The Last Russian Doll is a multi generational look at life in Russia. From the days of the Tsar to the collapse of the Soviet Union, we witness the corruption, despair and strength of this of the Russian people.

Tonya is a young wife in 1916 Russia, a rather unhappy wife in a big city who falls for a man other than her husband. We follow Tonya for decades during the book, interspersed with Rosie (Raisa) a young woman who was born in Russia but now lives in London. Rosie recently lost her mother and when an opportunity comes up in 1991 to return to Moscow for a short term job she is excited to go and find answers to why her father and sister were killed.

The novel is beautifully written and I could picture the locales that Loesch describes so well. She also does a great job of bringing home the lives of those who want to bring revolution to Russia. I was just disappointed that I didn't care more for the characters. I am the type of reader that wants to feel involved in the characters lives and I didn't.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

The Last Russian Doll by Kristen Loesch was a thought-provoking work of historical fiction that also focused on educating the reader on the history of Russia. Through different POVs that jump back in forth in time from 1915 to 1991, it covered the Russian Revolution, the Siege of Leningrad and the fall of the USSR.

It was through a multi-generational plot and use of allegorical fairytales that the story unfolded. There were two main POVs that told the story which also jumped around in time. I had no problem following the storyline and enjoyed each POV equally.

I was completely invested while reading the book but there were a couple of plot holes that I felt were left open regarding the mystery aspect of the book. I think the story could’ve used a bit more polishing.

I went into this read with an open mind, having never read anything by this author before. Within the first chapter I was hooked. Rosemary (Raisa) escaped to England from Russia with her mother when she was ten after a family tragedy. Rosie tried to put the past behind her and is now engaged and pursuing a PhD in cryptography. Before she starts her new life, she joins a defected Russian writer and goes to Russia. There Rosie is confronted with her own history and must decide to go forward or remain in the past.

This book goes back and forth between the 1990s and the time between the Russian revolution and World War II. There are a few mysteries but they are solved by the end. It was an enjoyable and well written read!

*Full review to be posted closer to publication!*

Wow, what an incredible historical fiction story! This was truly an epic historical fiction that follows three generations of Russian women throughout the twentieth century. I really loved getting to know each of these women and also getting to learn so much about Russian history through them. I appreciated how much effort Kristen Loesch clearly put into her research, as it definitely paid off and I felt like I got to learn a lot more about different points in history. This story was full of ups and downs and I loved coming along for the ride. We jump around in time quite a bit, which I'm not always a huge fan of, but I think it worked well for telling the story.

3.5 stars, rounded down
The Last Russian Doll is a family saga that encompasses three generations, from pre-Revolution Russia in 1916 through the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Like so many current historical fictions written recently, the book bounces around in time rather than moving in a straight line. But it is also written as an allegory of Russia in the 20th Century. Loesch uses fairy tales, supposedly written by one of the characters, to move the story forward and provide an additional layer of meaning to the tale. As you might expect from my synopsis, the story can be complicated and confusing, with all its myriad layers. It only somewhat worked for me.
Given its time period, the themes cover betrayal, hardship and survival. The latter story has a mystery at its center. As a child, Rosie witnesses a man killing her father and sister. As Rosie thinks at one point, “Fourteen years of asking, Who Was he, that man, and why? Fourteen years of failing to ask, Who were you, Mum, and why? Like Rosie, I had no clue either.
A personal preference of mine is that I like historical fiction heavy on facts and light on romance. This was more the reverse. The story covers the Russian Revolution, the Siege of Leningrad, Stalin’s purges and the gulags, and the fall of the USSR. But there’s a dearth of specifics about those events other than the direct impact on the characters. But Loesch does a good job of providing plenty of atmosphere and giving you a sense of place.
My thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for an advance copy of this book.

Thank you so much to Berkley for an advanced copy of The Last Russian Doll. I really enjoyed this book!

Star Rating: 4⭐️
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pub Date: March 14, 2023

I have always been fascinated with Russian history and heritage, dating back to when I first studied the Romanov family in school. I was so excited to read The Last Russian Doll, and it truly kept me engaged from start to finish! This is definitely a book that will stick with you for a while.

