Принцеса Анастасия

Beneath the Crown #3

by Sharon Stewart, Шарън Стюарт

Малката Дуня бяга от родното си селце, разположено дълбоко в сибирската тайга. Тя не подозира, че една неочаквана среща ще я отведе в императорския дворец. Там Дуня се сприятелява с палавата и остроумна принцеса Анастасия. Животът им не би могъл да бъде по-прекрасен, но тъмните облаци на революцията надвисват над Русия. Дуня е изправена пред опасността да изгуби своите нови приятели и дори живота си...

Канадската писателка Шарън Стюарт е родена пред 1944 г. Живее в град Торонто. Автор е на исторически книги за младите читатели. Най-голям успех постига с романа си "Принцеса Анастация" (1999 г.). В него тя майсторски разказва историята на младата принцеса от руското царско семейство.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Historical, Childrens, Russia, Royalty

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

I grew up and was educated in Vancouver, British Columbia. I am a writer and editor, and spent most of my career in educational publishing. I have lived in Spain and also in China, where I taught English as a second language, and have published articles about my experiences in China in newspapers across Canada. I am the author of nine novels, several of them historical fiction. I have also published a book of short stories and biographies of Louis Riel and Norman Bethune. I currently live in Toronto, Canada.

Reviews

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a little girl, I was OBSESSED with Russian history and all things Romanov-related. This was my favorite book for the longest time -- it is the story of a servant girl, Dunia, who stumbled across the Romanov's family friend, Rasputin. He introduces her to the royal family, and she quickly makes friends with all the Romanov children (but particularly Anastasia). This is a wonderful book that captures both fiction and history, combining them into a story everyone has heard at least once, but with a unique twist :)

[Adi (Reading in the Windowseat) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story to inspire every young girl, to make her laugh and cry, and appreciate that most real-life fairytales do not have a happy ending.

I picked up this book with nostalgia. When I was young, third grade and spending a third of my time in the local children's library (the other two halves divided between school, and ballet and playtime) I went through the lovely collections of Bulgarian translations to the best novels for kids in the world - The Eternal Children’s Novels. There were some great books in there, tales that have stayed with me to this day and I've come back to; now I'm searching my favourites and buying them, making them a great addition to my personal library, addition which brings sweet memories.

Going back to the subject, one of the books I read was The Dark Tower, a lovely and heart-wrenching tale of the French princess locked away during the Great Revolution. I read it many times and was eager to read another of Sharon Stewart's works - Princess Anastasia. I kept asking about it, but an addition never came to our library, and I couldn't find it in any store.

Recently, 12 lovely books from the abovementioned series for children were re-published (among them Frances Burnett's A Little Princess, Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, Gaby Schuster's Princess Sissi and Jean Webster's Daddy-Long-Legs, all of which I already own). When I saw Princess Anastasia I bought it immediately with childlike glee - for some time I was third grade again and easily swept by the magic of a book that brought back my younger, imaginative side.

I took my time reading it, feeling an uncharacteristically big yearning for modern teen romance, and still read it in a couple of weeks, savouring every page and every chapter. The second half I read in one day, actually, having to pack for travelling but unwilling to put it down. The story was not through Anastasia’s eyes, but from another lovely character who leads the reader through danger and abuse, to romantic withdrawal from life in fairytales, and right into a real fairytale which turns bitter more often than not, but is all the sweeter for it. This book made me realise, through its historically-based characters, that all who have grown without any kind of true love, no matter rich or poor, turn into monsters. Love makes us human. The story was full of people who, in poverty and lack of affection, had turned into monsters. Nowadays we see the same, but in rich, spoiled, uncared for people. Also, there was a very wise remark about anger and how it turned a crowd into an unstoppable force, as water, but as mindless as pigs.

The heroes were very funny, unique and endearing. The anti-heroes were scary and cold, mindless fanatics or ingenious devils. And the fiction was so well interwoven with real-life facts that at one point you stop thinking of the novel as a non-real-life book. I loved the bits I've heard on documentaries, like how the princesses had sewn in their jewellery into their clothing to hide it 'in plain sight'. And the part about Alexei's illness...

