Rubies in the Snow: Diary of Russia's Last Grand Duchess, 1911-1918

This was one of the best books i have read this year.It mantains the age of the child(anastasia)well throughout the book. The pages are filled with her normal life around the palace on the first few pages and you wish that you could live the life that she is living.But then things take a turn for the worst.The one thing that shines through throughout the story is the cheeriness of annastasia's personality.When you finally think that all the heart-ache for the family is over something unbelieveable happens................
Elizabeth (11)

You have to read this book because the whole thing is just so utterly mesmorieing

Sweet but lacking energy (0/2 people found this helpful)

This is a fictionalised diary of Anastassia, the Russian duchess murdered in the revolution. It covers about six years in her life, from when she is given the diary as a birthday present to the fall of her family from power, their subsequent imprisonment and massacre (which is explained in a note from the author at the end).

It's an engaging, easy read, but my problem with it was that of pacing. I didn't feel gripped by the events and I would have liked a more frantic build up to the final few days. Perhaps the author wanted to shock her readers with the abrupt ending, but I felt that the overall narrative arc was weak. However, it's a nice little snapshot of life with Russia's royal family at a turbulent time, and Anastassia herself comes across as an engaging and honest writer.

A moving account (1/1 people found this helpful)

I bought this book for my 11 year old daughter, who is a bookworm and loves history. She finished the book within two days, but obviously found the end upsetting. I have since read this and I feel it is spot on for this age group. It deals with the situation sensitively and helps explain what happened at this point in history well, in a manner in which readers of this age will understand. Ten out of ten from me!

Rubies in the Snow: Diary of Russia's Last Grand Duchess (1/1 people found this helpful)

An intelligent and moving account of the teenage Grand Duchess' experiences during the closing months of the Russian Revolution.
A must for school reading lists.

Generally pleasing (3/3 people found this helpful)

I brought and finished this book in one day, so as you can guess it is a very quick read, and I would pay no more than £XXX for it. It was however an entertaining and relatively accurate pseudo diary of Russia's last born Grand Duchess Anastasia Nicolaevna.

For historical accuracy, there are some pitfalls but it is generally well researched and seemed to communicate accurate views of the imperial family, albeit they stereotyped (Tsar as weak for example.) The most annoying historical inaccuracy is the photo on the back - it is of Maria, not Anastasia, it is quite bad that this was not noticed, but the photo in question is commonly mislabelled. Other mistakes are that it has Tatiana's birthday in January, when it was June 11th, but these points are only there to annoy die-hard Romanov buffs, and do not effect the experience for the general reading public.

This may be a good tool for introducing a child to Russian history, although the age range 9 - 12 on the back is rather misleading, as the book deals with the final days of the Imperial Family in captivity, not a particularly child friendly subject.

An odd book, dealing with too depressing a subject matter to be an easy read for children, but often too juvenile and simplistic to satisfy adults. But this in-betweenee (I'm 17) certainly enjoyed it.

- Rachael -

Rubies in the Snow: Diary of Russia's Last Grand Duchess, 1911-1918

Kate Hubbard

Reader Reviews:

Heart-breakingly good (1/1 people found this helpful)

Sweet but lacking energy (0/2 people found this helpful)

A moving account (1/1 people found this helpful)

Rubies in the Snow: Diary of Russia's Last Grand Duchess (1/1 people found this helpful)

Generally pleasing (3/3 people found this helpful)

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