Book Review: I Was Anastasia

By Jessica Asbell

Am I truly Anastasia Romanov? A beloved daughter. A revered icon. A Russian grand duchess. Or am I an imposter? A fraud. A liar. The thief of another womans legacy. That is for you to decide, of course. Countless others have rendered their verdict. Now it is your turn. But if you want the truth, you must pay attention. And so begins Ariel Lawhons book, I Was Anastasia.

For years, many have been fascinated with the story of the Romanovs, the Russian imperial family who were killed during the revolution. The executioners said that the whole family, including Anastasia Romanov, was killed. But still, two years later, a young woman bearing a striking resemblance to Anastasia Romanov is pulled from a river in Berlin. When she is taken to the hospital, the doctors find horrific scars. When she speaks, she claims to be Anastasia Romanov.

I Was Anastasia follows the events of Anastasia Romanovs and Anna Andersons lives (or life, depending on who you ask). The story begins in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1970, where Anna is an old woman awaiting a verdict from the German Court in Hamburg. From there, it moves to the time of the revolution in Anastasias life. As Anastasias life marches towards imprisonment and that fateful day in the basement in Siberia, Annas difficult life is laid out in a backwards fashion. In the end, there are two women, Anna and Anastasia, and it is up to the reader to decide if they are one and the same.

I Was Anastasia is a page-turner that will keep you guessing until the end. Ariel Lawhon has taken a piece of history and turned it into a puzzle that will leave readers feeling satisfied.