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BeRad89 (48 KP) rated I Was Anastasia in Books

Mar 26, 2018  
I Was Anastasia
I Was Anastasia
Ariel Lawhon | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics
9
9.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Anna Anderson has spent over fifty years of her life fighting to prove she is the Grand Duchess Anastasia. Her story begins near the end as she battles in court to get recognition. Anastasia is 18 months away from that fateful night in Yekaterinburg. Does she in fact survive?

I love the time line set up in this book. It is an amazing idea to have both women moving toward each other like trains on the same track. The moment they collide will be the moment we learn the truth. While I do not like Anna on a personal level, I appreciate how cunning, clever, and totally insane she is. She is one of most interesting characters I have ever read. I appreciate the amount of research that must have went into this novel. While it is a work of fiction, I bet that was a time consuming task.

The only criticism I can possibly have for this book is the very thing I like most: The Timeline. Some readers may find the nonlinear design difficult to follow.

I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon is a work of historical fiction. It is the prefect marriage of creativity and intelligence. From her character development to the time line set up, it is an amazing piece of work. I Was Anastasia will be published March 27, 2018 by Doubleday Books.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars rating. It is by far the best book I have read this year. I would recommend it to any lover of the Romanov history or historical fiction lover. However, I do recommend doing some research first. I have a good deal of knowledge on the Romanovs and that improved my experience with this book.
  
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Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated The Staircase in TV

Feb 25, 2021  
The Staircase
The Staircase
2018 | Crime, Documentary
8
8.0 (25 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
The massive red writing on the promotional image says it all: Did he do it? In 2001, Michael Peterson was accused of murdering his wife, who was found dead at the bottom of their staircase covered in blood the prosecution said was too much for an accidental fall. But Peterson, supported by most (but not all) of his family maintains his innocence throughout, and the show follows his attempt to prove it. The first 8 episodes of this incredible story were first shown in 2004, before True Crime docs were really a thing, followed by two updates of several episodes in 2013 and then 2018 as the case updated and new evidence came to light.

Of all the docs on this list, this is the one that had me most gripped by the back and forth of the case. I changed my mind so much, almost several times an episode at points, because Peterson himself is both very likeable and very suspicious. There is an opportunity to weigh the evidence for yourself here that a lot of crime series ignore. The balance feels fair, and the case itself is so very fascinating, both from a personal and legal point of view. It plays like a real life soap opera at times, complete with cliff-hangers and teases, as Making a Murderer proved was so effective. To this day, I am not certain of Peterson’s guilt. The only thing I can say is that it was he himself who commissioned the series and allowed the filming of the case. Is that something a guilty man would do to manipulate what we see, or what an innocent man would do when unafraid of the truth? You decide! This would be the one I would recommend to anyone new to the genre, uncertain if this kind of thing is for them.