I Was Anastasia

A Novel

By: Ariel Lawhon

Narrated by: Jane Collingwood, Sian Thomas, Ariel Lawhon

Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

“Compelling and utterly fascinating...drifts far into the mysterious lives of Anastasia Romanov and Anna Anderson.” (Lisa Wingate, author of Before We Were Yours)

In an enthralling new feat of historical suspense, Ariel Lawhon unravels the extraordinary twists and turns in Anna Anderson's 50 year battle to be recognized as Anastasia Romanov. Is she the Russian Grand Duchess, a beloved daughter and revered icon, or is she an imposter, the thief of another woman's legacy?

Countless others have rendered their verdict. Now it is your turn.

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. None survives. At least that is what the executioners have always claimed.

Germany, February 17, 1920: A young woman bearing an uncanny resemblance to Anastasia Romanov is pulled shivering and senseless from a canal in Berlin. Refusing to explain her presence in the freezing water, she is taken to the hospital, where an examination reveals that her body is riddled with countless horrific scars. When she finally does speak, this frightened, mysterious woman claims to be the Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia.

Her detractors, convinced that the young woman is only after the immense Romanov fortune, insist on calling her by a different name: Anna Anderson.

As rumors begin to circulate through European society that the youngest Romanov daughter has survived the massacre, old enemies and new threats are awakened. With a brilliantly crafted dual narrative structure, Lawhon wades into the most psychologically complex and emotionally compelling territory yet: the nature of identity itself.

The question of who Anna Anderson is and what actually happened to Anastasia Romanov creates a saga that spans 50 years and touches three continents. This thrilling story is every bit as moving and momentous as it is harrowing and twisted.

©2018 Ariel Lawhon (P)2018 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"I Was Anastasia is a wild train trip through time. The doors swish open here, then there, scenes sometimes racing by, sometimes drifting far into the mysterious lives of Anastasia Romanov and Anna Anderson. Every view is tantalizing, surprising, compelling, and utterly fascinating. Ariel Lawhon unfolds a complicated story with skill, style, and compassion." (Lisa Wingate, New York Times best-selling author of Before We Were Yours)

"A young Tsarina traveling towards tragedy and an aging Grand Duchess penniless and betrayed. Twin stories so gripping you will believe history itself can be rewritten. Told with masterful intensity and moments of true human compassion." (Helen Simonson, New York Times best-selling author of The Summer Before the War)

"Ariel Lawhon is a masterful storyteller; I Was Anastasia is a wild ride, extravagant with its vivid sensory experiences and page turning suspense. Inspired by history, and infused with imagination and intrigue, this novel satisfies with every twist and turn. I was both captivated and enchanted; I will carry this story - from its beguiling opening to its catch-my-breath ending - in my heart and imagination for a long, long while." (Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times best-selling author of Driftwood Summer and The Bookshop at Water's End)

Interesting

Interesting topic, loved the authors explanation at the end. Anna's story Got a little boring at times, loved the Anastasia perspective.

Loved the book and the narration

Wonderful job by the narrators. Really interesting story. I'd highly recommended listening. The non linear plot line is a bit difficult to follow in audio form but not too bad. Had some interesting history as well

a surprise

not being familiar with the story of the gal in this book, i was left smiling at the end. It doesnt end how you think.

loved it!

Didn't want to stop listening. I really liked how the timeline wasn't linear and it jumps back and forth.

Page turner

A good book makes you feel like you are there, and this book absolutely does! It can be hard to follow because it’s 2 separate story lines moving in reverse, but I greatly enjoyed it snd finished it in a week.

Great reading...

Well done! Performance was outstanding and the story itself well written. I'm looking forward to other books by this author.

Entertaining and Unexpected

Great book to listen to. Excellent narration and a compelling and tragic story with an unexpected ending.

Heartbreaking

Anna's story told in reverse was a bit difficult to unravel at first and was a bit slow, but it picks up and becomes clearer as the story progresses. There is nothing "feel-good" in this book - it's unsettling, brutal, and very very sad. Nevertheless, it's a tragic story worth reading. I would recommend reading this book with empathy and without judgment (except on the Bolsheviks bc OMG). It might make you hold your loved ones a little closer.

Timeline distracting

This is the 3rd book by the author that I have listened to and it’s my least favorite. The timeline jumps around far too much and is confusing to follow. The timeline jumps forward and backwards constantly. It’s very distracting and unnecessary. Not sure why the author chose to break up the story like this, sometimes moving backwards in time, sometimes forward. Ugh. Made it through but found it messy. The narration was excellent and saved the story. Try a different book by the author.

An Elegant Slog

Lawhon is a scrupulous, supremely talented, determined, candid writer & she brings all of her outstanding qualities to Anastasia. This is a grinding, hard, ugly part of human history — both before and since the Bolshevik revolution— and she didn’t turn from her personal Sirens which called to her to add her skills to the lore of Anastasia. The Epilogue she writes isn’t to be missed. I find myself totally in awe and admiration of her discipline, care & supreme talent — and liking the bits I’ve come to glean of her as a woman.
Would I go back and re-read or listen to this book? No. While the narration was also excellent, I’d have no desire to submit my mind & emotions again to the grinding grit, brutality, ugliness, devastation & conceits that the story of Anastasia necessitates — no matter the glamour-mongering, wishful fancies & opportunistic conjectures over the ensuing decades that have attempted to spin it otherwise. As far as recommending, I’d only alert friends and relatives that this is not a bedtime fairytale nor any story meant to coddle or bring relaxation! Excellently written, but not for the faint of heart, seeking distraction!