2004 Year in Review

The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander

The author, Robert Alexander, wrote this book from a premise of truth. A notation was found in the diary of Empress Alexandra’s diary, written just hours before the murder of the imperial family, stating that the Bolsheviks had removed the kitchen boy, Leonka, from the house unexpectedly. History tells us the seven of the Imperial Family and their five servants were held under house arrest. Eleven were murdered. What if the twelfth, the kitchen boy, had escaped and, possibly, been a witness to the massacre?? Also, what if, the kitchen boy, Leonka, was still alive?

The book then revolves around those two premises: Leonka is still living and tells the story of those last days and the people he served. Even though the book is fiction, there are letters, and parts of diaries that are real which are interspersed throughout the book adding credence to the author’s writing.

The book is a fascinating fictional account of Czar Nicholas, his wife, Alexandra, and their children as they live out their last days in captivity. We see this family, their love for one another, and their hope of rescue, even to the end. But the story does not end at the murder of the family for the bodies remained missing until 1991. The day of Boris Yeltsin’s inauguration the hidden mass grave of the Romanov family was discovered and opened to reveal that the bodies of two of Czar Nicholas’ children were missing. Also missing were two suitcases full of Romanov jewels. Where were the two missing children and where were the jewels??

Robert Alexander’s tale of a family in peril is told with sympathy by Leonka and is very moving in its portrayal of survival. More than a re-creation of time and place, Mr. Alexander creates a suspenseful story with twists and surprises!!! Not only is this book historical fiction, but also it is a “page-turning” story! A great read!!

by Anne Frame, Guest Columnist
July 29, 2004