Name: Camron Swartzendruber's review of I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon
Item: I Was Anastasia
Rating: 3.5
Author: Camron Swartzendruber

Ariel Lawhon

Ariel Lawhon, a rising star in historical suspense, unravels the extraordinary twists and turns in Anna Anderson's fifty-year battle to be recognized as Anastasia Romanov. Is she the beloved daughter, revered icon, and Russian grand duchess or is she an imposter, liar, and the thief of another woman's legacy? Countless others have rendered their verdict. Now it is your turn. Russia, July 17, 1918: Under direct orders from Vladimir Lenin, Bolshevik secret police force Anastasia Romanov, along with the entire imperial family, into a damp basement in Siberia, where they face a merciless firing squad. None survive. At least that is what the executioners have always claimed. Germany, February 17, 1920: A young woman bearing an uncanny resemblance to Anastasia Romanov is pulled shivering and senseless from a canal. Refusing to explain her presence in the freezing water or even acknowledge her rescuers, she is taken to the hospital where an examination reveals that her body is riddled with countless, horrific scars. When she finally does speak, this frightened, mysterious young woman claims to be the Russian grand duchess. As rumors begin to circulate through European society that the youngest Romanov daughter has survived the massacre at Ekaterinburg, old enemies and new threats are awakened. With a narrative that is equal parts The Talented Mr. Ripley and Memento, Lawhon wades into the most psychologically complex and emotionally compelling territory: the nature of identity itself. The question of who Anna Anderson is and what actually happened to Anastasia Romanov creates a saga that spans fifty years and touches three continents. This thrilling saga is every bit as moving and momentous as it is harrowing and twisted.

I Was Anastasia

Samantha King

This was gut wrenching and thought provoking. I loved the writing style. It was raw and so rich. I was a bit confused on all the back and fourth between time/events. Having a physical copy would help.

Camron Swartzendruber

Lacy W

A special thank you goes out to Netgalley/Doubleday Publishing for allowing me to read this early. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are in no way affected by being given early access to this book. 

I don't even know where to start with this book. It is seriously a work of art. I have never read anything by this author but after reading this book, I will look up more of her work. She managed to write in second person and first person in such a fluent way. 

This is the story of Anna Anderson, who claimed to be the long lost Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia. I will be honest and say that I have not heard of Anna Anderson or her story. But I completely bought it. I bought this entire story and I'm so damn mad at myself. That, right there, is a sign of a gifted story teller. 

The book itself stars in the present and works backwards with parts of Anastasia's life mixed in. It was incredibly easy to follow along and I wasn't confused at all. I read this book in a night because it was so easy to read and I was so hooked. I had to know more about what was going on and what was going to happen next. 

Overall, this was a great book! I think it is going to get a lot of positive reviews. You don't have to know about the Romanovs. The Anastasia parts will explain the family and everything that surrounds them, like the Bolshevik revolt and their house arrest. I highly recommend this book to everyone and I will be sure to get myself a physical copy when it comes out.

New York Times Bestseller "Compelling and utterly fascinating." --Lisa Wingate, author of Before We Were Yours An enthralling feat of historical suspense that unravels the extraordinary twists and turns in Anna Anderson's fifty-year battle to be recognized as Anastasia Romanov. Is she the Russian Grand Duchess or the thief of another woman's legacy? Countless others have rendered their verdict. Now it is your turn. Russia, July 17, 1918: Under direct orders from Vladimir Lenin, Bolshevik secret police force Anastasia Romanov, along with the entire imperial family, into a damp basement in Siberia, where they face a merciless firing squad. None survive. At least that is what the executioners have always claimed. Germany, February 17, 1920: A young woman bearing an uncanny resemblance to Anastasia Romanov is pulled shivering and senseless from a canal. Refusing to explain her presence in the freezing water or even acknowledge her rescuers, she is taken to the hospital where an examination reveals that her body is riddled with countless horrific scars. When she finally does speak, this frightened, mysterious young woman claims to be the Russian grand duchess. As rumors begin to circulate through European society that the youngest Romanov daughter has survived the massacre at Ekaterinburg, old enemies and new threats are awakened. The question of who Anna Anderson is and what actually happened to Anastasia Romanov spans fifty years and touches three continents. This thrilling saga is every bit as moving and momentous as it is harrowing and twisted.

Jessica 

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“The thing Anna has always hated most about being a small woman is the disadvantage she has in situations like this. People assume they can touch you, pat you, shake your hand without permission. They assume that if your size is little more than that of a child, you must be one. That you can be talked down to or coerced. It is hard for a small person to be intimidating or to be taken seriously. This lack of stature has forced Anna to develop other skills through the years: to sharpen her wit, to treat her tongue like a blade and her mind like a whetstone.” 

Like so many people my age, I first heard of the Romanov family through the animated film Anastasia. It wasn't until years later--when I was only just a teenager--that I began to understand the story behind the highly romanticized tale. I was horrified and intrigued. The year in question, we were watching a documentary in history class on Romanov imposters. I don't recall the details of which imposters were talked about, but I remember asking myself: "
  What would possess someone to feign their identity as a long lost member of the imperial family, who were long dead?
"

There is still a part of me that wonders what it was they were thinking. Financial gain. Mental illness. There were so many possibilities. I Was Anastasia is a highly vivid historical fiction release that is told backwards, and in split narration. We begin at the end of the life of Anna Anderson, one of the most infamous faux Anastasia impersonators, and the way the story unfolds from their is unique and engrossing.

We then see the youngest Romanov princess, Anastasia, in what would be the finale of her life.

Both narrations are richly drawn in their own way, that leads readers wondering themselves if Anna is or isn't Anastasia. Even in those moments where you know history, you can't help but to have that little flicker of hope--that maybe, just maybe, history changed. 

Lawhon portrays both fictionalized versions of the girls wonderfully. Although there are moments in the narration that drag, or grow confusing, or trigger certain things (see: implied sexual abuse, harm of animals, and the most obvious of all, murder) the story remains quite compelling in its tone. I was fascinated by I Was Anastasia, despite its many inaccuracies and fell down the rabbit hole quite quickly.

Because of its occasional inaccuracies, the sensational nature of certain things that "happened" during the family's time in captivity, it does fall victim to its own nature. This is quite common in historical fiction, so it's hardly something to raise a fist over.

I Was Anastasia is exactly as its meant to be: fiction set in real life. And I appreciate it for it. I think my favourite portions of the novel were the ones solely from Anna Anderson's POV. What a strange, emotionally complex woman. I enjoyed reading the almost sassy-tone the story took on in its start and end, the way Anna seemingly speaks out to the readers.

Overall, I enjoyed I Was Anastasia in the way that I enjoy the legend of Anastasia seen in film and on stage. There are moments when these sorts of stories do unsettle me, knowing the real story of her and her family, but for the most part I Was Anastasia was an enjoyable, flawed, read.

Kaylee Z

Michele Papa

Heather M

"A dual narrative exploring the mystery surrounding the death of Anastasia Romanov and the claims of Anna Anderson, the woman long-believed to be the young Grand Duchess' most famous imposter"--

Samantha King &
I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon

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