The Romanov Sisters
Though most know about the downfall of the Romanovs amid the Russian Revolution and their tragic end in Ekaterinburg in 1918, few know as well the quiet, intensely private side of the family. Drawing heavily on diaries and personal letters, Rappaport tells the story of the four Grand Duchesses—Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia—much of it through their own words.
Seen by the public for no more than their beauty and their privilege, they were often referred to with the collective moniker OTMA. Behind that public façade were four sisters with the same sorts of worries and dreams of any teenage girls. They had whims, obsessions, fervent crushes. They tried to buck expectation and they worried about the future. But they were also the daughters of a tsar, strong beside their constantly-ill mother and brother, and sensitive to the growing discord outside the palace gates.
Rappaport keeps her focus fixed on the Grand Duchesses, only letting in broader history as it impacts them directly and as it is revealed through their own writings. A poignant, heartfelt tribute to the Romanov sisters.
