I must admit before reading this I did not know much about Russian history or the Romanovs. I remember learning about the youngest child, Alexei, in my genetics class because he was a hemophiliac, which made him the perfect case study. I also remember hearing that the entire family had been executed, but never really knew the story. When I came across this on NetGalley I was intrigued to learn more about this story given my of lack in knowledge in this subject and my love of historical fiction.
By 1918 the Czar of Russia had been removed from his throne and his family had been forced into exile. In the early hours of the morning the family was awoken to be moved to a safer location, so they are told, only be lead to the basement and executed. None of the seven family members survived the night, or so history has told us.
In 1920 a woman appeared in Berlin with an uncanny resemblance to Anastasia, the youngest of the Czar's daughters, claiming to be her. Is it possible that she survived the execution, or this is an imposter trying to claim the imperial riches?
This story is told using both dual perspective and dual timelines in alternating sections. First, we witness what happens to the royal family leading up to their execution through the eyes of Anastasia. Finally, we follow Anna Anderson, the woman claiming to be Anastasia, beginning in 1968 and working our way back to 1918. We trace her steps in reverse until in the end we finally reveal where her story truly begins.
I really enjoyed this delivery method by Lawhon, one that I have not encountered before. I enjoyed that both storylines were working together towards the same ending point. One reason I love historical fiction so much is that I like to feel that I have learned something new by the end of the book as well as being entertained. This book feels like a great balance of being very well researched and still being very entertaining at the same time.
This is my first historical fiction read outside the WWII genre and I would highly recommend it! I will caution that there are some difficult to read moments including sexual assault and violence, but worth the read.

When I discovered this book via NetGalley, I could not have been more excited about starting this book. It centres around one of the most fascinating historical mysteries of Princess Anastasia of Russia and the enigma surrounding her disappearance and whether or not she survived the attack that killed the rest of her family. I mean, I LOVED the animated movie, Anastasia, as a child (and still do to this day) so I greatly looked forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, I wasn't even able to make it through the entirety of this book. I was confused on the timing of events straight from the get-go and the writing did not ease my confusion at all. It jumped back and forth in time, which is normally not an issue for me, but the time lapses were so short and random (three months here, four months there) that they didn't make much sense. And the characters were not well developed or explained. I didn't know who two of main characters were or their significance and this lack of information, for once, did not entice me to finish this book. I was quite disappointed, as I had high hopes for this book as an Anastasia and general historical fiction enthusiast. This book was sadly not for me and I unfortunately have to mark this as a DNF. Maybe sometime in the future I can come back to it and quite possibly have a different outlook, but for now, I have to put this one down.

I was Anastasia tells the story of Anna Anderson, a woman who for most of her life pretended that she was Anastasia, the daughter of Nicholas II who somehow miraculously survived the murder of her family in Russia. In the era before DNA tests it would have been almost impossible for anyone to effectively prove (or disprove) her story so Anna was able to get many to believe she was really the lost Grand Duchess. What made this telling of the story unique was that Lawhon choose to tell the story from Anastasia's perspective - starting on the day Nicholas was forced to abdicate to the night at the Ipatiev house. Anna's story starts with her learning that the German court refuses to acknowledge her claim in the 1960's and works its way back to the point where both stories meet - effectively showing in reverse the steps that led to Anna becoming Anastasia. At first this structure was a little hard to follow but it was very effective in making you want to know why Anna was choosing this identity rather than her own. Even though we know now that Anastasia and her family did not survive, you want to know what happened. I think Lawhon provided a believable explanation for what happened to Anna and how she became Anastasia.

When I was in my early twenties, I went through what I called my “Romanov stage”. I read every book in the library on the Romanovs and all the books about people who claimed to be Anastasia or Alexei rescued and grown. I was fascinated by their lifestyle and their tragic story, and I wanted so much to think that one of those beautiful children had survived and was alive and well.
This story had me at the title. I love Lawhon’s writing and have read all her other novels. The timeline was unique: Anastasia’s story starts with her family’s imprisonment and continues to their last days and the tragedy in the cellar. Anna’s story starts with the near present and moves backward to that same period.
You can tell that Ms. Lawhon spent her time researching not only the details, but the personalities and characteristics of the characters of this novel, from the sisters to Alexei to the servants.
A sad yet unforgettable read — especially for those, like me, who once went through an “Anastasia phase”.
Thank you for my review e-copy via Net Galley!

4 engrossing stars to I Was Anastasia! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Being approved to read an early copy of I Was Anastasia was like winning the lottery to this historical fiction fan. Not only because of my love for the genre, but also because of my interest in Anastasia. Not because she was a princess necessarily, but because growing up I remember discussions about Anna Anderson and if she was or was not the real Anastasia Romanov.

