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