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Once a Grand Duchess cover art

Once a Grand Duchess

By: John Van der Kiste, Coryne Hall
Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
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Summary

This biography of Xenia, sister of Nicholas II gives a new angle on the Romanov story and provides new information on relationships within the family after the Revolution.

©2002, 2004 John Van der Kiste and Coryne Hall (P)2021 Tantor

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

A book & a life that passes without imprint.

Thin book on what seems a thin life. Privileged but very little to show for it. Later impoverished she was granted grace and favour houses by the King for the rest of her life. She grasped no skills for financial matters and gave money to others who frankly needed to get out and work for a living, not least some of her offspring. Out of touch with what was happening in Russia, being caught out by the start of the First World War just confirmed the bubble she chose and lived in. The Romanov family obssessed with rank and nominal family heads in the aftermath of the revolution reflected little, if at all, on their part in its cause. The book is reasonably narrated, but the insistence on the subject's name as Kzenia rather than the westernised Zenia jars given the book is being read in English and not Russian.

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could have been better

The book itself is boring and shallow, considering the dramatic events. The performance is poor , since the voice of the reader is like echo , very difficult to listen to ,especially outside while walking , had to turn up the volume

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