I was really excited when I saw this book on Netgalley. I have always been fascinated by the Anastasia story, but I have not really kept up with the new developments (which is definitely a benefit going into this book). I found the beginning a bit slow on the ARC and ended up pausing the book for a bit. In the meantime, it became available as an audiobook from my library and I was able to listen to it that way. The story is told backwards which can be a bit difficult to follow, but once you get into the flow of it, it starts making a lot more sense and it becomes really clear as to why the author chose to tell the story in this format. We follow Anastasia Romanov during the overthrowing of her family’s reign in 1918 and then the story of Anna Anderson in the USA many years later. As the story moves forward, the years fall away and we eventually end back at the beginning while asking one question - Is Anna Anderson really Anastasia Romanov as she claims? Is she the rightful heir to their fortune? The Author’s note was fascinating to me for why Ariel Lawhon chose to tell this story and the historical facts of the case. If you decide to read this book, I suggest you go into it completely blind - do not research the real life Anna Anderson or Anastasia Romanov until you are done reading!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my digital ARC of this book. All views are my own.

I am Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon is a 2018 Doubleday publication.

No matter how many movies, documentaries, or books I’ve watched or read, the romantic in me simply can’t resist the fascination and the mystery of Anastasia Romanov. This book examines the life of Anna Anderson, who claimed she was Anastasia, while also chronicling the period of time the Romanov’s were in exile, leading up to their execution during the Bolshevik Revolution.

Anna’s claims captured our imaginations for decades and sparked many debates over the legitimacy of her pronouncement. While she was often met with skepticism, she also had many staunch supporters.
I, for one, always loved the notion surrounding this legend. I hoped, no matter how far-fetched or doubtful the probability, that Anna Anderson really was Anastasia Romanov.

If a miracle did happen, and Anastasia somehow managed to survive, we could all rationalize our fascination with the Czar’s daughter, from Ingrid Bergman’s oscar winning portrayal, to the animated Disney film, and all points in between. But, of course, the reality is far more serious and grim.

This novel is obviously a very ambitious undertaking. Giving voice to Anastasia, and Anna Anderson, describing minute historical details, adding authentic and vivid dialogue, along with solid pacing, and well-drawn characterizations.

This story is very interesting, and the author certainly did her homework, doing a great job of laying out Anna’s complexities. Anna was difficult, but also lived with a host of mental issues, making her a sympathetic figure on occasion, which left me with conflicting emotions. I often wondered how other people who have read this book felt about her in the end.

However, I must address the elephant in the room when it comes to the way the author structured the novel. She explains the method to her madness in a note at the end of the book, and it does make sense, from the viewpoint of the writer, and logically, I see where she’s coming from. However, the backwards/forwards, first and third person narratives made the book more difficult to read than need be, in my opinion. I did struggle with the format, I must say. However, others may not be bothered by it at all, and may even benefit from it. I’m not always the sharpest tool in the shed, so there is that. However, I did agree with the concept of separating ‘Anastasia’ from ‘Anna’, but I did wish for a more traditional type of dual timeline, without all that skipping around.

The novel’s strongest area is the pacing and the agonizingly taut build -up of suspense. We must watch with mounting dread as the Romanov’s are taken to Siberia, the clock ticking away as they careen towards their ultimate, tragic fate. This part of the story is interwoven with Anna’s as she sits in a German court waiting on their decision, hoping she will at long last lay legitimate and official claim to the name ‘Anastasia Romanov’. The theories mapped out here are very imaginative, plausible, realistic and thought provoking. I can tell the author put a great deal of thought and time into this novel, which is much appreciated. Although it took me a long time to get through the book, really struggling with it at times, ultimately, I found it to be quite interesting and I’m glad I didn’t give up on it.

One point I think we can all agree on, no matter what, is that Anna’s claims turned Anastasia Romanov into a legend, taking on a life of its own. If not for her, Anastasia and her sisters would most likely have long been forgotten over time, along with other royal families who were met with the same fate. Just a little something to ponder over-

I do recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Romanov history, of course, but be prepared- this is not a fairy tale! I would also recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction in general. This book will most likely spark your curiosity about the Romanov family and you will want to learn more about this them, and the events leading up to their capture, exile, and murders.

Note: I'd rate this a 3.5 if GR would let me. I am using GoodReads' star system, indicating I liked the book. This review is in exchange for an ARC from Netgalley.

"I Was Anastasia" is an emotionally painful walk through horror and misery before and after the fall of tsarist Russia. If you know of the fall of the Romanovs and the saga of Anna Anderson, you'll have a basic template for this book's topic material. That said, the author brings to the story a deep empathy for her characters that makes the book's content even more moving, even to this hardened heart.

