Heirs of the Motherland

The Russians #4

by Judith Pella

Eighteen years after his daughter's birth, Count Dmitri Remizov returns to Russia from exile to find his only child. But Mariana, who was raised as a peasant, is hesitant to take her place in Imperial Russia. Meanwhile, Sergei and Anna must decide whether to risk emerging from hiding. Will they find a way to reunite their families and claim their heritage

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Romance, Historical, Christian Historical Fiction

384 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1993

About the author

Judith Pella is a bestselling, award-winning author whose writing career spans two decades. Her in-depth historical and geographical research combines with her skillful storytelling to provide readers with dramatic, thought-provoking novels. She and her husband make their home in Scapoose, Oregon.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

So we got this series, right? It's called The Russians, right? So what are we going to do with it? How about adding an American to the mix!

*FACEPALM*

Okay, I'm sorry but this really upsets me. These novels are supposed to be entirely about Russian history. Why do we need other countries coming in? If it was about Russians immigrating to America or the similarities between Russia and America during that time period or even a series from the start about an American learning to survive in Russia, then yeah, maybe I could accept this. But no. This is the fourth book in the series. It's called The Russians. It doesn't make any sort of logical sense for an American to just suddenly enter here.

You know what else doesn't make sense? Having all the previous characters from the series totally ignore each other for twenty years and then have them meet up in Russia for this novel. Come on. I know the books before this had some incredulous plotlines going on but they were the rare plotlines, not the plotlines the entire book was banking on. And let's not even go into Basil. That guy is STILL living? He doesn't even serve a plotpoint like the previous two novels, he just sort of sits there and thinks evilly about ways to destroy Mariana and then does nothing.

Well, okay, here I am ranting about the travesties in this book and I gave it three stars. There must have been something I liked.

Yes, yes there was. I liked Paul's storyline. I liked how he transitioned from radicalized teen to reflective young man to mature adult. I liked how he gets a wife who is so like himself and who argues with him all the time. I liked their relationship and the way he learns to deal with life. It was a change from the usual stories told of rebels in novels who usually die young and we never see how they could have developed later in life.

What else...

Well, Dmitri and Sergei. I liked how their relationship was strained after so many years but there were lingering traces of their closeness from youth. I liked how they both desperately wanted to be close again yet they both knew that that wasn't going to happen and that they had to deal with it. But beyond this relationship, they both were kind of lame. Which is sad because HOW CAN ANYONE MAKE SERGEI LAME?!

What else...

Uh...

Well...

OH, I got it. Mariana sometimes was an independent young lady. Which is sometimes cool. I guess? It's been done a lot in novels so meh.

Okay, that's all I got, let's go back to my ranting.

I dunno, this entire book feels like the author was just going through the motions, just trying to do what should be done instead of what felt right. Maybe because the other author left and her heart was no longer in it. Really, this book is just a rehashing of old plots from the previous three novels. Like hey, let's have this kid, we'll name him Stephan, he's not anything like Paul, but he's a radical! He's not anything like Paul but he really thinks that Russia needs to change! He's just Paul, isn't he? Also, what is the deal with Viktor's "amnesia from trauma" thing. I get losing him to the trauma. It may not be entirely medically accurate but I'll give it a pass because it worked in such a horribly beautiful way in the last book. Making Sergei go to his house/mansion/whatever and just talking to him and then he is totally FINE does not make sense. There's no build up. There's no reason to do this besides the fact that the author is toning everything down in this book. Which, like I keep reiterating, is LAME. Also, if all Sergei had to do was talk to him, why didn't he just do that sooner instead of waiting like twenty years? I know he didn't really have a good relationship with his father but did he really hate him that much?

Just GAH. Okay, you get it, I'll stop. Read only if you are NOT a hardcore fan of The Russians. Cry and run away if you are.

[G. Buckner · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

My third favorite in the series, after books one and two. So, so sweet!

