Being of Russian descent, this book sounded fascinating to me. Unfortunately, it just felt too detailed and the romance parts didn’t quite fit into it for me. Because of that, it also felt really long. Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

Maria Ignatyevna Zakrevskaya (1893-1974) of high birth was the so called woman of a thousand names as no one saw the same image of her, but they all agreed that she symbolized Life. Life against all odds. She was determined to survive the October Revolution, which eradicated her social class. Russia had “a population that’s been starving for three centuries,” while aristocrats blindly lived in opulence. And she recognized that and wanted to see a change.

She is born with a silver spoon in her mouth. From her governess, she inherits calmness, kindness, and willingness to indulge.

At six years old, she speaks three languages fluently.

At fifteen, she becomes an ambassador between her older sisters and mother. “As a diplomat, Mourushka used her skills to smooth over sharp edges and plead their cases, and on occasion she was able to reestablish harmony.” Being torn between her affections, her escape was books.

At seventeen, on her way to visit her sister in Germany, she meets a man who asks for her hand in marriage. Her first season as a married woman is ecstatic. It’s like “she herself was the axis upon which the world turned (…) the world of imperial courts.” Afterwards, her husband becomes distant and cold. He grants “her free rein to flit about and charm as she pleases.”

The opposite political views drift them even further apart. “He’s hungry for more authority and considers the tsar too liberal.” She on the other hand sees a need “to move forward and to achieve a parliamentary system that works.”

As WWII breaks out, she volunteers as a translator.

1917 brings two revolutions first the February Revolution, then the October Revolution.

The February Revolution brings growing riots everywhere. “The soldiers who had joined the rebellion had had no choice but to shoot their former officers.” Russia’s civil turmoil leads commoners to breaking into palaces and ransacking through them, leaving devastation and aristocrats running for their lives.

Lenin, “a descendant of lesser nobility,” is here to squash “elites at every level. The aristocrats, the intelligentsia, the businessmen, the Jews, the Germans, and even the revolutionaries, if they’re well off.”

After carrying an affair with a British diplomat, she is forced to play a double agent working for both sides, British and Russian.

She is human. Under interrogations, she makes the best decisions she can. She wants to live and she wants to make sure that her family is alive and safe. “Against all odds, she stuck to the dictums of her morality.” Relaying news, but not betraying people. Repeating words, but not naming the speakers. Sharing information without putting someone in danger.

Presented with good taste. Yes, she had some romantic entanglements, but none of it is descriptive.

The story depicts well the dramatic gap between the aristocrats and the rest of the society, resulting in bloody revolutions. “In 1914, (…) in Saint Petersburg, luxury and freedom from cares reached their apex. Fresh flowers came from Nice by cartload. And fattened chickens from Nantes. And truffles from Perigord.” The poor lacked everything, thus turning the streets into cutthroating, rioting, and pillaging.

It has a good balance of history. It portrays well the dramatic events, but does not overwhelm with its brutality.

The number of pages (over 600) might be discouraging to some, but keep in mind the story carries on very well. It is engrossing through its entirety. More thought is given to some events and less to others, which gives the story a good pace.

A touching and poignant story of love, survival, and perseverance, woven with beautiful prose.

Incredible, Fierce, and Poetic.

This book was utterly magnetic. I could not put it down. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and when it is executed right.. WOW! I enjoyed the era this book was set. It was told in 20th century Russia, during an extremely violent time. I read a lot of historical fiction set during WWII and it was really a refreshing experience to read something completely different.

The character development was skillfully written and the plot masterfully executed. If you enjoy spy novels like The Alice Network or The Secrets We Kept you will love this! I will definitely be recommending this!

Maria Ignatyevna Zakrevskaya was born into the upper reaches of Russian Society, and determined to survive. A facile mind and a moral code that allowed her to work the ebbs and flows of power and danger, she held strong to the recite the words, never name the source motto. Why should we be interested in this woman who allied herself with what, at the time, was the dissolution of her social class in the October Revolution. Well, she was also known as Mata Hari, spoke 3 languages at the age of 6, more by her death, honed her skills in negotiation as she worked between her mother and sisters, married in Germany and introduced to the ‘elites’ there, while seeing her husband denounce the Tsar as ‘too liberal’, while allowing her the freedom to do as she pleases, this is a woman who collected experience, knowledge, and perhaps even a bit of courage, for at the time women were simply not thought to be bright or political.

With the advent of war (both WW1 and WWII) her loyalties are divided, while her heart and information seemed to lie with her native land. An affair with a British diplomat brought her into the clandestine worlds of espionage, and she was frequently working as a ‘double agent”- serving both Britain and Russia with information key to the war effort. Her fluency with language and her ability to remember facts, faces and information kept her well-placed with information and never quite seemed to (as it is told) disturb her moral compass. She was interrogated and while divulging (again we are told) simple facts, quotes and information, never named anyone, even as the distinctions are small.

The story is more a play of vacillating and always adjusting morals while finding one moment or tenet to stand as irrefutable. With several years, more lovers, and plenty of time – there was information that was included that I think could have been left out: adding much in page count but little to the overall impact. While this woman was undoubtedly intelligent and charming (as evidenced by the contacts she made and maintained) there is still a bit of a cloud around her that kept her ‘true self’ and thoughts about the roles she played, often contradictory and usually laden with casualties from all sides was missing – fictionalized ideas of what she ‘may’ have thought at the time are intriguing though, and had me wondering just what would have spurred such choices, especially as that core question of her personality ‘quirks’ never truly came to light.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aEC /”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Mata Hari is one of those historical figures whose name we know, but the details escape us. One thing I always knew, Mata Hari was risque. Alexandra Lapierre the true story of the Mata Hari of Russia during the deadly upheaval of the Russian Revolution.
Moura was born into Russian high society, but when the revolution comes her security falls apart. Everyone she knows is being hunted by Lenin’s police, while she has an affair with a British secret agent, until she loses him when he is deported.
Lapierre tells the story of a woman trying to fight and survive in a country that doesn't want her anymore, but won't let her leave. It is captivating, heart wrenching, and at moments terrifying, but she keeps the balance of the story well aside from a few moments where I felt the story was moving at a much slower pace. 20th-century Russia is an amazing time and this story showcases some of its beauty and much of its darkness. A true must-read for fans of history and revolutions.

Moura is a wealthy aristocrat who is torn from her life as Russia is taken over and the country is in upheaval. She falls in love with a spy who is quickly deported from the country and she is left to figure out her next steps. She then has to take on new identities over and over as she is determined to survive and thrive.

A story of surviving life at all costs.

The Woman of a Thiusand Names should be titled The Book of Too Many Pages. This novel needs some serious editing. I gave up less than half way through. It was filled with details that just served to add more unless words that didn’t enhance my reading. I read all genre and have thoroughly enjoyed historical fiction but find this tedious and down right boring.

This was a very interesting book. It kept me reading through the craziness of the holidays! It is a great read for book clubs and lovers of historical fiction.
It will keep you engrossed in the backstory of a very interesting woman!
Thank you NetGalley for this book.