The Last Grand Duchess by Bryn Turnbull
Length: 400 Pages
Genres: Historical Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Trigger Warnings in this book for Violence, Gore, War, and Illness (Specifically that of a family member)
"In 1896, Prince Charles of Denmark took it upon himself to read the horoscope of the Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, Tsar Nicholas II's infant daughter. Based on the relative positions of Jupiter and Neptune at the moment of Olga's birth, Prince Charles felt confident that the child would grow to be a woman of medium height, with a round face and chestnut hair. He predicted several 'critical periods' in Olga's childhood, noting that if she reached the age of eight, she would enjoy 'twelve years of peace.' This period of happiness was to be cherished, Prince Charles concluded...'for it is certain that she will never live to be thirty.'"
I think ever since I first saw the 1997 animated film Anastasia, I have had a fascination, and sort of love for the Romanov family, particularly the children. The majority of their lives were spent sequestered within the safety of their family, sometimes even to their detriment. The result of this is a family that is very close, one that knows everyone's faults, moods and opinions as well as their own. Olga and Tatiana were the two eldest girls, called "the big pair" by their family, and were each other's greatest confidantes, and sometimes their staunchest critics (though always with good intentions). It reminded me so much of my sister and I (we are also only two years apart, just like Olga and Tatiana), and so that is another reason why I find this story not only touching, but heartbreaking.
Olga Nikolaevna is the oldest child of Tsar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, the first in a succession of four girls, punctuated with the birth of their final child, the long-awaited heir to the Russian empire, Alexei. She is like many older daughters; a sort-of second mother to her many siblings, a child expected to act as a good influence on them, all the while missing out on her own youth.
The opening scene of the book makes us privy to a secret many didn't know during their lifetime: that the Tsarevich is incurably ill with a blood disorder that makes even the slightest bruise a threat to his life, a genetic curse passed down through his mother, called hemophilia. Enter Rasputin -- heretic, priest, philander and prophet -- this man who will come to be a catalyst for the Russian empire, seemingly heals Alexei and brings him back from the brink of death, forever solidifying his place at the Empress' side.
Through Olga's eyes we will see naivete of the Romanovs, the great love that brings them all together -- for each other and their country -- and the mistakes that will crumble a dynasty. Told in passages that flip back and forth throughout the years, we learn of Olga's loves, passionate but all too brief, her work as a Sister of Mercy during WWI, and enjoy a brief glimpse into a life that was snuffed out much too early.
Bryn Turnbull, I feel, perfectly captures Olga's powerful personality, which was described by her Swiss tutor, Pierre Gilliard, as thus: "The eldest, Olga Nicolaevna, possessed a remarkably quick brain. She had good reasoning powers as well as initiative, a very independent manner, and a gift for swift and entertaining repartee." She was even nicknamed the "Unmounted Cossack" by her family!
The writing was powerful, beautifully descriptive and without the sort of "textbook" style that can oftentimes be found in books about real events. It is obvious Turnbull is not only a great lover of history, but a great storyteller, as well.
Highly recommending, for those who love historical fiction and those who don't! If you're interested in wetting your toes in this genre, this a great starting place, showing some of the best historical fiction can offer.
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| Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, c. 1914 Just four short years later, she, along with the rest of her family, would be murdered |
I feel I would be especially remiss to not mention the devastating crimes being committed in the Ukraine by Russia. Since this book is about the Russian monarchy, I thought I would post several links to ways we Americans can help those in the Ukraine.
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