Common Sense Note
The never-before-seen photographs in this book show the ordinary side of life in imperial Russia, but the book is long and the most interesting events don't get enough attention. Parents may need to fill in some of the blanks here as the reasons for the revolution aren't discussed.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Amy Finley
The real treasures here are the rare family photographs and documents that are the centerpiece of the book. For years they were secreted within Soviet archives, but the significance of this fact is probably lost on child readers, unless they read the book with a parent who takes time to discuss the Russian Revolution and the rise of the Soviet Union.
The author oversimplifies, attempting to characterize the Romanovs as a normal family: "He was just their papa, and they were a family like any other." But their difference from most every other family in Russia at that time was one of the factors that spawned the revolution and led to their deaths.
Because this book is about the end of the last Russian dynasty, more attention should be paid to what everyday life was like for the majority of Russians, putting into context the historical events that eventually claimed Anastasia's life. The mystery of Anna Anderson, the woman who later claimed to be Anastasia, is briefly discussed in the book's epilogue.
Another scrapbook look at the past is Looking Back.
From The Book
Anastasia's family nickname was Shvibzik, which means 'imp' in Russian. Years later, her father's sister Grand Duchess Olga recalled Anastasia's hilarious imitations of some of the pompous people who visited the palace. "That is how I remember her," Olga wrote, "brimming with life and mischief and laughing so often."
Plot Summary:
Designed like a scrapbook, organized chronologically and spanning the seventeen years between the birth and death of Anastasia, ANASTASIA'S ALBUM uses never-before-published family photos and letters to describe the life of the Romanovs, the last family to rule Russia.
Readers literally see life behind closed doors, including family vacations, private pursuits, and the children's schooling. Russia's involvement in World War I is presented, as is the family's exile to Siberia before the Bolshevik Revolution.
An epilogue describes the assassination of the Romanovs and briefly discusses the mystery surrounding a woman who claimed to be Anastasia. A glossary and a map supplement the text.
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