Become Enchanted by Romanov Russia

St. Petersburg, 1917.  As the new year dawns, a diver pulls the murdered body of Rasputin from the icy waters of the Neva River, thus beginning an unusual, gorgeously told love story set during the Romanovs' final days.  Described as "a breathtaking tour-de-force by one of our most acclaimed writers," other books by Kathryn Harrison include the true crime book While They Slept and the psychological fiction Envy and Exposure.  Harrison's The Seal Wife, a love story set in early 20th century Alaska, is the most similar to Enchantments

1 comment:

  1. This novel is a telling of the fate of the Romanovs and the Rasputins, but it weaves those historical narratives into glossy, gossamer tales of fable and legend. A crow arrives to tell a young girl that she will marry Rasputin. The Virgin Mary appears to Rasputin in a snow and ice-laden tree. A cloud surrounds the Tsarina at all times. There are Wild West shows and daring feats of horseback. There are jewels, midnight sleigh rides, and brocades. There are sweets, bleeding navels, and tears. There are bright costumes, curved swords, and the felling of poplar trees by a ruler.

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