I love reading about history generally, but there are certain places, people and times that will always draw me in. The last Tsar of Russia and his family are one such example. I can't remember what my first introduction to them was, but I'm always happy to discover more about them.

I'm sure I've owned this book before and passed it on without ever reading it, but I found this copy in a charity shop and determined that I would pick it up this time! The book guides you through the lives of Tsar Nicholas II's four daughters; Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia. While there is of course context and consideration of the wider events, the focus is squarely on the individuals and their isolated family life.

I was struck by the realisation of just how separated the girls were from everything and everyone. I see pictures and newsreels of them in society and have always assumed that they only fully withdrew from society when forced to after the February Revolution. But this book shows that they didn't really ever seem to he able to spread their wings, which I find incredibly sad. The author does a great job at illustrating their development, while also making you understand that, until WWI at least, the girls were so sheltered as to be quite naive and immature. 

In my opinion, Tsaritsa Alexandra is actually more central to the book than the four girls; her constant fatigue and ill health (and that of the Tsarevich, the girls' brother Alexey) forces its way front and centre and leaves the girls quite adrift in the narrative. Much of the time they are glorified carers, or come across as young girls just glad to be outside or in the company of someone whose surname isn't Romanov. It is slightly frustrating when these four girls, full of life, are overshadowed by someone who comes across as a bit of an attention-seeking hypochondriac. She is definitely treated unfairly, but she doesn't exactly help herself either.

To some extent, I would say that the author does fall foul of her own assertion that, throughout their lives and after their deaths, the girls have been shunted into the background and identified as a single unit, OTMA. However, this does start to change with the advent of the First World War and the older girls training as nurses. Mother is of course still around, but you get to delve deeper into the girls' individual personalities. As the oldest, Olga is perhaps the most well developed in terms of description simply because she has the most life to cover. Tatiana is the beauty and a born nurse, and Anastasia is the clown and by far the most famous of the siblings. Sadly, Maria seems to be the most overlooked; apart from the fact that everyone seems to call her fat, she doesn't get much focus. 

The book only briefly covers their imprisonment in 'The House of Special Purpose', as the author has written a separate book on those last months. But it's still wrenching to read about their end, even if just in overview. 

This is definitely an interesting and illuminating read, but it's not quite what I was expecting.