This week’s book was Enchantments: A Novel, by Kathryn Harrison. I actually started reading it last month but only had it for a 2 week loan and only got about 1/2 way through before having to return it to the library.
The story is set in the final days of the Romanov Empire (Russia, 1917) and the main characters include Rasputin’s daughter Masha, Tsar Nikolay and his family–wife Tsarina Alexandra and son Prince Alyosha. The Prince suffers from hemophilia and the Tsar and his wife are hopeful that Masha has inherited her father’s healing powers and can help Alyosha.
The Tsar abdicates and the Bolsheviks place the royal family under house arrest. Masha and Alyosha pass the time telling stories and the book jumps around quite a bit between present, past, and pretend.
This was certainly an interesting book and one I would recommend.
Are you a fan of historical fiction? Do you have a favorite genre?
Apples and Arteries 
I love historical fiction, it’s actually one of my favorite genres. I’m also a huge memior fan — I wish i had something exciting in my life to write a memoir 🙂
Wow you are a reading machine! You finished this one quick- nice job!
I love historical fiction and this book sounds like a good one because I am fascinated with Russia during that time. I tend to read a lot of memoirs lately too.
I’d love to read this; I’ve seen a film on that same period and it’s so sad but so interesting. I love historical fictiion, especially Rosemary Sutcliffe, all of which are set in Roman Britain and they’re brilliant 🙂
I just Googled her – interesting! Thanks for the recommendation.
Sounds like another great one! I love historical fiction and any kind of fiction that will teach me something along the way. I had a goal of reading 30 this year and I’m still way behind – maybe I’ll pick up the pace now that summer is ending.
I don’t like that my Goodreads tracking tells me I’m 8 books behind on my goal!
Very interesting… I remember getting really into the story around that empire… loved hearing all about the stories of Anastasia and if she was still alive…