The Romanov Sisters sets out to capture the joy as well as the insecurities and poignancy of those young lives against the backdrop of the dying days of late Imperial Russia, World War I and the Russian Revolution. With this treasure trove of diaries and letters from the grand duchesses to their friends and family, we learn that they were intelligent, sensitive and perceptive witnesses to the dark turmoil within their immediate family and the ominous approach of the Russian Revolution, the nightmare that would sweep their world away, and them along with it. Over the years, the story of the four Romanov sisters and their tragic end in a basement at Ekaterinburg in 1918 has clouded our view of them, leading to a mass of sentimental and idealized hagiography.

The four captivating Russian Grand Duchesses―Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia Romanov―were much admired for their happy dispositions, their looks, the clothes they wore and their privileged lifestyle. They were the Princess Dianas of their day―perhaps the most photographed and talked about young royals of the early twentieth century. 'The public spoke of the sisters in a gentile, superficial manner, but Rappaport captures sections of letters and diary entries to showcase the sisters' thoughtfulness and intelligence.' ― Publishers Weekly (starred review)įrom the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Days of the Romanovs and Caught in the Revolution, The Romanov Sisters reveals the untold stories of the four daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra. In many words, theirs is a story of quiet devotion behind the scenes that too often has been overlooked.'Helen Rappaport paints a compelling portrait of the doomed grand duchesses.' ― People magazine But the four Romanov sisters also had a profound attachment to each other and to the close friends and retainers who served them. There is no doubt how much they adored Nicholas and he them. But it was they, in fact, who were the mainstay and support of their frequently sick mother and ailing brother, as well as an unquestioning loyal back-up to their father the tsar. In the midst of so much tragedy too often the four lovely and devoted sisters who were also caught up in this story have been relegated to a minor role. Interest too has generally focused on their only son and heir, Alexei, the longed-for boy whose life was blighted by the curse of haemophilia, passed unknowingly to him by his mother Alexandra. In the ensuing years since 1918 much has been written in the West about this tragic family, but most of the published work on the Romanov family till now has focused on the two flawed monarchs, Nicholas and Alexandra, their love story and their horrifying demise – a fall from power that was a great deal of their own making.

The romanov sisters by helen rappaport