The Kitchen Boy

The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar by Robert Alexander

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
While this was a work of fiction, it was consistent with most of the known facts about the Tzar and his family. I have long been fascinated with the events that led to the murder and I enjoyed the way this put some flesh onto the known facts, and then presented a fictitious speculation as to the ending of the story. Because the bones of two of the children; Alexi and one of the sisters were not found with the rest this was always grist for the fiction mill.

In each of the books on this family, more details come to light. I feel grateful to authors like Robert Alexander who do so much research and then arrange their findings into a form that readers can enjoy. This book is well written and compelling. It is written in a clear and direct style and has a pulse that keep the reader going even though we all know the ending.

One of the things I felt this book touched on that I haven't heard much about was that Tzar Nicholas realized that he was at fault for the fate of his family and his nation. I think that he realized that his stubborn refusal to hear what his subjects were saying caused the loss of his family and his country. His most important duty was to protect both and he didn't do either. Without being maudlin about it, Robert Alexander gets that point across and then presents to us a picture of a true noble in the actions of the Tzar in captivity.


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