was not going to give the story a realistic or satisfying ending.  I really ate my words there, because the ending was absolutely perfect.  I was totally surprised and felt that the author finished the story exactly how I would have done it myself. 

The writing in this book is extremely well done.  The descriptions transport you and make you feel like you are experiencing everything right alongside the characters.

As a historical fiction book, I think the author really accomplished the perfect balance of both history and fiction.  Almost all of the people, places, and events mentioned throughout the story are real.  I spent quite a bit of time side-googling as I was reading, and I learned several new things about the Russian Revolution.  At the same time, the story is rich and deep; in no way does it read like a dry historical textbook.  

If you have an interest in history, I think you would really enjoy this book!  If you're interested in reading it, please consider using my link to purchase it from Amazon (and help me get more books).