The Kitchen Boy is an excellent book about the last days of the Romanov's. I am a historical fiction fan, but usually gravitate towards novels about the British Royals. I decided to delve into the Russian Royals and I am happy that I did! This book gives the reader a glimpse into the daily life of the last Tsar and his family. I now picture Nicholas and Alexandra as loving and devoted parents- not just stoic historical figures. It was a little difficult to get through this book only because I knew what the tragic ending would be. Although it is a work of fiction the author seems to be well educated on the events surrounding the actual events.

I checked out this book on the recommendations of several bloggers. I have always been interested in the fate of Nicholas II and his family, so it seemed a natural choice. I was pleasantly surprised. The Kitchen Boy was a quick and very enjoyable read.

Beginning as the Romanovs are in exile, Alexander traces their final days and the events leading to their execution. The story is told by Leonka, a servant who works in the Tsar's kitchen. But, exactly what does Leonka have to do with the executions? Why his extreme guilt? The suspense builds until the last page.

The last days of the Romanov family didn't go well. Removed from power, widely hated by their people, they were imprisoned in a house in Siberia. Although they were carefully guarded, the family dreamed of rescue. When their kitchen boy, a young servant, began passing them notes that were sneaked in with their food, it seemed that the family might be able to escape.

I really liked some of the history of the Romanov family. I didn't know much about them before reading this book, but I felt inspired to investigate their history after I read this story. It was horrifying to read this book and know that the family we were observing would soon be brutally murdered. Although I knew what was going to happen, the author was able to build up a nice amount of suspense.

I would have liked to have gotten to know the characters a bit more, though. I got a fairly good idea of the personality of the Tsar and Tsaritsa, and of their sickly son. Their four daughters, though, were only vague sketches of people with no real details or personality. If a family is going to be murdered before my eyes, and I'm going to be expected to be sympathetic, I'd like a better idea of who these people actually are.

Some people loved "the big twist" at the end of this story. I thought it was entirely unnecessary and would have preferred if the truth had been the simple one I expected throughout the rest of the book. The narrator having this big secret that became the point of the book took something away from the story of the murder of the Romanovs. In the end, the story became all about the narrator, instead of all about the murders.

Alexander manages to weave much historical detail into his fast-paced story. The reader definitely gets a sense of everyday life with the royal family. I really felt as if I were with the Romanovs, from the Tsar's hemorrhoids to the details of their daily menu to the "arranging medicines" and finally to that descent down the 23 steps.

This book is a page turner, and a great pick for a book club read. Alexander's fact based fiction is seamless, leaving you wrapped in the Russian era and wanting more. At the same time weaving a strong character based drama with suspense as well as emotion. Definately would recommend to a friend, or a book club.

The author kept you interested all the way through the book and even though you already know the outcome, you are hoping for a better ending. Great read by Robert Alexander. I am now going to read Rasputin's Daughter by Robert Alexander.

Coincidentally, the day I started this book there was a news announcement that the graves of the missing Romanov children had possibly been discovered. I should have known that it was a good omen! I had been looking for a novel about the Romanovs for some time and this hit the mark. THE KITCHEN BOY is a wonderful mix of fact and fiction and a valuable history lesson, too. Mr. Alexander did an outstanding job of turning turbulent times and a tragic event into an entertaining novel that I couldn't put down. So believable that I had to convince myself that the fictional mystery ending really didn't happen - or did it? Simply wonderful!

I bought this book in the Hermitage Museum shop in '05. It's great for a short travel book. Filled with history, plus a good mystery mixed in.

Knowing little about Russian history, it was interesting to me that R.Alexander was able to weave certified history into his romantic fantasy of a novel. I felt pushed to learn more about Russian history, but not to repeat reading this novel or other books by R. Alexander, I am sorry to say. This book was reviewed by a small book group that I belong to. The ladies all felt the same way about the novel. On the whole, looking at subjects that came to us when reading the book, we were astonished at the sheer waste of money on Romanov jewels and the terrible waste of millions of lives. Also, once again, we were sad that Russia has never managed to be anything but an autocratic society, whether the Tsars or the Communists rule. We hope for better government of that large land of such wonderful potential.

Over the years, many books, both fiction and non-fiction, have been written about the events of July 16-17, 1918. On that date, in the town of Yekaterinburg, the Russian royal family met their fateful end.

Misha Semyonov is an elderly Russian man who is living in the suburbs of Chicago's north side. Nearing the end of his own life, he begins to record a tape for his granddaughter, Kate, detailing what he knows about the Romanov family. Misha, it turns out, was the kitchen boy in the House of Special Purpose in Yekaterinburg. He served the last tsar and his family, and through his recounting of the events leading up to their death, he paints a detailed picture of the last days of Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, and their five children.

But the story doesn't end there. The innocent kitchen boy's account of the night's events explains the disappearance of two of the Romanov bodies (those of tsarevich Alexei and his sister, Maria), as well as what happened to the bodies of the family. But along the way, Misha covers his own tracks, and it is only through Kate's investigating skills that his big secret is revealed.