The Dark Tower brought me to tears when I was a child, and Princess Anastasia made my eyes water, so many years later.

It was a real magical experience, reading this novel, and I’m certainly going to be reading it and the rest of the books I have mentioned above to my young cousins – these are books that teach a young girl to dream and fight, to be brave and honest, to follow her heart; but also reveal how all of us are equal, and how a modern girl’s life is much more fairytale-like than any princess’s ever could have been. And maybe, one day, I will read them to my children, make them laugh and dream and learn, so that when they grow up they will know why these stories are called classics.

[Anastasia202 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dunia, a country-born and strong girl escapes from her abusive and strict father. On her journey to start a new life, the famous Rasputin, a strange and mystical man meets her. In some ways, he tries to make her his servant and student. Meanwhile, Dunia discovers the royal Romanov family, and befriends the smallest daughter, Anastasia. Even though their relationship is bitter at first, they gradually get used to eachother and find that they have many things in common. But as war and dangers wipes over Russia, Dunia finds herself in a difficult position. To survive, she must overcome the challenges and learn to face her fears.

The thrilling adventures of Dunia have changed my own personality and perspective of life. I hope that all kids will have an opportunity to read this, and to enrich their knowledge of history, specifically, Russian history. This story by talented writer Sharon Stewart, will teach many lessons,and has many unique and special morals that all of us could share a piece of. How Stewart manages to captivate the reader so well is truly magical. You'll find yourself in the midst of danger and fear, as you read on...But maybe that tiny star ahead will shine and help us all survive through this book.

[Jada Glen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story that introduced me to Russian history at a young age. It was gripping and fully immersed me into the Romanov family history. After this book I began to look at more Russian history and learn many things. This book shaped me when I was younger and was always close at hand on my shelf for a quick re-read.

[A B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very well done, and at least based on my knowledge as a Romanov enthusiast, a very thoroughly researched piece of historical fiction. The author has done an excellent job of incorporating anecdotes about Tsar Nicholas II, his empress, and his five children. Really - the grand duchesses shaving their heads during measles, Anastasia's mischievous nature, Tatiana's nursing skills, building a sledding platform, love of Brownie cameras, their delight in their Crimean vacations, the family's boat excursions, Alexei's cries of pain so gutwrenching that servants wore earplugs, etc. - it's all there. I especially appreciated the attention to detail shown during the family's imprisonment. I always found it touching that the Bolshevik guards appointed to jail the family had to be changed frequently because they quickly grew to like the royal family.

The initial story is a bit of a stretch. It's narrated from the perspective of Dunia, a Siberian child who runs away from her abusive father. In a stroke of dumb luck, she encounters a drunk Rasputin. He takes her under his wing and for whatever reason decides to bring her to St. Petersburg to help serve as a secret messenger to Tsarina Alexandra. He dumps her at the empress's friend's house, and from there Dunia accidentally befriends the royal children.

She and Alexei become fast friends, and Anastasia initially takes a dislike to Dunia. The Tsar keeps a watchful eye on his daughter's behavior and eventually Anastasia comes around to truly like Dunia and consider her a friend.

It's hard to read books like this in a way because each time I do, I can't help but hope for a different outcome. Sadly, we can't undo the past, but perhaps books of this nature can help. Maybe children will read them, learn a thing or two, and as a result grow into kinder adults.

[Julia Ahlin]

This book was amazing, it is a historical fiction. It is so good that I've read it about three times now. It tugs at your heart, the story is so interesting you cannot put it down. It's an A+ book. I recommend reading it.

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a historical fiction in 1911 with all the Russian Royalty. Humorous and suspenseful.

[Dudathewanderer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading and loving this as a child! It obviously has a dark ending, but it helped spark my interest in history.

[Abi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read. I'm a sucker for Anastasia retellings, so I was delighted to finally get my hands on a used copy of this book.