Ariel Lawhon ambitiously tackles this notion in a genius structure through writing from two viewpoints in different timelines, Anastasia’s in forward-progression, and Anna’s in reverse.

In the Author’s Note, Lawhon describes that it was challenging to write this way, and I kept thinking that as I read. She even read biographies of Anna Anderson in reverse order so that she would formulate it in her head the way she would eventually write Anna’s voice.

It would have been easier to write in linear form, and perhaps easier for the reader to follow; but I enjoyed this convergence in storylines. It built the suspense for me. Even though I already knew the true outcome, I longed for a different one as I quickly read through this book waiting for the timelines to intersect, waiting for the answer Lawhon would write.

Reading the Author’s Note also inspired me to dig deeper into Romanov history. I have a nonfiction book she cited as a reference, The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra, and plan to read it soon to learn more.

Thank you to Ariel Lawhon, Doubleday, and Netgalley for the ARC. I Was Anastasia is available now!

I was a little hesitant to read this book because I already know quite a bit about the Romanovs. as I have been interested in them since writing a research paper on Nicholas II. However, the author manages to create an interesting story, and maintain, as far as I can tell, historical accuracy. The book alternates between the story of Anastasia Romanov, the youngest daughter, of the last czar of Russia, and Anna Anderson, one of the best known women who claimed to be Anastasia.. It was an interesting picture of what the last several months of Anastasia's life were like, and what Anna's life was like when she was assumed to be Anastasia. The end of the book was heartbreaking, so if you do not already know the history, be prepared. Altogether, an interesting story, and an interesting way to tell it.

In 1920, a woman is pulled out of a German canal. Her body is covered in scars and she won't say how she ended up in the water. When she finally breaks her silence, she claims to be the Russian princess Anastasia. The Russians insist that she and her entire family were executed by a firing squad, and many people believe that she is only looking for money and fame. She is dubbed Anna Anderson and a long investigation begins, as everyone tries to uncover the truth: is she the Princess Anastasia?

The story of Anastasia is one that has persisted in our consciousness for many years. There have been movies, books, and even a Broadway musical because we can't resist wondering if one of the Romanovs could have escaped their terrible fate. If you think there's nothing left to this story, think again. Ariel Lawhon throws you right into the action with Anna who confronts the reader, insisting that you have to come to your own conclusion after you hear her story. The action moves in two storylines, as we see Anna in the present navigate the believers who shower her with attention and the detractors who call her a liar. Years earlier, the Princess Anastasia tries to keep up her spirits under house arrest and increasingly dangerous circumstances.

I Was Anastasia is historical fiction at its best, which is exactly what readers have come to expect from Ariel Lawhon. If you know your history, you already know the answer to the question of Anna's identity. But as Anna points out, it almost doesn't matter. We want her to be Anastasia, because we want some hope to have come out of a dark, terrible story. We want Anna to be Anastasia because Ariel Lawhon makes both stories so compelling that we can't help wanting to believe.

I Was Anastasia
By Ariel Lawhon
Doubleday March 2018
240 pages
Read via Netgalley

Have you ever seen the animated tale of Anastasia? My little sisters and my daughters fell in love with the legend of Anastasia. We all learn about how the Bolsheviks ruthlessly gunned down the poor royal family in school. We learn about the missing bodies. We daydreamt about what it would be like to be a lost princess, to be suddenly found after having disappeared for so many years. We just wanted to hope that Anastasia managed to get out of Russia and find love, happiness, and have a couple of grandkids before she died.
Ariel Lawhon's book, I was Anastasia, puts you in the middle of all the action of this tragic tale. While the non-linear method of telling the story is a bit disconcerting and difficult to follow, at times, there is a pattern. If you give up on trying keeping track of events (like I was doing because I'm a giant nerd & was actually keeping track in a notebook) and just go with the flow of the story, (which I finally gave up and did about halfway through) you'll find that the events are all related. The story becomes less like going through white water rapids in a tight canyon, and more like a challenging, but fun, day on the river in a kayak, bouncing from one memory to the next.
Ms. Lawhon puts us on the edge of our seats with the very first page and keeps us there, locked in the grip of memory the entire time, wondering until the last second. Is she Anastasia or is she a fraud? What is going to happen to the woman telling the tale? What are her motivations? If she is really Anastasia, why wouldn't she push the issue? If not, what drives her and how does it affect those who believe her tale?
I really enjoyed this novel. There were some rough passages. I will, with complete candor, admit to a large amount of naiveté with regards to Anastasia Romanov. I knew the high school text book and animated movie information about her, with a general knowledge of her gravesite finally being discovered. It never occurred to me that her road to that grave site would have been difficult. In my mind's eye, it was all "dancing bears and painted wings" up until her death. I never wanted to look past that, to what hardships the Romanovs were put through during their final days. But I've read my Solzhenitsyn and should have known better. I just wanted to hope.
Hope is what has attracted people to the story of Anastasia for the last century. We just want to change the outcome of the story for that one little girl. You should read I was Anastasia, and gain an insight into what might have happened, and why so many people were willing to believe.