That said, I do have two tiny quibbles. There are historical errors in the book, as the author admits in the afterward. I don't have a problem with that (for the most part), as historical fiction serves a different purpose than works of history. 1.) I am, however, not clear at all about the titles being used for the Grand Duchesses (tsarevna)--it's an older title in the Russian empire, and not one used by the end of the 19th century. Even if one feels "Grand Duchess" sounds "too English," the word used in Russian for the Grand Duchesses is not tsarvena. (Source: I'm a Russian historian who works with documents from this period. They're typically referred to in Russian with the Slavic-born word for prince/princess, which has no obvious English parallel, like tsarevna.) 2.) I'm not a fan of the depiction of Kerensky here, as he comes off as a hardened brute with zero respect for the dignity and humanity of the royal family, just shy of twirling his mustache and laughing evilly. In the writings I've seen from the period, Kerensky was respectful of the position of those in the court and certainly not rude. While not a fan of the monarchy, he treated the royal family (reasonably) well and did what he could for their comfort.

The backwards spooling chronology was a bit confusing, especially with the alternating POVs, so you really have to pay attention to the current character and timeframe. That said, the zinger of an ending made up for a lot. This is one I'd happily recommend.

*ARC via netgalley*

Reading I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon is a bit like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. You start with the edges and work your way back towards the middle. Lawhon tells the first-person narrative of Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov, but mixes it in with a third-person narrative of Anna Anderson. Both are real people, with well-documented stories, despite having occurred during the twentieth century.

Anastasia was the fourth daughter of the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II. She and her siblings lived a privileged life with tutors, jewels, and Imperial palaces. That is, until the Russian Revolution happened in 1918. Lawhon follows the dramatic change in status, while also revealing Anastasia’s impish and spirited personality.

It’s impossible not to anticipate the heart wrenching end of the Romanov family. But Lawhon blends the before and after stories together by concurrently telling Anna Anderson’s story. Anderson was pulled from a Berlin river in 1920. Her uncanny resemblance to Anastasia was just the beginning of many decades of mystery about her true identity.

Author Lawhon put her readers in the front seat of a roller coaster that doesn’t know which way to turn. One chapter is about Anna, the next is Anna but one year earlier. Then a chapter or two focus on Anastasia. This isn’t a book to be skimmed and read with haphazard attention.

My conclusions:
The intriguing part of the story is Anna Anderson, and whether she’s truly Anastasia. Don’t peek on Wiki for the details! (I confess to doing so when I’m reading historical fiction.)

I admit to finding both characters hard to relate to. Anastasia’s life has no parallels in my own existence, which I suppose is a good thing. I found her to be a mostly charming teen.

On the other hand, Anderson’s imperious nature quickly grew tiresome. She was quirky, but not in a good way. It can’t have been easy to constantly fight for your identity, and Lawhon doesn’t romanticize the reality.

Lawhon is a nimble storyteller. Her narrative structure made the book both interesting and frustrating. But ultimately the pieces fit together and the picture is clear. The patience it takes to get there is rewarded with a satisfying conclusion. Now I want to read The Romanov Sisters, which is sitting in my shelves!

Acknowledgements:
Thanks to NetGalley, Doubleday Books, and the author for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have always been curious about the story of Anastasia but not to the point of obsession. I enjoyed how Ms. Lawhon brought the story of Anna Anderson to life and her fight to prove her birthright. In the end though, I didn’t care if she was or wasn’t, it was the mystery that keeps me intrigued.

I knew the basic story of this Russian princess, but this novel takes it further. Anastasia spends her whole life trying to prove she is who she says she is. At first, I thought the book's format was going to drive me crazy. It jumps around in time from Anastasia's early days with her family, to an elderly woman still fighting for her identity, and all stages in between. I ended up liking the way this made my mind work though.

Anna Anderson was rescued from a canal in Germany in 1920 after a suicide attempt. She believes herself to be the daughter of Nicholas and Alexandra Romanov, that is Anastasia. The novel follows her as struggles to get the relatives to believe. Anastasia’s scars on her body are “proof”that she somehow survived the shooting of her family. Her childhood friend believes her to be Anastasia. He assists her. She gets many people to believe her as Anastasia. I won’t spoil the book for you and let you, the reader, discover the ending.

This remarkable novel is told in reverse. It starts out in 1970 in Charlottesville, Virginia where she is awaiting to hear from a German court’s decision on who she is. Is she Anastasia? There is an interesting author’s note at the end of the book. Do read it. I recommend the book as I was totally involved in the story as it seemed so real.

I'm fascinated with the story of Anastasia so this book was right up my alley. Lawhorn weaves historical fiction and suspense perfectly and I found myself consistently guessing if the narrator truly was Anastasia or not! The attention to detail and care given to each character really made the book come alive for me.