[Talia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was so hard to get into. I didn't like it at all in the beginning, only a little in the middle, but at least towards the end I was starting to get into it.

One thing I didn't like about this book was reading Cyril's POV. He's been this book series's scoundrel (well, one of them anyways) pretty much since day one. Every time I come to his POV, I don't look forward to it. Not only is he continuing his rascal ways in this book, but his son, Karl, joins him in being a rascal as well.

Count Dmitri was fine to read about until this book. His personality changed so much that I found myself losing any respect for his character that I might have had before.

Mariana has been hard to connect with for me personally. She becomes more of the main character in this book instead of Anna and Katrina as in the first books in this series. I didn't really feel connected with Stephan, or Daniel Trent either. This book has just been okay. It's felt like the noticeable connection that leads to the next book instead of being a seamless connection between the book before and the book after.

Towards the end, Paul reunites with the person I've been wanting him to reunite with from almost the start of the series. The reunion parts and the end of this book are touching. I really liked those parts!

There were several kisses in this book, as well as a rape attempt scene.

3 stars.

[Adelein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aloitin koko Vallankumouksen vuosisata -sarjan lukemisen tämän ja kolmen muun viimeisen osan takia, koska Nikolai II:n hallitusaika kiinnostaa minua eniten. Vihdoinkin tässä osassa Nikolai kruunataan tsaariksi. Toisin kuin aikaisemmissa osissa, missä tsaarin murhaa suunnitellaan tiiviisti, tässä hallitsijan elämään viitattiin (minun harmikseni) vain silloin tällöin.

Annan sijasta nyt seurataan enemmän Katarinan tyttären Marianan elämää. Vaikka juoni olikin hieman saippuaoopperamainen, oli se ihan viihdyttävä. Amerikkalaisen reportteri Danielin sotkeminen mukaan tarinaan ei minusta ollut niin onnistunut ratkaisu.

Kokonaisuudessaan kirja oli minusta melko hyvä, mutta ei mitenkään erityisen ihmeellinen. Toisaalta kiinnostaisi kokeilla sarjan loppuja osia, mutta taidan silti jättää sarjan lukemisen tähän.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well-written and truly interesting historical subtly Christian novel, which is part of a series set in Russia. At this point in the series, the novels begin to focus on the 1890s and on into the 1900s. Also, the novels switch from being written by an authorial team of Michael Phillips and Judith Pella to being solely authored by Judith Pella, and while the series continues to be well done, it becomes less deeply detailed at this point. However, all of the characters are still well drawn, and most of them are also likeable. In any case, I really enjoyed the novel and am looking forward to reading more of the series.

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book many years ago as either a middle schooler or underclassman in high school. I adored the book and entire series then. This remembered adoration helped me make the decision to skip these books when reading through my collection four years ago. I read many books by both of these authors since then and gradually became aware of the glaringly obvious shortcomings of their authorship. These shortcomings infected every book I read by them. I had no hope that these books would survive a second read. As I supposed, they did not.

[Taryn Spearey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved jumping back into this world! We continue to watch as Anna and Sergei raising their children in historical Russia. This time around, they are face a huge decision as to weather of not to return to Russia or continue hiding the children.

Mariana is also having her own struggles. She really wants to go to university, but her mother highly disapproves of the idea. She wants Mariana to take over the family home, and Mariana doesn't want that for herself.

I'm jumping right into the next book!

[Kristelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a good story and did a good job of transitioning to Marianna from Anna. I am waiting for more meat to the story that I think will come with the following books. I have enjoyed seeing the Marianna is a mixture of Katrina and Anna's personalities. It is a little sad that so many people are wanting to use Marianna for their own benefit.

[Gayle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an excellent fiction series but the absence of former co-author Michael Philips is noticeable; I prefer his style of writing. Still I will finish the series because it's a good story and because I enjoy the historical research it contains.

