A narrative tale based on the true story of Peter the Great's second wife, Catherine Alexeyevna, recounts how she used her extraordinary intelligence to escape poverty and assume her unstable husband's responsibilities in 18th-century Russia.
I admittedly know nothing about Russian history ... or at least I didn't before reading Ellen Alpsten's debut novel Tsarina, which tells the story of Catherine I, unlikely Empress of Russia. Thus this biographical fiction novel served as my primer to Russia's violent, bloody past. Often compared to Game of Thrones (minus the dragons and White Walkers), Tsarina is a compelling tale of power, strife, and lust.
I chose this book, and rightfully so, for the prompt "A book that intimidates you," in a reading challenge that I am participating in, as it comes in at nearly 500 pages and is about a person in history that I had never heard of before picking up this novel. I was surprised to learn that Catherine, who became Empress Regnant of Russia after her husband Peter I's death, was not born a princess who was wed to the Russian Tsar through an arranged marriage, but rather was a child of serfdom and poverty. How did an unassuming girl who was born into nothing rise to be the highest ranked woman of Russia? Read Tsarina to find out!
Catherine I's life story is actually quite incredible, and I was fascinated to learn how she used her wit, wiles, and womanhood to seduce the Russian Tsar and secure her place by his side. Catherine, born as Marta, found herself passed from family to family, and later from man to man, after losing her parents at a young age to the plague. Her upbringing was one fraught with struggle and sacrifice. She experienced injustice and violence early on and learned how to survive as a woman in a man's world. Catherine was a rather unlikeable, indulgent woman who was not above using her body to gain favors and position in the wilds of Russia, but she was admirable in her ability to not only survive, but ascend the throne as Empress in her own right. And who is to say how differently any of us were to live our lives if we were born in her shoes?
Even though I was initially intimidated by Tsarina's length, I found Alpsten's writing easy to consume and digest. She makes the history of Imperial Russia's first woman ruler accessible to those of us who know little of it. Alpsten's novel, however, is exhaustive, and I feel that some supporting plot lines could have been left out with little consequence. Readers should also note that this book contains many graphic scenes of sex (including several instances of rape) and violence. I can't help but feel that Alpsten was accurate, however, in her depictions, as history is filled with unsavory acts committed in the pursuit of power and pleasure.
Read the engaging and informative Tsarina if you are interested in seeing one of Russia's lesser known rulers brought to life.
Availability: Book; eBook in cloudLibrary Rating: **** Stars (I really liked it) Reviewer: Brooke, Public Relations Librarian
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GENRE: Biographical Fiction; Historical Fiction THEME: Rags to Riches (In these stories, the protagonist moves from poverty to wealth or obscurity to fame over the course of the narrative.)
TONE: Dramatic
STORYLINE: Sweeping
WRITING STYLE: Descriptive
CHARACTER: Strong Female
LOCATION: Russia
TIME PERIOD: Romanov Dynasty
SUBJECT: Courts & Courtiers; Determination in Women; Inheritance & Succession; Intelligence; Life Change Events; Men/Women Relations; Rulers; Women Rulers
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