I Was Anastasia

A Novel

By: Ariel Lawhon

Narrated by: Jane Collingwood, Sian Thomas, Ariel Lawhon

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of The Frozen River, this enthralling feat of historical suspense unravels the extraordinary twists and turns in Anna Anderson’s claim to be Anastasia Romanov. Is she the Russian Grand Duchess or the thief of another woman's legacy?

"Tantalizing, surprising, compelling, and utterly fascinating."—Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours

Russia, July 17, 1918: Under direct orders from Vladimir Lenin, Bolshevik secret police force Anastasia Romanov, along with the entire imperial family, into a damp basement in Siberia, where they face a merciless firing squad. None survive. At least that is what the executioners have always claimed.

Germany, February 17, 1920: A young woman bearing an uncanny resemblance to Anastasia Romanov is pulled shivering and senseless from a canal. Refusing to explain her presence in the freezing water or even acknowledge her rescuers, she is taken to the hospital where an examination reveals that her body is riddled with countless horrific scars. When she finally does speak, this frightened, mysterious young woman claims to be the Russian grand duchess.

The questions swirling around Anna Anderson’s past and the mystery of Anastasia Romanov’s fate chart a saga that spans half a century and touches three continents. Every bit as vivid and climactic as it is poignant and enchanting, this novel brings a piece of legendary history to life.

I wasn’t expecting the end.

This novel is an excellent read and one that I highly recommend. As an older reader I enjoy digging into a well written story. One that takes the reader into the world of its characters.
This story doesn’t need a lot of sex and and violence, it delivers. The facts are sufficient, researched and well written.

Excellent writing

Love the narration and the writing (superb!) but did not like the way the story was written against chronology. I understand why the author did this but it made the stories harder to follow.

A slow beginning but stick with it

Ok so this one took me a while to get into. Could just be me. I had to listen to the first few chapters multiple times. I just could not focus on it. That being said once I did it was really good. Great story, great narration

I enjoyed the format

I enjoyed the “Mementoesque” format. The end was interesting. I had a hard time pushing pause.

Good but hard to follow

I love Ariel Lawton’s books and don’t mind time jumps in books. But I struggled with this one. Just too much all over the place with jumping back and forth with dates. The writing and narrator were superb but a bit too much all over the place with the timeline.