The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar | Robert Alexander

The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar | Robert Alexander | The Kitchen Boy

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The Kitchen Boy: A...

	The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar Robert Alexander Penguin (Non-Classics), 2004 - 240 pages average customer review:based on 59 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Drawing from decades of work, travel, and research in Russia, Robert Alexander re-creates the tragic, perennially fascinating story of the final days of Nicholas and Alexandra as seen through the eyes of the Romanovs? young kitchen boy, Leonka. Now an ancient Russian immigrant, Leonka claims to be the last living witness to the Romanovs? brutal murders and sets down the dark secrets of his past with the imperial family. Does he hold the key to the many questions surrounding the family?s murder? Historically vivid and compelling, The Kitchen Boy is also a touching portrait of a loving family that was in many ways similar, yet so different, from any other.

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Mystery Solved?

I checked out this book on the recommendations of several bloggers. I have always been interested in the fate of Nicholas II and his family, so it seemed a natural choice. I was pleasantly surprised. The Kitchen Boy was a quick and very enjoyable read.

Beginning as the Romanovs are in exile, Alexander traces their final days and the events leading to their execution. The story is told by Leonka, a servant who works in the Tsar's kitchen. But, exactly what does Leonka have to do with the executions? Why his extreme guilt? The suspense builds until the last page.

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The Kitchen Boy

The author kept you interested all the way through the book and even though you already know the outcome, you are hoping for a better ending. Great read by Robert Alexander. I am now going to read Rasputin's Daughter by Robert Alexander.

Great Book Club Choice

This book is a page turner, and a great pick for a book club read. Alexander's fact based fiction is seamless, leaving you wrapped in the Russian era and wanting more. At the same time weaving a strong character based drama with suspense as well as emotion. Definately would recommend to a friend, or a book club.

A Fascinating Look at the Romanovs' Last Days

Alexander manages to weave much historical detail into his fast-paced story. The reader definitely gets a sense of everyday life with the royal family. I really felt as if I were with the Romanovs, from the Tsar's hemorrhoids to the details of their daily menu to the "arranging medicines" and finally to that descent down the 23 steps.

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Tragic Story

The last days of the Romanov family didn't go well. Removed from power, widely hated by their people, they were imprisoned in a house in Siberia. Although they were carefully guarded, the family dreamed of rescue. When their kitchen boy, a young servant, began passing them notes that were sneaked in with their food, it seemed that the family might be able to escape.

I really liked some of the history of the Romanov family. I didn't know much about them before reading this book, but I felt inspired to investigate their history after I read this story. It was horrifying to read this book and know that the family we were observing would soon be brutally murdered. Although I knew what was going to happen, the author was able to build up a nice amount of suspense.

I would have liked to have gotten to know the characters a bit more, though. I got a fairly good idea of the personality of the Tsar and Tsaritsa, and of their sickly son. Their four daughters, though, were only vague sketches of people with no real details or personality. If a family is going to be murdered before my eyes, and I'm going to be expected to be sympathetic, I'd like a better idea of who these people actually are.

Some people loved "the big twist" at the end of this story. I thought it was entirely unnecessary and would have preferred if the truth had been the simple one I expected throughout the rest of the book. The narrator having this big secret that became the point of the book took something away from the story of the murder of the Romanovs. In the end, the story became all about the narrator, instead of all about the murders.

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