To the Discussion Leader Summary Thinking About the Book Student Activities Author Interview

To the Discussion Leader
The story of Anastasia Romanov, the last grand duchess of Russia, may be as old as 1914 but also as new as recent movies and newspaper headlines. For decades the world has been intrigued with her story. Carolyn Meyer, the author of Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess, fell in love with the Anastasia story years ago. Meyer says, "The movies made her life seem so romantic, like a fairy tale. Years ago I saw a movie starring Ingrid Bergman as Anastasia. Recently, I saw the animated version of the story. Those movies made it seem as though everything turned out beautifully for Anastasia. I was broken-hearted when I found out the truth."

In this addition to the Royal Diaries series, readers learn about the last tsar of Russia, his family, and the tragic end of the Romanovs. Anastasia's diary describes the family's ornate palaces, expensive jewels, and life of great privilege juxtaposed against the increasing discontent among the Russian people as "Bloody Nicholas" and "the German woman" (Anastasia's parents) rule a land drawn into a war where Russian casualties are great and hunger and deprivation engulf the country.

During March of 1917 the Russian people revolt; Tsar Nicholas abdicates; a Provisional Government is formed; and eight months later the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, overthrow the Provisional Government and take over. The Bolsheviks later become the Communist Party and rule the Soviet Union until 1991.

Nineteen members of the Romanov family were executed in 1918, but a few survived the slaughter. In the 1920s, Anna Anderson claimed she was Anastasia Romanov and convinced many that she was the Last Duchess. Anderson died in 1960, but recent movies keep the story alive. In 1998 the remains of Tsar Nicholas II were officially placed in an honored tomb in Russia. The ceremony was attended by Russian President Boris Yeltsin. Those headlines served to fuel the interest in Anastasia one more time.

Did Anastasia really survive? Carolyn Meyer sees it this way. "I would love to believe that Anastasia escaped, but having read the grisly accounts of the execution and the disposal of the bodies, I simply don't think it was possible for anyone to have survived. But what if, against all odds and all evidence, she did manage somehow to escape? That is the romantic fantasy that is so appealing to so many people."

Summary
Twelve-year-old Anastasia Romanov, youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexander of Russia, lives in a palace of over one hundred rooms, surrounded by servants, rich food, jewels, and an endless number of elegant dresses. She seems to have everything: loving parents, three lively older sisters, a mischievous younger brother, and luxury beyond imagination. Life seems perfect, except for her brother Alexei's frequent bouts of internal bleeding, whenever he has the slightest injury. When "he is ill, life seems to hang suspended, as though we have all stopped breathing. Then when he's recovered, we start living again." They live in high style, sailing on the royal yacht, riding the imperial train, and vacationing in palaces on the Black and Baltic Seas. Everywhere they go it seems that people love the tsar, "the most important man in the world," even kissing the ground where his shadow passes.

But there are signs of unrest in Russia. Anastasia writes, "There are people who say the peasants are suffering and blame it on Papa. There are even some people who believe that others should share in the rule of our country!"

Things begin to change when the Archduke of Austria-Hungary is assassinated, and not long after, Germany, an ally of Austria, declares war on Russia. Tsar Nicholas becomes involved with military operations, and Tsarina Alexandra and the two oldest sisters volunteer as Red Cross nurses. Anastasia's life turns "completely upside down." The war drags on, angering the Russian people, who blame the tsar. To end the war, Nicholas takes over as Commander-in-Chief of the Russian armies, placing his wife in charge of running the country. Alexandra, unwisely, seeks advice from the controversial Father Grigory, also known as Rasputin, whom she trusts completely. Instead of helping the country, Father Grigory's bad advice pushes "Russia to the brink of disaster."

Anastasia learns that, "The country is in chaos. The peasants are starving, and the army is thinking rebellion. There are revolutionaries who want to depose Papa and take over the country." Not long after, Father Grigory is murdered, Tsar Nicholas abdicates, and the royal family is arrested and transported to Siberia. Their lives have changed dramatically: they now live in a cold, unfurnished house with little food and nothing to do. Guards are rude to them and threaten their lives. While Russia falls into the hands of Lenin and the Bolsheviks, the Romanovs wonder what will happen to them. Anastasia is hopeful. As she gives her beloved diary to a trusted friend, Sonia, she says, "When we're free, I'll write to her from England or Japan or wherever we're going, and ask her to send it to me. And so, farewell to you, dear diary. Until we meet again."

Thinking About the Book
1. What is the cause of "Alexei's problem?" Why is the family so protective of Alexei? Why must no one outside of the family know of his condition?

2. Anastasia writes these words about Father Grigory: "I must be evil to my very bones, because I do not like this man, no matter what anyone says." What are some of the reasons she feels this way about one of her mother's most trusted advisors?

3. Anastasia and her family lived in great luxury. She tells of receiving a diamond and a pearl every year since her birth and of her mother having six wardrobe maids. What other examples of the Romanovs' extreme wealth can you give?

4. Why do the people of Russia begin to believe that Mama is a traitor?

5. Father Grigory makes this prediction to Anastasia's mother: "If I die or you desert me, you will lose your son and your crown within six months." Does this prediction come true?

