Book Review of The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion & the Fall of Imperial Russia

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Fleming, Candace. 2014. THE FAMILY ROMANOV: MURDER, REBELLION & THE FALL OF IMPERIAL RUSSIA. New York, NY: Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company. ISBN 9780375867828.

 

PLOT SUMMARY

Future Tsar Nicholas II grows from boy to man. He becomes Tsar and absolute ruler of Russia in 1894. He, his wife, and family live the life of luxury. Life is not so good for the millions of peasants and workers in the country. The common people of Russia begin demanding more rights. An organizer named Lenin and a “holy man” named Rasputin appear. World War I breaks out, and Russia suffers terrible hardships. Rasputin influences the decisions made by Tsar Nicholas II until Rasputin is finally murdered. Eventually, the royal family is killed by revolutionaries.      

 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The author Candace Fleming’s research into the last days of Tsarist Russia is extensive and results in a rich account of how one of the most powerful dynasties in world history ended in the deaths of their last family. She does an excellent job of showing the disparity between the haves and have-nots of Russia from the end of the 1800’s through the beginning of the 1900’s. She recounts both political and personal histories of everyone involved, from the royal family to peasants in the country to workers in the cities. By the end of the book, the reader will completely understand the complexities of the fall of the Romanov empire.

 

AWARDS AND REVIEW EXCERPTS

2014 NCTE ORBIS PICTUS AWARD

2014 BOSTON GLOBE – HORN BOOK AWARD FOR NONFICTION

2014 LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE FOR YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE

KIRKUS review: “It is full of rich details about the Romanovs, insights into figures such as Vladimir Lenin and firsthand accounts from ordinary Russians affected by the tumultuous events. A variety of photographs adds a solid visual dimension, while the meticulous research supports but never upstages the tale.”

BOOKLIST review: “For readers who regard history as dull, Fleming’s extraordinary book is proof positive that, on the contrary, it is endlessly fascinating, absorbing as any novel, and the stuff of an altogether memorable reading experience.”

 

CONNECTIONS

* This is a good book to accompany studies of Russia, world history, and world governments.  

* Other books related to this one:

Alexander, Robert. THE KITCHEN BOY: A NOVEL OF THE LAST TSAR. ISBN 9780142003817  

Massie, Robert. NICHOLAS AND ALEXANDRA. ISBN 9780345438317


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