Review of The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion and the Fall of Imperial Russia by Dana G. Williams

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY
Fleming, Candace. The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion and the Fall of Imperial Russia. New York: Schwartz, 2014. ISBN 9780375867828

2.  SUMMARY
An engaging social history about the last tsar of Russia — Nicholas II and his family. Author Candace Fleming covers everything from his childhood to the deterioration of his rule, and ultimately his family's cruel execution at the hands of the new Russian government in the early twentieth century. 

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Often when reading about the history of other cultures, readers get caught up in the "otherness." The different foreign norms, languages, and social expectations which allow readers to separate from the material they are consuming. In The Family Romanov, Candace Fleming weaves the history of Russia's last royal family like a Grimm fairy tale beginning chronologically with Tsar Nicholas' childhood until his death in 1918.

The Family Romanov reads a bit like a well-thought out dramatic soap opera — except it is very, very real. The wealthy 1% of the Russian people live completely oblivious to the hardships of the farm peasants and workers who are the backbone of the Russian economy at the turn of the century. The upperclass' reality is filled with fancy parties, multiple homes, and education. They gossip and turn on each other and the Russian Orthodox Church, which might be the leading force for creating societal norms among them, perpetuates beliefs in many mystical totems that put logic and reason outside of the family's grasp, particularly for Alexandra, Nicholas' wife.

According to the family tree in the front of the text, the Romanov family ruled Russia for over 100 years, but what Fleming makes clear is that there were no heroes during the last 20 years of the family's rule. No one in this story is "good" but they all believe themselves to be well-intentioned and working toward a better Russia. The influence of many controversial figures, like Gregory Rasputin and Vladimir Lenin, lead to many missteps and severe consequences for the Romanovs, and ultimately, for Russia, but Fleming has done her job as researcher. Her writing makes a long and complex history, full of ugly betrayal and ignorance, approachable to teen audiences.

Fleming lists a long bibliography and several pages of notes accounting for every fact in her story. The book provides two "photo breaks" for readers to peer into the eyes and daily lives of the Russian people. What she presents to readers is a history of failed leadership in a country where the people were crying out for democracy and change. Teen readers might associate the marches and protests in Russia with the current political climate regarding the growing socio economic divide in the United States.

What I like most about this book is that Fleming uses facts to separate the cruelty and cluelessness of those in power from the stark reality of those they rule and the undeniable fortitude of the Russian people. It's almost as if she is giving readers mirrors to peek around the corner in order to anticipate decisions and their consequences for the royal family and Russia.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) and AWARDS
Robert F. Sibert Award — Honor
Boston Globe Horn Book Award for Nonfiction
YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist
ALSC Notable Children's Books, Older Readers, 2015
Booklist Editor's Choice 2014
Booklist Editors Top of the List for Youth Nonfiction, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book 2014
NYPL Best Book for Teens 2014
School Library Journal Best Book 2014
Winner of The Los Angeles Times Book Prize 

From The Horn Book
"Fleming has outdone herself with this riveting work of narrative nonfiction that appeals to the imagination as much as the intellect." 

From Kirkus Reviews
"It's an astounding and complex story, and Fleming lays it neatly out for readers unfamiliar with the context...It is full of rich details about the Romanovs, insights into figures such as Vladimir Lenin, and firsthand accounts from ordinary Russians affected by tumultuous events." 

5. CONNECTIONS
Other informational books by Candace Fleming:

• Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart. ISBN 9780375841989
• The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P.T. Barnum. ISBN 9780375841972
• The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary. ISBN 9780375836183

Other informational books about Russian history and culture for older children and teens:

• Anderson, M.T.. Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad. ISBN 9780763691004
• Dando, William A. Russia. ISBN 9780791092484
• Shields, Charles J. and Brenda Lange. Vladimir Putin. ISBN 9780791092156
• Turner, Daniel. Simple History: The Cold War. ISBN 9781537036199

Russia is a hot topic in the news right now due to connections that are being drawn between people working for the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government and Russian influences on our last presidential election, but very few teens might know much about Russia or its history. Reading informational books and creating visual displays about different eras in Russian history would help older children begin to grasp the complexities of our country's relationship with Russia since 1900  and gain a basic understanding about Russia.

Students could present murals, collages or "Did you know?" boards about the areas of Russian history and culture that they studied. The suggested books above may be helpful. More tech savvy programs may want students to create their own book trailers. Fleming even offers a trailer for The Family Romanov on her website.