I loved that this book spanned such a long time period; the story goes from the early 1900s to the 1990s, and it just felt like such an epic story. I also liked how well the three women at the center of the story were linked, and how just all-encompassing the story around them was. This book was truly immersive! The timeliness were represented so well, and I felt my heart break multiple times as I read.

Structurally, I really enjoyed the multiple timeline execution. The aspects that dealt with the Russian Revolution felt particularly brutal, but were tastefully written. I liked both women that the timelines specifically revolved around, and found I was equally invested in them.

I really feel guilty saying I enjoyed this book because it's not necessarily a happy tale. It's emotional, violent, raw...and it is guaranteed to make you feel all the emotions that the women these character represent likely felt throughout Russian history. I feel like I learned a lot reading this one, and as previously mentioned, it will definitely stick with you long after you finish the story.

Thank you again to Berkley Pub for an advanced copy of The Last Russian Doll in exchange for my honest review.

Special thanks to Berkeley Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC of this book for my own opinion..

This book spans about Russian history for 75 years and had a lot of narrators. I really loved the history part but some of the book was confusing. This book wasn't so bad, it just wasn't for me.

3 stars

The Last Russian Doll by Kristen Loesch

I know this story will stay with me. I seem to be reading a lot of historical fiction over the last year that deals with Russia's history and the life (and death) of its people. So much of what happens in this story keeps happening, not just in Russia but in other countries.

The story spans from around 1915 to the 1990s and those years are linked by three women. Before 1991 Rosie can close the book on her past and the past of her mother, she goes to Russia to trace her family's tragic past. She has her own horrific memories and she has stories that her mother would tell her, stories framed as fairy tales that Rosie comes to realize aren't just fairy tales. They are the kind of fairy tales you would hope were never real, yet, Rosie finds that through those stories she is hearing the past of her family.

Rosie's story begins with Tonya, at the start of the Russian revolution and this epic tale is brutal. I actually enjoyed both timelines, Tonya's timeline and Rosie's timeline, as Rosie unwraps the mysteries of her past. In some ways, the story feels much longer than it really is because it covers so much. We go back and forth between one time to the other and I was content to do so. Both stories were equally interesting to me, which doesn't always happen. In this case, I think I could feel how Rosie's past connected to her present, I could feel the connection of three generations of women. Nothing about this story feels good, it's too brutal, raw, and unforgiving but I think it's so very interesting. It won't be for everyone, it's a tough story to read, but it is adding fuel to an interest in history that has been getting stronger in me over the last years of reading.

Thank you to Elisha at Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC.

This lovely and at times haunting exploration of the Soviet past and the early 1990s, when it seemed that Russia might shrug off that past, seems particularly timely as we enter the second year of Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked war on neighboring Ukraine—an effort specifically aimed at restoring Russian hegemony in the region. Raisa, who has spent the last fourteen years of her life in Oxford under the name Rosie, accepts an offer to accompany a noted dissident back to her home city of Leningrad (St. Petersburg), then in the throes of reform. Raisa has a mission: to discover who murdered her father and sister and why.

Loesch contrasts Raisa’s/Rosie’s story with that of Valentin, a Bolshevik, and the love of his life—Antonina, the young and disillusioned wife of a rich merchant. Their narrative begins in 1916 and follows their twisted fortunes through the early successes of Bolshevism, Stalin’s ascent to power, and the recurring terror of the 1930s and 1940s. The novel touches on events less well known to readers of historical fiction, such as the building of the White Sea Canal using forced labor, as well as others that have received wider treatment like the Siege of Leningrad in 1941–42.

The writing is rich and rewarding, and all the strands tie together in the end in emotionally satisfying ways. The connecting element of the porcelain dolls is both expected and just a little different, a perfect symbol of this beautifully conceived and executed book.

I will be hosting a written Q&A with the author on my blog (linked below) in March 2023.