My one complaint is that telling the book in reverse order (starting at present day and moving steadily backwards to the death of the Romanov family) was really confusing. It required readers to do a LOT of work to track events and I think the format could have been simplified a bit more than it was. But still a really enjoyable read!

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

I have been so excited about this book from the moment that I heard about it. I’ve been fascinated with Anna Anderson and her story for years. And this is a really effective fictional exploration of Anna as well as Anastasia. This is a historical fiction novel with quite a lot of suspense. The novel really looks deeply at Anna’s desire to be recognized as Anastasia as well as the story of Anastasia’s life. The novel weaves their narratives together really seamlessly. It’s obvious that Lawhorn did a ton of research for this novel. I loved the fictional look at each of these women and their experiences. I felt they came alive on the page which was really enjoyable. The narrative wasn’t always as concise and connected as I’d have liked so some of it felt disjointed. Yet, it was still a fantastic read. I loved reading Lawhorn’s Author’s Note and learning a bit about how she came to this story as well as what she changes in order to fit her fictional story. I was very taken with Anna’s story (which some reviewers seemed frustrated with due to the narrative structure) and also enjoyed Anastasia’s story. I was much more familiar with Anastasia but Lawhorn gave me more of her as a person and her emotional journey which I enjoyed. Knowing the outcome of the question of whether or not Anna was Anastasia didn’t really take away from the novel for me. I think it actually gave me what I was looking for … some insight into Anna – who she was, why she did the things she did and how this entire thing came about. I appreciated how well wrapped in historical facts the fiction was. This is one that I’m seeing get a lot of mixed reviews and I can understand that … some of the Anna sections & their chronological structure were less cohesive than they could have been. It didn’t bother me as much as it did others apparently. All in all, if you’re fascinated with the whole Anastasia narrative, I recommend this novel. Although not perfect, I really enjoyed it and definitely recommend it. Be aware that the structure of the narrative is non-linear and challenging – it can be confusing so know that going in and pay extra attention to the timeline pieces & I think that may help those who are concerned about that piece of the book. But, I really did enjoy this is and look forward to reading more Lawhorn in the future!

This story has fascinated me for a long time, so I was eager to read this title. While I understand the choice of the time going forward and time going backward choice for the characters, I also found it frustrating. I wanted to know much more about the Anna story and found the leaps backward jarring. Nevertheless, I would recommend the title. The story is fascinating even if one does know the outcomes.

This novel about Grand Duchess Anastasia also tells the story of Anna Anderson, the woman who claimed to be the last Grand Duchess. Each person’s story is told in alternating chapters. While history knows the answer to how this situation unfolded, Lawhon managed to play with both the myth and reality and spin them into a suspenseful tale.

Anastasia’s story starts as the Russian Revolution takes hold around the Tsarskoe Selo, the palace the family calls home. Readers will see the events unfold that lead to the downfall of the Romanov dynasty and the entirety of the family’s imprisonment, along with a few select servants. The story follows the family as they travel to Siberia per the government’s orders and how they cope. And all is told in the fictionalized first person point-of-view of the youngest daughter.

In contrast, Anna’s story is that of convincing the world she is Anastasia. A few support her claim, but many denounce it, including the remaining Romanovs. This storyline shows the various travels Anna made in effort to support her claim, the people she stayed with, her mental issues, and the various legal battles she faced. Throughout, she is supported by Gleb Botkin, a playmate of the former Grand Duchess.

Lawhon’s writing in this novel kept readers on the edge of their seat. She took an interesting approach in the style. In Anastasia’s timeline, the story started at the beginning and proceeded forward. For Anna Anderson’s, it started at the end of her life and worked its way backward. This lead to a couple “explosive” chapters at the end of the novel where events converge. Throughout, readers will question whether Lawhon followed proven history in her writing or myth and I will not spoil which. In terms of emotions evoked, Lawhon did an excellent job. One felt Anastasia’s fear or Anna’s determination. I definitely enjoyed reading this and I almost did not request a copy since I didn't enjoy Lawhon’s previous novel, The Flight of Dreams about the Hindenburg disaster.

I was provided with an advanced reader copy of this novel through Netgalley.

I am not normally a massive fan of historical fiction, but after seeing the hype behind this book, I had to give it a go!

Thank you so much for being willing to allow me to read it advanced! I really enjoyed it and I can't wait to read more Ariel Lawhon books in the future!

