About the Author

HELEN RAPPAPORT studied Russian at Leeds University and is a specialist in Russian and nineteenth-century women's history. She lives in Oxford.

Reviews

"Rappaport paints a compelling portrait of Tatiana, Olga, Maria and Anastasia" --People "A gossipy, revealing story of the doomed Russian family's fairy tale life told by an expert in the field." --Kirkus Reviews "In their time, Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia were depicted in international accounts as a cute, indistinguishable quartet. But Rappaport brings out each one's character and does it neatly, with a fine touch. . . . While we know that the family's fate will be tragic, the girls don't, and Rappaport, with a light hand and admiring eyes, allows the four Grand Duchesses to grow on us as they grow up." --Christian Science Monitor "Rappaport is good at showing life within the castle gates... [she] makes a genuinely new, interesting contribution to the Romanov story, which is likely to appeal to both general and specialist readers." --Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "In this new volume Helen Rappaport mines a trove of fresh material as she uncovers the lost lives of the daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra." --Buffalo News "The public spoke of the sisters in a gentile, superficial manner, but Rappaport captures sections of letters and diary entries to showcase the sisters' thoughtfulness and intelligence. Readers will be swept up in the author's leisurely yet informative narrative as she sheds new light on the lives of the four daughters." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) "The haunting cover photograph of the Romanov sisters will draw readers, and the extensive bibliography will aid those who want to learn more." --Booklist "As shocking and immediate as a thriller... [A] gripping read." --People magazine (3 1/2 stars) on The Last Days of the Romanovs "Rappaport offers an absorbing, perceptive, and detailed picture of a constitutional monarchy in crisis." --Publishers Weekly on A Magnificent Obsession "An absorbing account of the making of a queen through her awful, protracted grief." --Kirkus Reviews on A Magnificent Obsession "Quite simply, stunning. . . . Chilling and poignant, this is how history books should be written." --Alison Weir, author of Henry VIII: The King and His Court on The Last Days of the Romanovs "A fluid and astute writer, Rappaport delivers a historically discerning portrait of Victoria in the 1860s." --Booklist on A Magnificent Obsession