[Whitney White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good, but not quite as good as the first three. It was much harder for me to keep the timeline straight and it seemed like it jumped around a lot. I still loved the history of it and all the old characters, but it felt like it lacked something.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

good historical tie-ins, not all problems solved, not terribly exciting, continue Russia series

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just can't say enough about this series. I'll definitely be reading all of them but since I have to get them at the library, will wait to start the next one when my schedule's not quite so full.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this over 10 years ago. Judith Pella was one of my top 3 authors of the time. Christian historical fiction - a wonderful genre!

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Sandra Benford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loving this series

[Sharilyn Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Russians Continue

The story continues to flow effortlessly! The characters are so strong and real. Anyone who loves historical novels must read this series!

[Nadine Keels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although she is the biological child of aristocrats, Mariana has been raised as a peasant by Sergei and Anna, who've been living in hiding on account of Sergei's status as a once-exiled fugitive. When Mariana's father, a count, returns to Russia after eighteen years, Mariana has the chance to make a debut into society as a countess—a chance she may or may not want in Heirs of the Motherland by author Judith Pella.

After reading the first three books in The Russians series, which were co-authored by Pella and Michael Phillips, I was curious to see how Pella would continue this historical ChristFic series on her own. While the style still has an old-fashioned and sometimes slightly overdramatic feel (with some jarring head-hopping), it's not nearly as rife with italics and exclamation points as the reading was earlier in the series.

There's now a good deal of backstory that enriches the plot, and the sense of history and politics remains strong. Yet, four books in, there's only one character who's really grown on me, and he doesn't appear much in this novel. In general, the characters still don't strike me as real or natural enough to be totally compelling, and the unconvincing romantic material doesn't serve Mariana's rather immature character well, though she's still young and has time to grow.

The rumblings of social unrest that don't come to a head in this novel made me impatient at times. It seems that in large part, this book must be an intervening setup for what's to come in the series; it wouldn't be the strongest read on its own.

Nevertheless, the implications in the groundwork laid and the rich historical landscape engrossed me enough of the time to enjoy the novel overall, and I'm looking forward to reading Book Five.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this 3 stars because I disagreed with the theology. The author states in one point God does not punish. This was a false statement as God does judge the world and all through the Bible there are clear examples of punishment to the nations around Israel, Israel and individuals. There are consequences for example Ananias and Zephaira. The rest of the story was a 4 star.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one of Judith Pella's exciting Russian series. It is interesting how the lives of one royal family is so intertwined with one peasant family. Their lives are filled with many unexpected events that make it easy to continue to read

[Janine Wills · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book wasn't as depressing as the one before it (Travail and Triumph - Book 3), so I enjoyed it more. Anna Burenin Fedorcenko should go down as one of the best inspirational heroines of all times, IMHO.

[Gabrielle Van Ryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book! Loved the transition from one generation to the next, and that many of the original characters are in this one. This book series is a very personable and realistic series, it captures many elements of life very well.

[Beverly Knudsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent continuation of a very interesting series. Definitely recommend.

[Clayton Stairs · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! I have read the whole series and enjoyed them all. I enjoy reading about Russia.

[AlegnaB † · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring

[Lori Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful story.

[Patrice]

too long winded, too religious. I'm done.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took a couple of days to read the whole thing. It was aight.

[Nell Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read.

[Aino Harjula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Olen lukenut sarjan kolme aiempaa teosta aikaisemmin ja tykännyt. Tämäkin on ihan mukaansatempaavaa kerrontaa. Mistä en kuitenkaa pidä on se valtava aikahyppäys edelliseen teokseen. Tosin kerronnassa tulee ilmi myös tapahtumia tämän aikahypyn ajalta, mutta ... en ole koksana oikein tykännyt liian valtavista aukoista tarinoiden kulussa.

[Flewts · Rating 5 out of 5]

The continuing story of life in Russia during the early years of Tsar Nicholas II's reign, showing the Russian revolution movement started long before it all came to a head. History told with a fictional story that is readable and enjoyable.