Stewart sticks to historical facts while depicting the lively Romanov family and their interactions, inside jokes, and painful secrets. Dunia is a compelling, entertaining, and intelligent narrator. I really liked her friendship with Anastasia and enjoyed watching their relationship progress from initial dislike to eventual best friends.

While the ending was sad, sticking to the historical facts, I knew it was coming and still really enjoyed the story. Recommended!

[Twyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite part was when Dunia was sent to live with Ania who became her friend, along with the royal family, so that Dunia had a nice home at last. My least favorite part was when the Romanov family was killed before the whites could rescue them. I have no idea why people would do something like that just becuase the family they were a part of. It wasn't the children's fault.

[Rian A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Spending my day reading it made my day a good one. I loved that Dunia and Anatastasia became good friends. I also thought, Anastasia is a good judge of character. She pays attention to those who do and do not deserve her trust. It was a sad but lovely story.

[Alandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book introduced me to historical fiction when I bought it at an elementary Scholastic book fair. It was my favourite childhood book and started a lifelong love affair with historical fiction! I couldn't resist picking it up off my bookshelf this week.

[Jennifer Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book when I was younger and it singlehandedly lead to a fascination with the Romanov family and Russian history. I felt so many emotions reading this book, and think I may have even cried.

[Melissa Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was little, I went through a phase where I was obsessed with the Romanov story. I loved this book, but it broke my heart knowing how it all ends (IRL). Brings Anastasia to life in such a phenomenal way.

[Meranda Semeniuk-Wappel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for a juvenile book! It had a lot of historical accuracies but then again it is historical.

[Olivia Lyndaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much! The first time I read it, I almost cried at the ending, because it was so bitter-sweet. Even now I get really melancholy when I read it.

[Kateie]

i love this book but the las two chaperes are sad

[Peyton Bausch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. One of the best historical fiction books I’ve ever read (and that’s coming from someone who has been a history buff since age 7)!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dunia is a young peasant girl in the Russian countryside of 1911 who runs away from an abusive father, hoping for a better life. She is found by the infamous Rasputin, who takes her to the royal palace to be his messenger. At the palace she befriends the Tsar's family and becomes especially close friends with the youngest daughter, Anastasia. However she begins to distrust Rasputin's motives and on the eve of the Russian Revolution she must choose where her loyalties lie, even if it means risking losing everything she has come to love in her new life.

This was a very interesting and enjoyable historical novel for young adult about the Russian Revolution, and the last Tsar and his family. By using a peasant girl as the narrator and the Tsar's family as main characters, the author was able to show the perspective of an ordinary girl who was born into poverty in contrast to the luxurious life the royal family lived. I would highly recommend this book to young readers who enjoyed books such as the Royal Diaries series, as well as to older readers like myself who have a special interest in the subject.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dunia is a young peasant girl in the Russian countryside of 1911 who runs away from an abusive father, hoping for a better life. She is found by the infamous Rasputin, who takes her to the royal palace to be his messenger. At the palace she befriends the Tsar's family and becomes especially close friends with the youngest daughter, Anastasia. However she begins to distrust Rasputin's motives and on the eve of the Russian Revolution she must choose where her loyalties lie, even if it means risking losing everything she has come to love in her new life.

This was a very interesting and enjoyable historical novel for young adult about the Russian Revolution, and the last Tsar and his family. By using a peasant girl as the narrator and the Tsar's family as main characters, the author was able to show the perspective of an ordinary girl who was born into poverty in contrast to the luxurious life the royal family lived. I would highly recommend this book to young readers who enjoyed historical fiction such as the Royal Diaries series (particularly the one about Anastasia), as well as to older readers like myself who have a special interest in the subject.

