[A] superb history.... In these thrilling, highly readable pages, we meet Rasputin, the shaggy, lecherous mystic...; we visit the gilded ballrooms of the doomed aristocracy; and we pause in the sickroom of little Alexei, the hemophiliac heir who, with his parents and four sisters, would be murdered by the Bolsheviks in 1918. The Wall Street Journal Here is the tumultuous, heartrending, true story of the Romanovsat once an intimate portrait of Russia's last royal family and a gripping account of its undoing. Using captivating photos and compelling first person accounts, award-winning author Candace Fleming (Amelia Lost; The Lincolns) deftly maneuvers between the imperial familys extravagant lives and the plight of Russia's poor masses, making this an utterly mesmerizing read as well as a perfect resource for meeting Common Core standards."An exhilarating narrative history of a doomed and clueless family and empire." Jim Murphy, author of Newbery Honor Books An American Plague and The Great Fire"For readers who regard history as dull, Flemings extraordinary book is proof positive that, on the contrary, it is endlessly fascinating, absorbing as any novel, and the stuff of an altogether memorable reading experience." Booklist, Starred"Marrying the intimate family portrait of Heiligmans Charles and Emma with the politics and intrigue of Sheinkins Bomb, Fleming has outdone herself with this riveting work of narrative nonfiction that appeals to the imagination as much as the intellect." The Horn Book, StarredWinner of theLos Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult LiteratureWinner of the Boston GlobeHorn Book Award for NonfictionA Robert F. Sibert Honor BookA YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction AwardFinalistWinner of the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding NonfictionFrom the Hardcover edition.

 

This book has been graded for interest at 12+ years.

There are 304 pages in this book. This book was published 2014 by Schwartz & Wade Books .

Candace Fleming is the author of several picture books for children. She lives with her husband and two sons in a suburb of Chicago.