The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar by Robert Alexander

Jamie's Comments: Many people are familiar with the fate of the exiled Russian Tsar Nicholas and the rest of the Romanov family. Many people are also familiar with the decades-long search for the Tsar’s daughter, Anastasia. The Kitchen Boy, by Robert Alexander, incorporates these well-known themes but with a twist. It begins with an insider look at the Romanov family during their exile in Siberia. The family’s kitchen boy, Leonka, gives readers a glimpse of what life may have been like for the exiled family during the last weeks of their lives. Eventually, Leonka is drawn into a plot to save the Tsar and his family, but soon things in the house begin to fall apart. As the known historical events unfold, new twists and turns reveal themselves and nothing and no one is what they seem. Throughout the book, Alexander makes the royal family come to life and subtly examines the causes for the Romanovs’ downfall and untimely fate. Half historical fiction and half mystery, The Kitchen Boy lured me in quickly. I was fascinated by the portrayal of the Romanov family and dreaded the fate I knew awaited them. While the ending seemed quickly put together and did not feel up to par with the rest of the book, I very much enjoyed the intimate view of the Russian Tsar and his family. Check Status at GPL