Fantastic story. I love anything dealing with Russian history and the Romanovs. There is very little that is new in this story, history wise, however, it is a fun, enjoyable read. The woman who claimed to be Anastasia was a fascinating individual. The fact that she was able to convince so many that she was Anastasia was incredible. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Romanov history

Told from two different perspectives this historical fiction has a “is she, isn’t she” component that makes it fascinating. The first perspective is narrated by the older Anna in reverse chronological order while the second narrator is the young Grand Duchess Anastasia told chronologically forward. Is Anna the Grand Duchess Anastasia and if not, why would someone be an impostor? In the end, the two stories come together, finally giving you the truth. This is perfect for adults who loved the animated Anastasia movie when they were younger.

Anna is a miserable woman. She is scarred, lost, depressed and damaged in more ways than one. Is she who she says she is? She claims to be Anastasia Romanov. Is she? You need to read this to find out!

I love the history of this book. It has been a while since I visited with the Romanovs. This was a highlight for me but, parts of this novel are so hard to read. The tragedy surrounding the Romanovs’ lives and their deaths are heart wrenching.

The only reason this is not getting five stars from me is because of the time line. It is non linear. This made the story more confusing but, that was the brilliant plan of the author. To keep you off balance, which you will realize when you get to the end of the book. Their is a reason she wants you off balance.

All in all, I enjoyed this book very much. Anna, the Romanovs, and the history really create a wonderful tale.

I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review.

"In the end there is only the truth…"

In 1918, Tsar Nicholas Romanov and his family – including his youngest daughter, Anastasia – were ordered to be murdered by Vladimir Lenin. Two years later, a woman with an uncanny resemblance to Anastasia was pulled from a Berlin canal. She went by Anna Anderson but claimed to be the missing Grand Duchess Anastasia.

I Was Anastasia was told in the alternating voices of young Anastasia and Anna. The thing I thought most interesting was the fact that, while told in alternating voices, the story itself was also told with alternating linearity of times – meaning, as Anastasia’s story was told forward, starting from the beginning of the family’s imprisonment, Anna’s was told backward, starting from the end of her life: both moving toward the point where her and Anastasia’s timelines would intersect.

I don’t know that much about Anastasia, and most of that knowledge, admittedly, comes from the animated movie “Anastasia.” So, while I thought this book was interesting, I don’t think it was nearly as compelling as I had hoped. In the Author’s Note, Ariel Lawhon expressed her desire to give a voice to Anna:

"She [Anna] has been assigned the role of villain for decades. But I like to think she is misunderstood… So my goal with this book was to let you make up your own mind. I wanted you to see the evidence both sides had to offer, and I wanted you to be unsure all the way through, because that is how Anna’s contemporaries felt."

However, I never felt connected to Anna, and that kind of ruined the story for me. The author wanted her to read more as a sympathetic character, but I still couldn’t stand her. I couldn’t see past my biased opinion of someone who duped a generation in order get rich to the supposed woman she was behind the mask. I thought the best part of her story was the ending, and although it helped me to put her story in a different light, I felt it came too late to drum up any lingering sympathies for her. I felt much more connected to the young Anastasia – spoiled and sheltered though she was – and the hardships she endured because it made her a much more sympathetic character than that of Anna.

So, while I liked the unique way of telling the story – alternating between two voices as well as two opposing timelines – I didn’t feel the same connection to the characters (especially Anna) that the author so clearly did. It was an average read, and, while I found it mildly engrossing at times, it wasn’t my favorite and, unfortunately, not quite as good as I was hoping it to be.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for a copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review.

Excerpt from one of my blog contributors, Sophia:

Above all, however, I Was Anastasia presents readers with a novel take on the impact of identity on our past, our future, and our legacy. Whether or not Anna Anderson was truly Anastasia did not matter so long as she was giving us the Grand Duchess we needed, when we needed it. During the more difficult moments of the book to get through (tw: rape, restraint, drugging, electro-convulsive therapy), I found myself looking forward to Anna's point of view, just to make me feel like everything turned out at least okay enough to make jokes about beer, or to tear a man apart in five languages (and in as many minutes). This was the true strength and cleverness of the infamous woman, and is a testament to Lawhon's mastery of history, emotions, and the way they come together. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who values all of the above.

I'm very familiar with the Romanov story, their downfall, and their execution. As soon as I hear about a new fiction book about the family, I am quick to pick it up. However, I am less familiar with Anna Anderson or that part of the story. The author did very well with the history and research. However, the alternating viewpoints confused me a bit. The chapters alternate between Anastasia going forward in her life. Then the next chapter is Anna Anderson as an old woman going backwards with her life. I thought this was confusing for the reader. I think having both voices in alternating chapters is a great idea, but the direction of life-storytelling threw me off. Most people know going in that the entire Romanov family was found, and DNA proved that Anna Anderson was not in fact the missing princess. Still, Anna Anderson's voice in the chapters makes you believe she really could be her. Great history and story, but the timeline bounced around too much for my liking.