The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion & The Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming

 The Family Romanov:  Murder, Rebellion & The Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming. Schwarz & Wade Books, Penguin Random House, 2014. Middle grade readers and up.

It's easy to become absorbed in the tragic story of Russian tsar Nicholas II who looked so much like his cousins in the English royal family, the beautiful  Empress Alexandra who put so much faith in the healer Rasputin, and their four daughters and little son and heir. Many other books tell their story. The real contribution of Candace Fleming's nonfiction book is the vast research she has done and the interweaving of the accounts of Russians who lived during the times. Fleming makes readers understand how little access to or even news from the royal family any average peasant, factory worker, or WWI soldier had. Even the little heir's hemophilia was kept secret. As poverty soared, food, heat, and other basics of life became scarce. Men like Lenin seemed to offer new ideas and solutions.  The great Russian empire crumbled and few suspected that the very lives of  the royals were in danger. Readers can do no better than this title for an overview of Russian history from 1903-1918. Fleming updates with modern searches, DNA analysis, sainthoods, and attempts to reunite the family in burial. Photographs and extensive sources enhance the book.