The Kitchen Boy
It was a crime to horrify, fascinate, and mystify the ages. On the night of July 16, 1918, Bolshevik revolutionaries murdered the entire Russian royal family in a hail of gunfire. No one survived who might bear witness to what really happened on that mysterious and bloody night. Or so it was...
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It was a crime to horrify, fascinate, and mystify the ages. On the night of July 16, 1918, Bolshevik revolutionaries murdered the entire Russian royal family in a hail of gunfire. No one survived who might bear witness to what really happened on that mysterious and bloody night. Or so it was thought. In masterful historical detail and breathtaking suspense, Robert Alexander carries the reader through the entire heartrending story as told through the eyes of a real but forgotten witness, the kitchen boy. Narrated by the sole witness to the basement execution, The Kitchen Boy is historical fiction at its best. But more than that, the accessible style and intricately woven plot-with a stunning revelation at its end-will keep readers guessing throughout.
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Format: hardcover
ISBN:
9780670031788 (067003178X)
Publish date: January 27th 2003
Publisher: Viking Adult
Edition language: English
Category:
Novels,
Literature,
Cultural,
Book Club,
Adult Fiction,
Historical Fiction,
20th Century,
Adult,
Mystery,
War,
Family,
Russia
This book starts out similar to other Romanov stories emphasizing the family's devotion to each other and God. The story was somewhat slow with most of the real action and plot twists taking place in the final chapters. If you prefer accuracy in your historical fiction, you may be disappointed. This...
After Misha’s wife dies, he feels it’s his time soon and records his memories about what happened in 1918 and leaves the tape to his granddaughter Kate. Misha, or Leonka as he was called, went into captivity with the Romanov family and worked as their kitchen boy. He becomes involved in the family’s...
Interesting story..very quick read...Heartbreaking because one knows what happens to the Romanovs and two it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the ending of the story. I still loved it though and def. will be reading the other books by this author that look just as interesting.
While I enjoyed the premise of the story and the book overall, I found the first person narrative rather tiresome at times. The writing felt forced at points, in large part due to the first person perspective. I also found the constant mentioning of the "end" for the Romanovs tiresome since we clear...
The simplistic writing style seems to be the norm for historical-fiction nowadays and maybe it's to ensure the writing doesn't get in the way of the premise but the impact can be construed as patronising at times. Anyway, I am scooting through this and am just at the point where Nicholas reads The P...