the kitchen boy: a novel of the last tsar.

Robert Alexander, is an author that I have recently discovered and since then, I have read most of his books. He travelled, worked and did a lot of research in Russia. I wanted to read this book, because I am fascinated by the history of the last Russian Tsar and his family. More in particular, the mysterious death that surrounded them. It was also during my last visit to Russia, that I had the opportunity to visit a Romanov House Museum in Moscow.

The last Tsar, Nicholas, his wife Alexandra and their children were murdered by the Bolsheviks. Many people to this day believe that one of the daughters,Anastasia, escaped the brutal murders. There have been many theories over the years. Robert Alexander focused on another theory, that I enjoyed immensely.

The kitchen Boy and the final days of the Russian Royal Family.

Leonka was a young Russian boy who was serving Tsar Nicholas II and his family, while they were imprisoned in Siberia. It was a very uncertain and stressful time for the Royal Family because they were cut off from the rest of the world. Their lives were in the hands of the Bolsheviks.

During this time the young Leonka observed the compassion and love that the family members had for each other.The bulk of the book deals with their final days and how Leonka claimed that, he was the only witness to their murders.

Keep in mind that this book is a historical fiction novel but contains a lot of historical facts. It is only towards the end, that the fictional part becomes evident.

Leonka flees Russia after the murders and grows old in the United States. After the death of his beloved wife, he realized that he needed to tell his story to somebody. He knew that his time was running out too. He couldn`t trust anybody apart from his beloved granddaughter, hoping that she would understand and forgive. She was the only surviving member of his family. He didn’t tell her in person though.

A gripping book that is a real page turner. Sadly, you can feel the doom and gloom of the book, as you turn the pages. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book and I thought the Russian words that were included, added a special touch.

The book has a twist in the end, which took me by surprise.

Conclusion: The kitchen boy book review.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The only advise I will give, is to read more about the history of Tsar Nicholas II, in order to separate fact from fiction.

Famous quotes from the Kitchen Boy.

 “One day he commands one-sixth of the world, the next he isn’t even in charge of a single pane of glass.”

“On the other hand, he was compassionate because he knew pain, real pain, and real suffering too. Yet even in those bouts when it looked for sure as if he would die, he was never given morphine, not even as his screams of pain rattled the palace windows. That poor child had traveled to the bottom of life and back again, and naturally that had had a profound effect on him.”

“You see, my love. As you’ve always said, after the rain-”
Sun.”
After the darkness-”
Light.”
And after the illness-”
Health.”
Exactly,” said the Tsar. “We mustn’t give up faith.”