Robert Alexander does an excellent job painting the anxiety and uncertainty of those last few weeks in Yekaterinburg. The novel is vivid, with many Russian phrases (and their English translations), notes that can be found in the Russian Archives, and the picture of a loving family confused by their sudden change in circumstances.

To be honest, the novel reads a bit like "The Diary of Anne Frank," though not quite as candid. However, it is an excellent theory into the murders that ended Russian imperialism and changed the face of the world forever.

This novel, The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar, by Robert Alexander, is a very engaging novel which ensnares the reader with its excellent prose and already interesting story. This novel is essentially about the story of the Romanov's imprisonment and eventual execution at the hands of the Bolsheviks. However, what makes this novel more interesting is how it creatively explains the mystery of how and why the bodies of Aleksi and Maria were not found among their family; a mystery we would like to be solved! (One must remember however, that this is a historical fiction.)

What I found especially interesting in this novel, is how Alexander presented it to the reader. The story starts out with the old man talking to a tape recorder, which was later sent to his granddaughter, talking about his experience with the Romanov's and what actually happened that night they were executed. However, the old man still is withholding a great secret from his granddaughter, a secret she finds out in the end. Alexander keeps this up through out the whole novel; which I believe should be commended. Also, Alexander provides the reader with an intimate "close-up" of the Romanov family and their daily lives. For example how Nikolai II always read to his son Aleksi or how rambunctious Anastasia was (In the novel, she hops out onto the window ledge in order to "feel the air around her" and almost gets shot by a guard!). Furthermore, Alexander puts snippets of the Russian language in the novel and translates them for the reader. I found this particularly entertaining, since I was actually able to pick up some Russian.

All in all, this novel is skillfully written and you will not be able to put it down! Even though we all know what happens in the "end". If you're a history fanatic or are just interested in Russian culture or interested in the fate of the Romanov's then this book is highly recommended!

In The Kitchen Boy, Alexander takes the information known about the end of the Romanovs and uses it to create his version of how the story could have ended. This book covers the last couple of months of the Romanov's lives seen through the eyes of their kitchen boy Leonka. Detailed description of their time in captivity, their trusted advisors, servants, etc who decided to stay with them until the end, and of course that fateful night when their lives came to an end.

Since you know what is going to happen to the Romanovs the first part of the book is just OK. People in captivity aren't that interesting because they can't do much and there wasn't a ton of information on their lives prior to captivity. The characters didn't have a ton of depth to them and Alexander's writing style was very simplistic.

The last 50 pages really picked up though and I enjoyed reading Alexander's fictional take on what could have happened that fateful night and why two of the Romanov's bodies were not found. Overall, it was just OK.

"Wait for a whistle towards midnight... Such enticing words. To the ends of the earth Romeo could have thus enticed his Juliet, Heathcliff his Cathy, even Zhivago his Lara." Please!!! If this is a romance novel, the cover is all wrong. If this book is meant for young teenagers, something should flag that on the cover. I found the simplistic, over the top style distracting at every turn, and it just prevented me from enjoying the story and the historical perspective that, clearly, Mr Alexander possesses quite well.

"Wait for a whistle towards midnight... Such enticing words. To the ends of the earth Romeo could have thus enticed his Juliet, Heathcliff his Cathy, even Zhivago his Lara." Please!!! If this is a romance novel, the cover is all wrong. If this book is meant for young teenagers, something should flag that on the cover. I found the simplistic, over the top style distracting at every turn, and it just prevented me from enjoying the story and the historical perspective that, clearly, Mr Alexander possesses quite well.

I didn't want to book this book down. The author is wonderful at incorporating Russian into the language and actions of the characters, but without losing the reader. An amazing story - I wasn't sure what to expect, and I certainly didn't expect this...

I didn't want to book this book down. The author is wonderful at incorporating Russian into the language and actions of the characters, but without losing the reader. An amazing story - I wasn't sure what to expect, and I certainly didn't expect this...

The book brings the Tsar and his family closer to us as if we were living with them in their imprisonment. I know it's fiction, but it reads so well, you'll want to know more about them, their culture, and the circumstances surrounding their imprisonment.

Very entertaining. A good way to introduce you to the subject if you wish to know more about it.

Very entertaining. A good way to introduce you to the subject if you wish to know more about it.

I brought this book on vacation to Misquamicut Beach with me this year and I could not put it down. It ended with a real twist. A great story based on fact even though it was fiction. I absolutely loved it. This is definitely a must read. Well-written.

A snapshot of the Romanov Family and the last days of the Russian Tsar. This book is written from the kitchen boy's perspective. It includes lots of historical facts, so you can learn about this time period and conjecture what might of happened to this family during their imprisonment and before their horrific deaths. Lots to talk about and research regarding this time in Russia's history. Our book club loved it.