Historical Fictionistas discussion

It's time to select the book we want to read in May.

Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst was born on May 2, 1729. This baby girl would later go on to be known as Catherine the Great of Russia. In honor of this baby girl, the May theme is Russia.
Books nominated for the month of May are to be set in Russia before WWII (1939). Books set during or after WWII will not be counted.

This thread will remain open until 3/16.

NO SELF NOMINATIONS- Any member who self nominates a book, will have the post deleted and the member will be removed from the group.

NOMINATION POST MUST INCLUDE: TITLE, AUTHOR, AND WHERE IN RUSSIA THE BOOK TAKES PLACE (ONE CITY IS FINE IF THERE ARE MULTIPLE LOCATIONS) - If any one of these three things is missing from the nomination post, it will not be counted.

EVERY MEMBER GETS ONE NOMINATION AND ONE SECOND - Please make sure you are clearly marking if you are nominating and/or seconding a book. Too much extra chatter in the nomination thread makes it difficult for the moderators to keep track of the books that need to be counted.

BOOKS IN A SERIES MUST BE READ IN SERIES ORDER -Book 4 in a series cannot be nominated if the group has not read books 1-3

For a complete breakdown of how the nomination process works, see this thread - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE look over the bookshelf containing all of the past group reads. Past group reads cannot be nominated again - https://www.goodreads.com/group/books...

I am nominating Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten. It takes place in Russia during the 18th century.

I nominate I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon.
It is set in a few locations, Siberia and Ekaterinberg, Russia. It also is partly set outside of Russia, but I hope it still counts. 🤞

I nominate Eva Stachniak’s The Winter Palace, a novel concerning Catherine the Great’s rise to power and voted a best book by The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal.

Angela wrote: "I nominate Eva Stachniak’s The Winter Palace, a novel concerning Catherine the Great’s rise to power and voted a best book by The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal."

We have already read this book.

I would like to nominate "The Lost Crown" by Sarah Miller. It's a great story about 4 sisters and their bond as WW1 starts

I will nominate The Romanov Empress: A Novel of Tsarina Maria Feodorovna by C.W. Gortner. I believe most of it is in St. Petersburg

Alice wrote: "I will nominate The Romanov Empress: A Novel of Tsarina Maria Feodorovna by C.W. Gortner. I believe most of it is in St. Petersburg"

We've already read this.

Gretchen wrote: "Alice wrote: "I will nominate The Romanov Empress: A Novel of Tsarina Maria Feodorovna by C.W. Gortner. I believe most of it is in St. Petersburg"

We've already read this."
My apologies I missed that

I nominate A Bend in the Stars by Rachel Barenbaum. Per the Goodreads description this takes place in 1914 Russia. No mention of a city but one review mentions Kiev which is now the capital of Ukraine but back then was part of Russia.

I nominate The Last Station: A Novel of Tolstoy's Last Year by Jay Parini. Russia, 1910, Astrapovo Railway station [area now known as Leo Tolstoy settlement].

I second Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten.

I would like to nominate The Gift by Vladimir Nobokov, about a Russian emigre living in Berlin.

I nominate The Romanov Sisters by Helen Rappaport

The Romanov sisters takes place in multiple sites in Russia in palaces including in in St Petersburg, Crimea and often in the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoya Selo, south of St Petersburg

I wish to nominate the novel "Anna: Book One of the Kirov Trilogy" by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles.

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles is a writer deserving of greater recognition. I've been a fan of her novels since 2005.



"In 1803, the fragile Peace of Amiens breaks down, and Anne Peters finds herself stranded in Paris, penniless and alone, in danger of arrest.

"One chance of escape is offered, to flee under the protection of the dashing Count Nikolai Kirov, and make a new life in Russia as governess to his children.

"In the flamboyant and demanding circle of the count, his family and friends, moving between the glittering city of St Petersburg, ancient Moscow and the wild, untamed beauty of the Caucasus Mountains, the young Englishwoman begins her transformation into Anna Petrovna.

"But as Napoleon gathers his army for the final attack on Imperial Russia, Anna must prepare for a battle of the heart - her forbidden love for a man and a country she may never call her own."

I second The winter Palace

I second Anna: Book One of the Kirov Trilogy

I second A Bend in the Stars

Hi, Gretchen. The system wouldn’t allow me to reply to your message directly. I did search on the title and individual title words before nominating my pick. 😃

I would like to nominate The Revolution of Marina M. by Janet Fitch. It takes place in St. Petersburg in 1916.

Alice wrote: "Gretchen wrote: "Alice wrote: "I will nominate The Romanov Empress: A Novel of Tsarina Maria Feodorovna by C.W. Gortner. I believe most of it is in St. Petersburg"

We've already re..."
I loved reading about the Romanovs. !!

I would like to nominate Doctor Zhivago from Boris Pasternak.

Doctor Zhivago

Margaret wrote: "The Romanov sisters takes place in multiple sites in Russia in palaces including in in St Petersburg, Crimea and often in the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoya Selo, south of St Petersburg"

This is non-fiction. It won't be counted.

Margaret wrote: "I second The winter Palace"

This second will not be counted as the initial nomination was not counted.

Myra wrote: "I would like to nominate The Gift by Vladimir Nobokov, about a Russian emigre living in Berlin."

This does not appear to fit our group definition of historical fiction so it will not be counted.

Angela wrote: "Hi, Gretchen. The system wouldn’t allow me to reply to your message directly. I did search on the title and individual title words before nominating my pick. 😃"

If you click on the listed link for the group's bookshelf, it appears under the "read" shelf.

I
Nominate Through Russian Snows by GA Henty u h of the action takes place in Moscow, Smolensk and Borodin

Through Russian Snows is a story of Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow

I second The Last Station: A Novel of Tolstoy's Last Year by Jay Parini

I nominate The Last Grand Duchess by Bryn Turnbull about Olga Romanov.

I second Doctor Zhivago

It’s a big one, but I recommend Russka by Edward Rutherfurd.

I nominate ?The Witch and the Tsar,” by Olesya Salnikoba Gilmore. The novel blends and retells a historical-fantasy version with Baba Yaga, Tsaritsa Anastasia, and Czar Ivan, soon to become Ivan the Terrible, but not yet, with mysterious forces threatening Russia with chaos. This was a debut novel.

I nominate Pushkin's Button by Serena Vitale.