Kathryn Williams (1) (1981–)

I've been fascinated by the story of Anastasia and the Romanov family ever since I first saw the cartoon version as a child, so I was very curious to see how it would be tackled in The Storyteller.

The premise is very interesting, even if perhaps a little far-fetched: while helping her mother clean out the attic of her late Aunt Anna, aspiring writer and dedicated student Jess finds a trunk full of what look to be old diaries, entirely written in Russian. After enlisting a local college student to help her translate these, Jess is shocked to discover that, according to the diaries, her aunt was none other than Princess Anastasia.

Suspending all disbelief and logic for the purposes of enjoying the book (otherwise I would have to seriously question the likelihood of a presumed-dead, world-famous princess fleeing to a different continent with a truck full of diaries and managing to somehow hold onto them for decades), I actually enjoyed reading snippets of the diaries and following Anna's story. It's clear the author did their research, and a lot of detail and information on the Romanovs, their lives and deaths, were included in the book.

I also really liked the way a parallel was drawn between Anna/Anastasia and Jess, and how this led Jess to a deeper reflection on perfectionism and people-pleasing, and just how much of herself she is willing to hide or compromise just to meet other people's expectations. This is such an important topic, and I'm glad it got some space here even though it could have been expanded on so much more than was actually done.

This is also where my main issue with this book was. Jess has the potential to be a really interesting character and act as a bridge between past and present, but she just fell flat. She comes across as a very generic teenage character and, to be honest, annoyed me for most of the book as I never really got a sense of who she was. The rest of the cast was equally one-dimensional and forgettable, and there really wasn't much driving the book beyond the mystery of the diaries.

I did like where the ending went and the fact that the events surrounding the Romanov family were dealt with in a sensitive manner. As I mentioned above, the author's formidable research work shines through, and I think it makes all the difference. I also liked Jess's character growth, even though it felt as if its foundations were missing due to the problems I mentioned.

Still, The Storyteller is a quick and easy read offering an original take on the story of Anastasia with a strong historical foundation and an important message about discovering and being true to yourself.

For more reviews, visit Book for Thought.

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.… (altro)

Jess loves to write, hates to ski, wants to quit soccer, thinks she loves her boyfriend and feels like no one actually knows the real her...... When her mom asks her to help clean out her great great aunt Ana's attic, Jess is delighted to find a trunk of old diaries. Problem is they are in a foreign language. With the help of a local Russian language expert (who happens to be a cute college student) Jess and Evan embark on a journey to translate the diaries. Could Jess's great great Aunt Ana be Anastasia Romanov, the youngest daughter of the last czar of Russia? Did Anastasia indeed escape execution? What beings as a journey to uncover family secrets, evolves into a journey of self discovery for Jess. I thought this was a fast easy read and I liked how the story alternated between present day and Anastasia's journals.… (altro)

I love all things dealing with the Romanov family and in particular Anastasia, so I was keen to get my hands on The Storyteller. The novel started slowly but it did improve once Jess and Evan started reading the journals of her great, great aunt, Anna. It soon becomes apparent that Anna could be the Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov, and this is when The Storyteller became interesting. Anna's diaries were compelling and I enjoyed following her story. I was always disappointed to leave them and return to Jess and Evan, who I didn't find particularly engaging.

Jess spent too much time with unlikeable people, especially her boyfriend, Ryan. For most of the novel she annoyed me, living her life to please others. Evan was more likeable but I didn't feel the chemistry between him and Jess. It would have been better had they just stayed friends.

Reading "The Storyteller", it was obvious that the author had done her research. The historical detail was excellent and I thought Ms Williams finished the novel well. Although not compelling, this novel was a quick read which will introduce a new generation to the mysteries and conspiracies surrounding the last Russian Tsar and his family.… (altro)

While helping to clean out her deceased great-great aunt’s attic, Jess comes across a trunk full of old dairies, written in an unknown language. Putting up a Craigslist ad, Jess meets Evan, a college kid studying Russian. They go on a deep dive of her aunt’s diaries - could her aunt be the long loss supposedly alive Anastasia Romanov? I really enjoyed the historical part of the story and loved how the author used dairies for tell Anna’s story. If you’re looking for an alternative Anastasia story, this was a great one to read!… (altro)