The Last Grand Duchess by Bryn Turnbull

Grand Duchess Olga is the oldest child of the ill fated Romanov family. She lived a parallel life going from ballrooms to being imprisoned under gunpoint in seclusion. Her life began as a fairy tale in glittering gowns adored by the Russian subjects and her family alike, falling in love and wondering who she would marry just like any other young woman and then seeing her father's end as Tsar and her family's disgrace culminating in imprisonment. The chapters bounce from their life in Saint Petersburg and various palaces to their banishment and constant relocation. Olga struggles with the pain of watching her young brother in pain but also the defeat of her father and collapse of the only political system and life they knew. Theirs is a story of power and the belief that it was their God given right to rule over the people of Russia and the strain of keeping hope and Alexi alive as their situation grew more dire. Olga's point of view is interesting because she was old enough to be aware of the outside world's opinion of her family but also able to operate in the shadows. It did take some time for me to get comfortable with the constant shifting back and forth in time with each chapter but there is so much covered here. A sweeping historical story of the end of a powerful family.  4 stars