A review by librarymouse
The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion & the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming

informative reflective

3.75

This is an interesting look into the lives of the last imperial family of Russia. The last time I learned something specifically about them was in 11th grade history class, so I'm glad that I found this book. The way that they are described using excerpts from diaries and letters makes them oscillate really hard between being people that you can empathize with, and them being just horrible, out of touch royalty at a time when their people were starving and dying by the hundreds and thousands. To know how infantilized the future czar and the grand duchesses were, and how isolated their upbringing was is really interesting. They were children and when left without their titles especially near the last few months of their lives they befriended other children/their guards, played and cleaned. The family is disgustingly antisemitic, the description of such beliefs being what first left a bad taste in my mouth on the topic of the family. The issues leading up to them blaming Jews for a revolt that did not involve very many Jewish people to begin with could be explained as some thing Czar Nicholas couldn't be blamed for because father didn't train him for the role he then took on. The object hatred of a cultural religious  group really grinds my gears. I know historically it was even more acceptable to be so hateful than it is today, but the knowledge of just how antisemitic the imperial family was was shocking. The family being killed at the whim of their jailer and against the initial orders of Lenin was an intentional act done to harm the those in support of the Czar and the white army. We were people being used as pawns after they've been knocked from their pedestal. They'd already been humbled and their deaths weren't necessary. If Nicholas had never become Czar, and was instead allowed to live out his life as a member of the nobility with minimal responsibility, Russia may have continued to be run as an oligarchy with an imperial family to this day. It's easy to look back and see all of the little things that could have been changed that would have had a resounding impact across history.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings