What I wanted was for the animated film version ( this one) to be the truth about what happened. I, like many others, was so very hopeful that young Anastasia, against all odds, had survived the horrific massacre that befell her family. If you don’t and would like to read a novel such as this one, or perhaps a non-fiction book about them, stop reading here because I’m about to spoil it for you. Since their history and demise is over 100 years old now, I’m going to take the liberty of assuming that most people know what happened to them. Since I was a very young girl, I’ve been obsessed with the Romanov family and their story. This thrilling saga is every bit as moving and momentous as it is harrowing and twisted.

The question of who Anna Anderson is and what actually happened to Anastasia Romanov spans fifty years and touches three continents. When she finally does speak, this frightened, mysterious young woman claims to be the Russian grand duchess.Īs 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. 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. Germany, February 17, 1920: A young woman bearing an uncanny resemblance to Anastasia Romanov is pulled shivering and senseless from a canal. At least that is what the executioners have always claimed. 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. Is she the Russian Grand Duchess or the thief of another woman’s legacy?Ĭountless others have rendered their verdict. Synopsis: 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.

I was anastasia ariel lawhon