Alexandra Feodorovna, also known as Alix of Hesse, was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. She is most well known for being the wife of Czar Nicholas II, a mother (and carrier) of a child with hemophilia. Alexandra was very religious, though she did fall into the trap of mysticism that Rasputin offered. There has been a lot of debate about how much political sway that Rasputin had over Alexandra, and how much sway she had over her husband. This book really take a deep look into her childhood, which gives evidence of why her personality and behavior was what it was. It also examines her relationship with Rasputin and with Nicholas II. Of particular interest to me, the book discussed her dramatic decline in popularity and the reasons for that.

I have often though that Alexandra was misunderstood in several ways. I think that her stuffy personality did not do her any favors when she moved into a culture that was quite different than what she was raised in. I do not claim to be a religious expert, but I do believe that some of the information put forth about the Russian Orthodox religion was incorrect, or could have been expounded on. I think religious indoctrination played a large part in her life and how people viewed her. Overall, I thought this book was really valuable for the deeper look into her childhood and her correspondence. If you are interested in the Russian royals, this might be a good one to add to your collection.