This was a fascinating book. The tale, told by various narrators, covers a span of about 75 years of Russian history . We meet Tonya, the aristocratic young bride and her Bolshevik admirer in 1917, Then there is Rosie, trying to be an English academic but haunted by her past. She and her mother fled to England 14 years earlier after the murder of her father and sister. Now a well known Russian author has hired her to search for a woman from his past. How are the past and present related.? What is the story, how are the narrators connected? It is a book which raises lots of questions and after twists answers them. I think it would be an excellent choice for discussion.
This is a review of an eGalley provided by NetGalley.

I found this to be very boring. It started off strong, but really got muddled with all the back story and changing timelines.

An epic, dual-timeline novel set in Russia. Rosie - formerly Raisa - knows very little of Russia and the tragedy that ripped her family apart. But when her mother dies, leaving her a mysterious key, Rosie decides to travel to Russia to explore her own history. Meanwhile, a rich noblewoman, Tonya, is falling for someone of a lower social class at the height of the Revolution. Their fates will intertwine in ways they couldn't predict.

I love dual-timeline novels, especially seeing how well this author weaves together the mysteries. Both storylines were engrossing, and both women fought and loved hard.

Perfect for any historical fiction lover!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An epic love story that transcends the Russian Revolution, WW2 and the siege of Leningrad, the Stalin gulags and the fall of Communism in the USSR. This was a beautiful, tragic and in the end hopeful story of two women. Tonya starting life as a young wife in Tsarist Moscow and Rosie, a 1990’s PhD. Student at Oxford in England. Their lives intertwine and overlap in a very human way but also against the backdrop of the last 100 years of Russian history. I couldn’t put it down.

The Last Russian Doll is an epic look at what Russia was like from 1917 to present. It is told from different characters who lived and are living this history. I found the book attempted too much and at times it was hard to follow the story line. Development of the characters at times left many questions. I learned a lot about Russian history and its impact on the general population but it never drove me to hurry up and finish the

The Last Russian Doll is an interesting read,giving it's readers a peek at what life may have looked like during a time spanning from the 1917 Revolution to the last days of the Soviet Union.
Three point of views dominate this tale: one of a struggling bolshevik , one of a wealthy young woman married into nobility and one of a present day young lady who finds herself traveling to Russia to unlock mysteries surrounding her family. She unknowing connects dots that link our bolshevik and noble woman.
I enjoyed learning a bit more about Russian culture and language. The author does a nice job of transporting us into a different time and atmosphere. You feel the desperation of the starving citizens and the arrogance and oblivious attitude of those in power.
Ultimately, I feel this is a sweet love story wrapped in the struggling country of Russia. The couple shows unending love for one another and their country.

This was amazing. A historical fiction that even a beginner can catch-up to. I was hooked onto it since the beginning, it was that engrossing. Plus, the word building and the pacing was just absolutely incredible!!

A historical mystery with a lot of threads to pull. Lots of storylines that took quite a while to pull together with no clear connection points. good enough to finish but hard to find someone to recommend to.

The cover is beautiful so kudos to the designers as that alone would bring people to pick up. I found myself more interested in the fairy tales in between the chapters than the story line itself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

When I read the description of this book I couldn’t wait to read it. Sadly, unlike most reviewers, I couldn’t get into it. I have read many books in which the story seamlessly follows interwoven stories between two time periods but the tangled threads made this one a mess. I could not relate to any of the characters and had a hard time keeping them straight. Just when the story became interesting it would jump ahead leaving that thread dangling. Perhaps it’s the fact I have not read classic Russian literature and am not familiar with that method of storytelling that caused me to pause. I did enjoy the fairytales and could see how they related to the overall story but other than that the story fell flat for me. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An utterly absorbing story about a young woman facing her family’s hidden history in 20th century Russia. After her mother’s death in England, Rosie returns to her native Russia as a research assistant for a Russian writer. Worlds collide as Rosie rediscovers her heritage and uncovers information both for her employer and herself. Dark folktales play an integral and magical role in helping Rosie unravel her Russian identity and her unbreakable ties to her homeland and past.

First rate writing and storytelling that weaves together different eras in Russian history.