[Dominika · Rating 5 out of 5]

A történelem során a Romanov család története erősen megmaradt bennem. Mindig is érdekelt, hogy ennek a kedves családnak, hogyan végződhetett az élete ilyen tragédiával.
Ez a könyv, igen jól mutatta be, hogy milyen is volt Oroszország az 1900-as években. Ahogy olvashatjuk, az elején még szinte a elködösít minket a boldogság és jókedv, hogy Dunya álma miként válik igazzá. Közben, ahogy jobban belemerülünk, észrevehetjük, hogy nem minden mese végződik boldog befejeződéssel.Az elkerülhetetlent én sem tudtam figyelmen kívül hagyni, így a történetet végigizgulva amolyan szomorkás hangulat uralkodott rajtam.
Azzal nem értettem egyet, hogy miért Anasztázia lett a címe a könyvnek, sem azzal, hogy ezt a könyvet a gyerekrészlegen tartják számon. Ahhoz szerintem ez a történet túl megrázó egy gyermek számára, hogy odakerüljön.
Meg kell, hogy mondjam; faltam az oldalakat. Lehet, hogy abban rejlik a varázsa, hogy mindent olyan egyszerűen írt le az írónő és magaménak éreztem a szereplőket? Meglehet, azt biztosra tudom, hogy szeretném még visszaolvasni ezt tragikus történetet!

[Lady Tea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating : 3.9 / 5

Grammar-wise, diction-wise, protagonist-wise, etc., this would seem like a child's story. I recall reading a chapter or two of it when I was much younger, actually. But now, after reading it fully, I realize that one would have to have a clear understanding of Russian history to know some of the characters and especially the events--while Dunia herself may be fictional, many characters aren't. Luckily, I do, so I had no trouble understanding anything.

At first, I thought that it was rather fast-paced and didn't leave much room for character development for Dunia, but let me state now that it's not a bad thing. In herself, perhaps she's really not too interesting, but her interactions certainly were.

All in all, a pleasant enough read, and recommendable to anyone looking for a story of the last Romanovs from an innocent, politics-minimal point of view.

[Chelsea C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so happy that they added this book to the beneath the crown series. I absolutely love this book and I love the mix of Historical truth & fiction. I think that of the books I've read and what I know about Anastasia her character in this book seems to be the most fitting to what she has been described to have been like.

I think this is why I felt so connected to the story, because it seemed very realistic and it was real. It didn't paint any happy fairy tail ending or end early before what happened. It was real, and honest.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it weird that I put this 3/5 stars when this was one of my favourite books (still is~ it's just been a while) but this is one of the book I would reread constantly but it was about the Grand Duchess Anastasia which I am totally fascinated with. I loved this book like honestly I read this soooo much even though it's been at least like 5 years I still remembered it like the back of my hand.
4/5

[Anushka Mukherjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the first books I have a clear recollection of reading as a kid. I found it on the floor of the school library when I was in the second or third grade, and I loved the animated film Anastasia and decided to read it. While I don't remember the specifics of the book that well, I do remember that this absolutely broke me. I think it is the first book I ever cried reading, and I would love to reread it some day soon to see if it still moves me as much as it did when I was a child.

[Missie Real · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this when I was in grade 4. I ordered it from Scholastic. I remember liking the book when i read it, but the reason I'm giving it 3 stars is because I don't find it memorable. It's not a story that stuck with me, except for the title of it. Nonetheless, Anastasia is an interesting historical figure.

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book and it was great for learning history, and the terrible things that took place very near the end of the book. The only thin I found was that once I finished, I felt like crying. It had a very sad ending. But the writer couldn't help that because the events that took place were very sad.

[zean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. This is definitely one of the best books I have ever read. It is filled with love, friendship, compassion, and all other components found in good books. My favorite by far.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lovely little book for young readers. I remember my sister got this book in the sixth grade via scholastic catalog in school. I think it came with a ring or necklace that I would CONSTANTLY steal from my sister.

[Maryam Abdur-razak · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mixture of history and fiction was what I liked about this book. It was almost what every girl dreams of; being swept away from her old life and placed in a better one. Because everyone knows the fate of the royal family, its bound to end tragically, but the journey there was wonderful