Name: After the Romanovs
ISBN: 9781250273109

Helen Rappaport

From Helen Rappaport, the New York Times bestselling author of The Romanov Sisters comes After the Romanovs, the story of the Russian aristocrats, artists, and intellectuals who sought freedom and refuge in the City of Light...

Russian Exiles in Paris from the Belle Époque Through Revolution and War

After the Romanovs

Lacy W

Find this review and others like it at https://aravenclawlibraryx.wordpress.com

tw: death, addiction, infidelity, murder, illness, false imprisonment, poverty, child abandonment, mentions of drug use, drugging, execution, suicide 

A special thank you goes out to St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read this eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

When St. Martin’s Press sends me an eARC of a book, no matter what it is, I read it. That’s just the rules around here. Luckily, St. Martin’s Press seems to know my interest and sends me books that they think I would enjoy. While this book should have been something I enjoy, I found that I just couldn’t get into it, like I wanted to. And no one is more sad about this than I am. 

I have realized, from reading this book, that I am not as well versed with the Romanovs like I thought I was. Sometimes, I overestimate my knowledge about certain things and this was the time when I did just that. There were just so many different royals, a lot of them I didn’t know and I couldn’t keep track. There was even a very nice glossary in the beginning of the book, but since I read this on a Kindle and not a physical book, I couldn’t easily flip back to it like I wanted to. That would have helped out my confusion so much. So I spent much of the time just plain confused.

Even though I spent most of my time confused, I did manage to learn a lot. I often wondered what happened to the Russian royals who survived. It’s not like they could stay in Russia after everything that happened. Turned out, they went to France, which I didn’t expect. It was sad to see that, at first, the French welcomed the Russians. After a while, they came to really resent them and the resources they used. Reminds me of America, but we won’t get into that. Or we can later if you want. I don’t mind. 

Overall, this was a rare miss with St. Martin’s Press. But that’s okay. You can’t love them all. It was a good book, I just underestimated my Russian knowledge, like I mentioned above.. That just means I need to read more books about them and I am sure my favorite publishing company has some books to help me on my quest. So don’t be afraid to let me know, St. Martin’s Press!

Scott Wilson

A fabulous but heartbreaking history of displaced peoples from Russia mostly to Paris but also Berlin and then to the United States during WWII. Imagine that the world is your oyster, that you have unbelievable power and prestige and then the next day that your whole world comes crashing down and you find that your assets are gone, and you must drive a taxi or haul coal just to survive and eat. 

That you must travel almost 3,000 km to a foreign land that while opening its doors to you and your people - speaks a foreign language and has completely different customs and laws. Eventually, even this country turns against you and your people because you have taken over so many jobs, at below-market wages, that locally born citizens find it challenging to find employment.

Through the hardship, sorrows, and longing for your homeland more than a few happy stories can be found. Russian women had a large impact on the Paris fashion scene with their intricate and delicate sewing and fashion designs.

This book was so very well written it is sure to keep your interest. Chock full of references and research that could keep you reading about the impact of Russians in France for years if you were so inclined.

I highly recommend that you pick this book up and learn more about these displaced people - it will open your eyes, mind, and should open your heart by putting modern-day movements of those economically and socially displaced from their homes in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa towards Europe and the West; and the impact of people from Central and South America towards America and Canada.

After the Romanovs Russian Exiles in Paris from the Belle Époque Through Revolution and War

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