The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar (A Romanov Novel)

This was a wonderful story and I found it to be such an engaging read. I look forward to seeing the movie!

A long time ago, when I was probably no more than about 10 or so, I watched an episode of "In Search of..." hosted by Leonard Nimoy. It was about the Romanovs. At that time, the second burial location of the Tsar, his family and their servants was unknown. Only the information on the Brothers Mine was known because of the White's investigation after Yekaterinburg was taken over by them. It was fascinating to me. That an imposter Anastasia was being given a modicum of credibility as the possible missing Romanov Princess added to the facsination. We know much more about what happened that night, but a possible scenario presented on "In Search of..." went very much as this book describes. I enjoyed this book very much, partly because of my familiarity with the story. The author included a lot of information that may not be be widely known by the average reader - for example the finger found at the Brothers Mine, the rude stanzas written in the WC by the guards inside the at the Ipatiev house and the extra eggs ordered by the Kommandant for the breakfast of the killers on the morning after the murders. I think because it all, up to a point, made sense, I give this author kudos for his creation. It is not always easy to tell a story, but to tell a story and have it match known facts without a contrived plot twist is pretty impressive. Of course all of eleven of the vicitims have been found, identified by DNA (though some people will always have doubts), given proper burials and even canonized in the Russian Orthodox Church. The identity of the false Anastasia has been proven (though not conclusively until after her own death) and even certain claims of a Canadian Alexei have been determined to be false. The story has an ending... With the fall of Communism and the Soviet Union more and more of the story has been revealed. The truth is not this story, "The Kitchen Boy", but perhaps it COULD have been... and because it is a thoughtful and well researched story one could almost visualize life inside the "House of Special Purpose" just as the author wrote it.

A good historical novel should, of course, contain enough factual information to be convincing. Then, the fiction should be woven in so delicately as to be indistinguishable from the genuine fabric. Finally, the work should be so strongly evocative that the reader feels himself transported to the era in question. This clever work satisfies all these conditions.The final days of Russia's last tsar are told through the memories of a humble kitchen boy who not only witnessed but also survived the brutal events following the Bolshevik revolution, leading to the murder of the tsar and his family. The drudgery of their life under house arrest is recounted with such clear prose that one can't help but feel pity for them, suffering the stifling heat and stale air of their confinement and gagging at the stench of their guards' unwashed bodies.Mr. Alexander's fiction deals mostly with the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of the family's jewels and the curious fact that the bodies of two of their children were never found. Especially in the latter case, the "proposed" solutions lead to a fascinating story and a genuinely surprising conclusion.This book will appeal to anyone who likes history or just a good story. Recommended, obviously.

"The Kitchen Boy", by author, Robert Alexander is listed as a fictional and historical novel. The story line is being "narrated" by an individual who at the time (1998), is a 94 year old man named "Leonid Sednyov." Leonid is dictating his story into a tape recorder and preparing it for his granddaughter, "Katya."In his story, he tells how he was, in fact, "The Kitchen Boy" for Tsar Nicholas and his family during their last days as prisoners of the Soviet regime. The historical events are real enough (too vividly real perhaps), and the "fictional parts?" One wonders if, there are any fictional parts in this superbly orchestrated dance of words and events.Robert Alexander is a masterful craftsman of descriptive writing and brings the reader face to face with real world pathos. In my opinion, Robert Alexander is the American version of Alexander Solzhenitsyn.The reader can not help but also become a captive along with the Tsar and his family. The writing is so descriptive, that the reader can almost actually see and smell the events as they take place. What history, what tragedy, what sadness, what waste, yet... what superb writing! This book is a literary crypt to house the lost souls of a people, and a country long forgotten by the living.I should think this is one of the best historical novels I personally have had the opportunity to read and enjoy. Even if, you're not a fan of Russian history, or culture, you will be a fan of Robert Alexander and ..."The Kitchen Boy!"

Great writing and the plot was both exciting and curious throughout. A good historical fiction read that is highly recommended!

This book was on a recommended reading list for 8th graders - I wish I had been warned about two passages and am glad I stayed a chapter ahead of my 7th and 8th grade boys as they read it. We read a tremendous amount of historical fiction in our house, and they both thought this book was great. They have studied the Russian Revolution and "The Kitchen Boy" gave them a dramatic account of part of that history which they really enjoyed. I found the plot twists a bit problematic, but they were blown away by them and couldn't wait to talk about it all. However there is a scene in which the captors graffiti the only bathroom in the home with sexually explicit drawings (e.g., sodomy) and serious profanity (d--k, f--k), and there is another scene where a soldier puts his hand inside the dress of one of the women and gropes her after she is dead and uses the word p---y. There are parents (and teachers) who may want to know this before assigning it to junior high students.

this book is one of the best books i have ever read. I have always loved reading about the romanovs and this book gave the most empathetic story and showed how they were really just a tight nit family who dearly loved each other. It also shows how brutal the reds were and the worst one of all was lenin he destroyed a dynasty and a countries .The way the author showed that their imperial greatnesses cared very much about their heirs from the four grand duchesses and the tsarevitch down to the kitchen boy we will never know if that was true but reading this book you are transported back to 1918. Regicide was commited that night and started off the killing of Russian people by lenin surely he should be named the anti christ. Many people lost loved ones and communism is the guiltypartner. I dont know of any other book that has touched me as much as this one and recomend any one who has a love of the Romanov dynasty to read this book

i found it very intriguing as to what could have happened, eveb though the Russians appear to have solved the mystery and it is closed, but there is still that lingering feeling, no-one really knows all what took place that fateful night in Yekaterinburg (renamed again aftervthe collapse of the USSR in 1991. therebis always room for speculation, and I found this narrative interesting What if...?

As I love Russian history, this book is amazing, left me quite moved👍

I have just finished this book and now eagerly await to start on Rasputin's Daughter - his second novel of this era.I found this a very satisfying read from an author who seems to know his Russian history. I empathised with the Romanovs and was quite taken back at the twist at the end which I admit I didn't expect at all. Very clever!Well worth the read and I look forward to more from Mr Alexander in the future.

Incredible, kept me guessing right until the end. Appreciate the attention paid to historical documentation. Definitely recommend.