6. What is the significance of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary on June 28, 1914? How does this event change the lives of the Romanovs?

7. In her last diary entry, Anastasia writes that she must get rid of her diary. Why is this action necessary?

8. Who is Vladimir Lenin and who are the Bolsheviks?

9. What happens to the Romanovs? Why is this book titled The Last Grand Duchess?

Student Activities
1. What is meant by Old Style and New Style dates? What would today's date be written in the Old Style? Your birthday?

2. Every Easter, Tsar Nicholas gave his wife and his mother each a Fabergé egg. Learn more about Fabergé eggs and view some of these elegant creations at the web site that follows.
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/4819/felist.html

3. Anastasia's diary is filled with many references to food. Have each member of your discussion group take one or two of these foods and see if they can find a recipe on how to make it. Bring the foods to class for a Romanov tasting party.

• pirozhki
• blini
• paskha
• kulich
• kutia
• guava

5. Using your copy of Anastasia's diary and reference sources in your library or classroom, find out what each of these words means.

• appalled
• balalaika
• boudoir
• troika
• sophisticated

7. The author of Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess, Carolyn Meyer, has her own web site http://www.readcarolyn.com. Visit this location and read Carolyn's own diary as she works on her books for young people. Find out about her life. Send her a question or share with her your reactions to Anastasia's story.

An Interview with Carolyn Meyer
Richard F. Abrahamson, Ph.D. & Eleanore S. Tyson, Ed.D.: You've said that you cried as you wrote the final pages of Anastasia's diary. What made you so sad?

Carolyn Meyer: I was sad because, although the diary ends on a hopeful note ("And so, farewell to you, dear diary. Until we meet again."), I knew what was going to happen next. I wept because I, the author, was aware of Anastasia's fate, and she, the keeper of the diary, was not. And I wept because I believe that what happened to the Tsar and his family was cruel and unnecessary.

RFA & EST: In the historical notes, you mention that Anastasia and her mother kept diaries. Did you use parts of these diaries in your research? How did these diaries figure into your writing of the book?

CM: Anastasia's diary entries were useful because they gave me a clue to her personality, as well as some information about what she was doing at various times. I had fragments of her sisters' diaries as well, to help fill in the gaps. Mama's diary helped me to solve one troublesome problem: which calendar to use for the dates of the diary entries. Anastasia and her sister and brother were Russian born and probably used only the Julian calendar, but Mama was from Germany, which had switched over to the Gregorian calendar, and she adopted the habit of using both dates in her diary. This became an important issue when events in Europe began to affect what was going on in Russia.

RFA & EST: Besides Anastasia, who is your favorite character in the book? Why?

CM: Oh, Father Grigory! Bad guys are always fun to write about. This doesn't mean I would have wanted to spend an evening with him.

RFA & EST: You fell in love with the story of Anastasia years ago. As you delved into her life to research this diary, what did you learn that surprised you most?

CM: Maybe surprised isn't quite the word, but I found myself fascinated by the distinctive personalities of the four sisters ("OTMA") and their younger brother, and of the relationship among them.

RFA & EST: If your readers wanted to read another book on Anastasia, do you have one or two you'd recommend?

CM: Anastasia's Album by Hugh Brewster (New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 1996) is a beautiful book with lots of photographs and some of Anastasia's own drawings. It would make a wonderful companion book to her diary."

RFA & EST: Your book hints at the unsavory and amoral character of Father Grigory. What did you find out about his powers of prediction and healing? Was the royal family, especially Alexandra, unaware of his true character, or did they choose to ignore it because he seemed to be able to heal Alexei?

CM: People in Anastasia's time either loved Father Grigory and considered him a great healer, or they despised him and thought he was a fraud. He did seem able to soothe Alexandra's fears, and when she became calmer, Alexei also relaxed enough to let his body heal itself. The Dowager Empress Marie was one of those who hated Grigory; Tsar Nicholas, as usual, was caught between his mother and his wife.

RFA & EST: You discuss some of the myths about the "miraculous survival" of Anastasia, yet you seem to be convinced that she died with her family. Why do you think so? To what do you attribute the intense interest in Anastasia Romanov?

CM: I would love to believe that Anastasia escaped, but having read the grisly accounts of the execution and disposal of the bodies, I simply don't think it was possible for anyone to have survived. But what if, against all odds and all evidence, she really did manage somehow to escape?--that's the romantic fantasy that is so appealing to so many people.

RFA & EST: What is one question you'd like to ask children after they've finished reading Anastasia's diary?

CM: After Anastasia lost everything, what is the one thing you think she might have missed the most? If you were to lose everything, as Anastasia did, what would you miss the most?

RFA & EST: What is one thing you hope young readers will take with them after reading Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess?

CM: Anastasia's story demonstrates how suddenly everything we take for granted can be swept away by events of history over which we have no control. Many of us would have considered Anastasia badly spoiled by the riches of her pampered existence, yet even when her life went spinning out of control, she never lost hope and she never lost her sense of humor.

Discussion Guide written by Richard F. Abrahamson, Ph.D., Professor of Literature for Children and Young Adults, University of Houston and Eleanore S. Tyson, Ed.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Houston, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Houston, Texas.