Fascinating story and I won't spoil Lawhon's conclusion (in case you don't know the real-life ending), but I did find the Memento-like (author's own description) telling to be confusing. Anastasia's story is told in chronological order and Anna's is told backwards. Lawhon's reason for doing this is in the author's note and makes perfect sense but it made for a disjointed reading experience. My advice if you haven't read this yet is don't put the book down partway through a section! It always took me a little bit to get my bearings again when I did.

But like Lawhon's last book, this is well-written and compelling and I can't wait to see what readers get next.

This book is a hot mess. The constant change in the points-of-view lead to an unreliable narrator (which very well may be the point but I found it distracting). The shift in time periods wasn't so bothersome until we were shifting, in a single chapter, through three different years at least. I don't have an issue swapping through "present" to "1917" or what have you in linear chapters but doing it within each chapter was annoying and made the book hard to follow. I had no idea if we were 1917, 1945, or whatever and whatever year we were in, who was speaking. I didn't connect or find Anastasia a compelling character and definitely not sympathetic which, again, may be by design but it felt contrived. I'm trying to be mindful I got the ARC and that the final book may be wholly different but as it is? No thank you..

I have always been fascinated with the Romanovs assassination and Anastasia's story so I was excited to read I Was Anastasia. Wow. What a ride! Forward and backward in time, this book had me in it's spell to the very last page!

I have been eagerly awaiting publication of I WAS ANASTASIA by Ariel Lawhon since I really enjoyed her earlier works (Flight of Dreams and The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress). Her newest work of historical fiction centers on Anna Anderson and her efforts to be recognized as Grand Duchess Anastasia, the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. The story expertly moves between time periods and locations including 1917 Russia, 1920 Berlin, 1946 France, 1950s Germany, 1956 Hollywood, 1968 France and 1970 Charlottesville, Virginia with Anastasia's story moving forward in time while Anna's is told in reverse order, beginning with her last court case. That may add confusion for some younger readers, but to me, this choice merely reinforced the complex and sympathetic nature of the characters.

Once again, Lawhon has captured our attention by inviting her readers to join her in applying our imaginations to a fairly well-known historical events. I wonder who she will be researching next?

Links in live post:
http://treviansbookit.blogspot.com/2016/02/flight-of-dreams-by-ariel-lawhon.html
http://treviansbookit.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-wife-maid-and-mistress-by-ariel.html

3.5 stars. *****Spoiler Alert****
Even though I knew the story of The Romanovs and their fate, I knew very little about Anna Anderson who for decades claimed to be Anastasia Romanov and worked to prove that she survived the firing squad that took the lives of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. I was pulled in at the beginning, but my interest in Anna’s story waned. Maybe it was because I knew the outcome even though I knew not much else about her. There are dual narratives - Anna’s which moves backwards in time and Anastasia’s in chronological order. In the author’s note, Ariel Lawhon relates her attraction to Anna’s story but it was the Anastasia chapters that captivated me. The imagined account of what it was like for the Romanov family in the time just before they are sent off to Siberia and their death was compelling. I was so taken by the family in spite of what history tells us about Tsar Nicholas II . Captivated enough that I now want to read more about the Romanovs. This time I’ll try a non - fiction account. I was less taken with the Anna chapters and I found myself hurrying through those to get back to the Anastasia chapters. I did though find the backward telling an interesting mechanism. It took me a while to get used to it, but I liked the challenge in spite of my desire to get back to the Romanovs in 1917.

Lawhon clarifies what she takes liberty with in the telling of the story, and I appreciate what appears to be a well researched account. 3 stars but an extra half for the intrigue that has me wanting to read more about the Romanovs.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Doubleday Books through NetGalley.

Fascinating historical fiction novel about Anastasia Romanov and Anna Anderson, the woman who claimed to be lost princess. Was she the Romanov duchess and heir to the last czar's fortune or was she a world-class actress playing a deadly game? An interesting factor in this book was the two different timelines and how they were laid out, Anastasia's starts with the revolution in Russia and proceeds chronologically while Anna's starts in 1970 and is told in reverse. It takes a little getting used to but it's worth it. The story is rich with detailed descriptions of the fall of Czar Nicholas and his family and their subsequent captivity but also Anna's 50 year fight to be recognized as the Grand Duchess Anastasia. Although modern science has given us the definitive answer to the question of who Anna Anderson was or wasn't, this story was an incredible look into one of the most complex puzzles in history.

