Mediocre, confusingly written, and honestly who needs a story rehabbing the reputation of a bunch of murderous antisemites?

I really wanted to love this book. I have always loved the story of Anastasia, and the story Anna Anderson has always been intriguing to me. I Was Anastasia isn’t a bad book by any means; it’s just kind of mediocre. It follows both Anastasia and Anna Anderson, alternating between their viewpoints. What made it a bit confusing, especially at first when I was trying to figure out what was going on, is that Anastasia’s viewpoint starts backwards and moves forwards, whereas Anna Anderson’s viewpoint moves backwards. It makes sense to me why the author did it this way, but it was definitely confusing at times, especially since I was listening to the audiobook.

The storyline is very interesting, especially to someone like me who enjoys Russian history, particularly when it involves the Romanovs. The writing just felt a bit disjointed and mediocre to me. In an author’s note at the end, Ariel Lawhon explains that she never intended to write this book and was never really interested in the story of Anastasia, but that the story of Anna Anderson has caught her attention and intrigued her, and she felt like this book had to be written. I think maybe that’s part of why the writing felt a bit mediocre; the passion for this topic just doesn’t seem to be there.

Overall, it is a really interesting book. I learned more about the story of Anna Anderson and her claim to be Anastasia than I’d previously known, and it was especially interesting reading it, as I had just finished reading The Romanov Empress (about Anastasia’s grandmother) right before starting this book. I’d recommend it if you enjoy Russian history or like the story of Anastasia and/or Anna Anderson, but if those don’t interest you, the book may be unappealing.

3 1/2 out of 5 stars

The last chapter made the book. The order of Anna’s chapters is, honestly, annoying; but I appreciate the author’s Why for writing it that way.

Read half, finished the rest on audio...probably the only way I got through it

Is Anna Anderson really the Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia? Using some true information, Lawhon piques the reader's curiosity and forces them to continue reading. Using a reverse timeline that took a bit of getting used to, Lawhon tells Anna's story, suspending disbelief one moment and making the reader believe the next. I enjoyed this book - the title made me curious and the story engulfed me. A great read for book clubs!