Canada Reads & Reviews, aka Simon Chibuk, appreciates a story from history lessons told from a unique perspective in Bryn Turnbull‘s The Last Grand Duchess.
Who’s behind Canada Reads & Reviews?
My name is Simon Chibuk, and I reside in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. I am an avid reader and enjoy different types of genres but my favorite “go to” is historical fiction.
During the COVID pandemic, I joined the Third Thursday of the Month historical fiction virtual book club. We have had great discussions and even had the experience of having authors attend, including some from NovelNetwork! I have been part of this book club since December 2020. We have a large, growing membership list as people hear more about our group, and we are open to accept new members.
Simon’s book club, Third Thursday of the Month:
Third Thursday of the Month Book Club formed on Facebook in December 2020 as an outlet for historical fiction lovers to come together amidst the pandemic. The club currently has over 900 members from across the U.S. and Canada. Each month, 20-50 members log-in to our Zoom discussion of a historical fiction which has been suggested and voted upon by members. We enjoy author visits to enrich our discussions and introduce our members to the craft of researching and writing about a wide spectrum of historical events, people, and time periods.
Simon’s review of The Last Grand Duchess:
Are you as fascinated as I am with the last imperial family of Russia? Did you wish you could pull the curtains back on their lives and see how royalty lived and how they were influenced by mysterious individuals and what Russia was like back during the Tsar’s reign?
If you said yes to these questions . . . Check out Bryn Turnbull’s THE LAST GRAND DUCHESS!
The novel is a story we know based on history lessons, but this novel is from the unique perspective of Olga Romanov (the second oldest Romanov).
Bryn Turnbull from the very first page pulls you into the opulence of Imperial Russia using two timelines – one’s a flashback to the childhood days of the Romanov siblings & the other is during WWI Russia but also of course at the same time the Russian Revolution. And of course, the story of the Romanovs couldn’t be complete without the introduction of the Siberian monk Gregory Rasputin.
4 stars
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Bryn Turnbull is available to visit with book clubs via NovelNetwork.com.
Be sure to follow Simon on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/canadianbookreviewer/
and on Goodreads at: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6254199-simon