Is she or is she not? That is the question surrounding Anna Anderson who insists she survived the massacre of her family in the basement. She claims to be Anastasia Romanov, the Russian Grand Duchess. She bears an uncanny resemblance to her and has many scars on her body that she says prove her identity. Back then dna testing was not available to prove or disprove her story.Fascinating yet horrifying this historical suspense is based on research the author has done. Many scenes and wording of sentences are true to her research. The author has in her research sifted through 50 years of facts in this book with it's many twists and turns. Anna Anderson had a 50 year battle to be recognized as Anastasia Romanov, survivor of the bloodshed that happened that night. Did she succeed and live a happy life? I know if I think she was the Grand Duchess, now what's your verdict?
Pub Date 27 Mar 2018
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Doubleday Books through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own,

The third book I’ve read by Ariel Lawhon and another engaging one based on meticulous research and collection of biographical info. I had no clue about Anna Anderson, a woman who claimed to be Anastasia Romanov and wasn’t sure I’d even care about her. I picked up the book simply because Lawhon wrote it.

Well, Anna is a fascinating subject and I was often tempted to read ahead to find the answer to “is she a fraud? Glad I resisted and that I had no background or preconceived opinion beforehand. Lawhon’s storytelling was imaginative and she excelled at putting the factual/fictional pieces together.

Bearing an uncanny resemblance to Anastasia Romanov, a woman (Anna Anderson) wages a 50-year-long battle to prove she is the Russian Grand Duchess. Could her claim be true? If so, will she be able to prove her case to the courts?

"Countless others have rendered their verdict. Now it is your turn.

This story follows Anna's plight as she fights to prove she really is Anastasia Romanov. For 50 long years, Anna's benefactors provided her with food, lodging, gifts, and legal fees. Her detractors, however, insisted she only wanted the Romanov inheritance. Read this suspenseful tale and pick a side; would you have been a benefactor or a detractor?

This was my first time reading anything about the Romanov family, and unfortunately, this account did not allow me to connect with any of the characters (except maybe a bit with Anastasia, her crush, Tomas, and her sweet, loyal dog, Jimmy). The nonlinear timeline was not my favorite in this instance, but after reading the Author's Note at the end, I understand why the story was written in this manner (and, hello, it also made it more suspenseful).

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for a free advance copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

The beginning and the end of “I Was Anastasia” rocked me. And the pages in between—well, they kept me on my toes, always waiting but never fully knowing.

“I Was Anastasia” chronicles the latter years of Anastasia Romanov, daughter of the tsar of Imperial Russia until the beginning of the 20th century. The story of the Grand Duchess Anastasia has captured the imaginations of many for several decades. Ariel Lawhon expounds on her story and complicates the mystery even further in this novel with two (or is it one?) unreliable narrators.

The unreliable narrators kept me on guard for the entire novel; I couldn’t tell if they added to my trepidation or spoiled my enjoyment of the story.

Isn’t it interesting, as readers, that we want to trust our characters and know that we can count on them to give us the facts? But, in the real world, we aren’t at all surprised to find the memories and retellings of others to be tainted with unseen motives, wishful thinking, and mere forgetfulness.

As I look back, I can sense an atmosphere of foreboding thanks to this unique storytelling device; it accurately set the stage for a tale of suspense.

Another interesting element of Lawhon’s novel is the structure. The two storylines are told in opposite order; one simply starts at the beginning, while the other starts at the end and works its way back. The stories converge so that, by the end, they meld into one.

The structure of the storytelling felt awkward at first, but with time, I grew to appreciate it. Lawhon successfully continued to mount the tension with the converging realities until I was about to burst. When I finished, I exhaled deeply and went to sleep from emotional exhaustion (perhaps due to being a highly sensitive person, as well).

I have to admit, the ending did not satisfy me; but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy the book. “I Was Anastasia” was excellently rendered and communicated perfectly an air of confident mystery. All at once, readers could feel sure that they were completely unsure about everything.

Overall, my dissatisfaction with the ending was completely worth it. This novel was well worth the emotional anguish, intellectual investment, and the time. I highly enjoyed it and would recommend it to other historical fiction lovers as well!

I have to say I found this book hard to read. I usually like books that alternate between past and present, but this book was hard to follow. I did really like the ending and thought it was worth the effort.