The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion & the Fall of Imperial Russia

 

(Picture from Goodreads.com)

1.       Bibliography

Fleming, Candace. 2014. THE FAMILY ROMANOV: MURDER, REBELLION & THE FALL OF IMERPIAL RUSSIA. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN 978-0-375-86782-8

2.       Plot Summary

Candace Fleming tells the true story of Russia’s last royal family, the Romanovs. Starting from the time a young Czar Nicholas II steps into his role as leader and ending with the downfall and deaths of the family, Fleming tells a captivating story of doomed family’s life, as well as details the lives of the Russian people by using firsthand accounts from ordinary Russian citizens. Accounts of problematic extremes including child endangerment, malevolent figures, and political repression that break up the chapters giving the reader a look at both ends of the social spectrum. Historical events of the Russian Revolution and World War I are included but the story’s main focus is the family: Nicholas, his wife, Alexandra, their four daughters, and their son, Alexei.

3.       Critical Analysis

THE FAMILY ROMANOV focuses on the family of 6, their start, formation, and inevitable end. Fleming’s writing is full of details that give young readers a clear sense of how complicated the world was in which the Romanov family lived and died. While never idealizing the Romanov family, who focused on themselves and were easily influenced, Fleming allows the reader into their secrets of stress and distress over not being able to produce an heir, and when one finally arrives, he has hemophilia. Empress Alexandra had social anxiety and then was problematic in the way she controlled her husband. The children were unruly and spoiled, as well as greatly undereducated for royal children. Nicholas himself was just an incapable ruler who never wanted the title to begin with.

 

Fleming does not just focus on the Romanov’s. She includes firsthand accounts from Russian citizens so the reader can compare and contrast the royal family and the wealthy (a shockingly low 1.5% of the population) to the average person. Through these accounts the unrest, oppression, and deprivation leave no question as to why the citizens looked for an opportunity to revolt.

 

The final chapters of the book take place many years after the Romanov family’s murders, with the discovery of their remains. Modern technology helped debunk rumors of survivors by confirming this was the famous family.

 

The book includes pictures of the family, other political figures, events of the time, common citizens, and the remains of the family. Being able to look at the pictures gives the reader the opportunity to put faces and places to mind, helping visualize the events.

 

Fleming tells this story with clarity and confidence due to extensive research all included at the end: bibliography, Web resources, source notes, picture credits, and index. Time and effort went into the retelling to be reliable and unbiased.

4.       Awards/ Reviews

"For readers who regard history as dull, Fleming’s extraordinary book is proof positive that, on the contrary, it is endlessly fascinating, absorbing as any novel, and the stuff of an altogether memorable reading experience." —Booklist, Starred

"Marrying the intimate family portrait of Heiligman’s Charles and Emma with the politics and intrigue of Sheinkin’s Bomb, Fleming has outdone herself with this riveting work of narrative nonfiction that appeals to the imagination as much as the intellect." —The Horn Book, Starred

Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature
Winner of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for Nonfiction
A Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
A YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award Finalist 
Winner of the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction

5.       Connections

*Sections of the book would be great to use as firsthand accounts of events leading to Russian’s involvement in WWI. Fleming includes firsthand accounts from ordinary citizens that could be read by students.

*Pictures are included of the family, people during that time, and the discover of the family remains. All could be shown to students to give them visuals.

*Students could research other long family lines in history and how they came to an end.