This story weaves family saga, mystery, and historical fiction all in one. I really wanted to love this book, but it fell flat for me. There were a few too many twists that turned convenient to the story. I enjoyed the story about Tonya, and if the whole book had just been her story I think I would have liked it better. It was Rosie's (or Raisa's) story that fell flat for me.

A dual narrative epic saga spanning 100-years of Russian history, THE LAST RUSSIAN DOLL by Kristen Loesch hooked me from the start. At first the idea of reading about Russian history wasn't my cup of tea, but the prose, the plot, story and complex characters took me into another world which was fascinating.

The first narrative starts in 1915 with the rising of the Bolsheviks and 1917 Revolution. The second begins in 1991 London and moves to present day Russia. There's a mystery that our protagonist must solve. What she uncovers is a devastating family history that spans the 1917 Revolution, the siege of Leningrad, Stalin’s purges, and beyond.

What a wonderful story! I love historical fiction, but admit that I know little about Russian history other than a cursory overview of the Russian Revolution. In this story, we meet several characters connected by the events of the Bolshevik movement, World War II, the attempt to overthrow Lenin and Stalin, and the later movement away from communism. Told through the eyes of a modern woman who is haunted by a traumatic event in the 1970s, a woman from the 1917 revolution and a woman from the WWII era Russia, there are secrets everywhere and by the end, we know the connections.

This is sometimes a confusing read since it frequently shifts time periods. Also, for reader in the US, the place and people names can be a bit confusing. There are often Russian diminutives (nicknames) and some place names change before and after the revolution. Despite this, it's a worthwhile story filled with fairy tales and an intricate story of love, betrayal, and resilience. Loesch's descriptions put the reader firmly in the time and place of the story. I really enjoyed this book.

This is historical fiction at its best. Although it was hard at first with all the Russian names, it draws the reader into a synopsis of Russian history from the revolution, and socialism to the ending days of the Communist Soviet Union. It's told through the eyes and hearts of three ordinary Russian women which is fascinating. Kudos to the author.

It is not often that you find a book that wraps so many varied personalities and motivations into a compelling mystery of discovery and self-discovery. I had a difficult time getting into this book because I felt the frustrations of the characters in a very real way - the sign of a gifted writer who can pull us into relationship with characters that do not appear to have anything likable about them. By the end of the book I understood them and I liked them for who they were. This is a beautiful and frightening, personal look into the birth of Communism and the history of a nation that is a mystery to most Americans - many of which who have fallen for the propaganda. It shows us the lives of the people and how they suffered, and how they loved, and how they triumphed.

“The Last Russian Doll” is an extraordinary work of historical fiction- a three-dimensional maze noteworthy for its intricate and captivating plot, textured structure and layered character development. Weaving the threads of multiple lives against the backdrop of twentieth century Soviet history the author slowly and deftly exposes the unity of the story and the complex relationships among the characters, rewarding the reader for the focus that the novel demands.

Among the book’s most compelling elements is its forceful narrative of the cataclysmic events that marked the Soviet Union of the last century. The Revolution, the siege of Leningrad and the rise of Stalinism are exposed not by a sterile recounting of historical detail but rather through the view and feel and response of the characters. The profound effect of these events on the characters, as so thoughtfully described by the author, will be an enduring point of reference in the perception of this historical period.

The structure of the narrative is beautifully complex, engagingly intricate and always interesting. Chapter by chapter the story unfolds in two seemingly separate threads, seventy years distant. With each passing page the relationship between the story lines becomes a more challenging puzzle. In less skillful hands this technique would produce a work that was disjointed, purposefully confusing and without direction. But Ms. Loesch só ably uses the structure to build suspense, layer the narrative and add to the story’s interest.

Finally, the artistic quality of the prose is worthy of comment. A car is described as “shrieking in protest at every turn”. A character observes a “pyramid of food jars” with contents “that appeared monstrous, white sweet onions like human eyeballs, gherkins like fetuses”. An old lady’s mouth “arranging itself into a smile “.

“The Last Russian Doll” is a tour de force. Bravo!

Written as an homage to, "Anna Karenina", and all the other 19th and 20th century, great Russian novels, " The Last Russian Doll", is the story of Tonya and Valentin and of Rosie. It begins right after WW I and tells of the transformation from Tsarist Russia to a Socialist and then a Communist State. And continues into the 1990's and the glasnost period that gave rise to Putin.
I did have a hard time getting into this book. Perhaps it was because of all the Russian names and places. But once I did, the narrative seemed to flow into a wonderfully sprawling love story. For the story of Tonya and Valentin definitely is a love story. While the story of Rosie is one of self discovery; who she is, how she fits in, and how she is connected to the other people in the novel.
"The Last Russian Doll", stands out because it is so different from the novels of recent years. It is a throwback, after all. And I highly recommend it.

Spanning three generations, “The Last Russian Doll” beautifully encapsulates the story of one family during the Soviet Era in what is perhaps the most remarkable novel ever written about the period. Utilizing dual timelines, the author masterfully weaves forward from the beginning and backwards from the ending to bring together a breath-taking story in which nothing is what it seems, and surprises lurk around each corner. Expertly crafted characters lure the reader in from the very beginning in a setting not experienced since “Doctor Zhivago”. In addition, the use of fairytales and folklore add an element to the novel few others have dared approach. One of the most intriguing novels of the year, “The Last Russian Doll” is a five-star read not to be missed.

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres so this novel, The Last Russian Doll by Kristen Loesch seemed right up my alley. Even though I do read lots of historical faction, I haven’t read much about Russia’s history. Thus, I was really looking forward to this book.

The story unfolds over two timelines and from two POVs. Tonya was a young wife in 1915 during the Russian revolution. Rosie returns to Russia, her birthplace, in 1991 to try to find answers and closure from her past.

The book was well written with well developed characters and the story lines were intriguing. I did, however, find it a bit confusing at times. The back and forth timing with in each time line and the magnitude of side characters made it hard to follow from time to time.

Overall , this part historical fiction/part love story is well worth the read. The Russian element really gave it a different flavor. I would recommend this to all fans of historical fiction.

First, The Last Russian Doll is thankfully NOT a story about Princess Anastasia. I was relieved because there is so much more to Russian history! And this book delivered. A lovely look at how ideals can shift and lives can be mended.

Great Book and Education of the 1917 Russian Revolution
This is one of those books, once you finish, you want to reread it now you know how the characters develop and change. A very interesting story interweaving 3 generations. Raisa/Rosie, follows a story written by her great-grandmother to research and react to her own genealogy through fairy tales, porcelain dolls, love, death, and war. You won't want to put it down.

I really enjoyed the mystery and history when this book is set. This is an intriguing book that includes mystery, human tragedy and intrigue. The characters are well represented people that remind us of ourselves. The setting of the early 20th century Russian revolution and how it reaches all the way into the early 21st century. This makes it a fascinating and informative story. Many people whose family migrated to American or England can identify with the lost history created by war and revolution. The context of the Russian Revolution and the chaotic world of those times is of interest today. This story shows the real life consequences and costs people paid to survive. There is nothing heavy about this really fun book, set primarily in a time of great conflict.

This a very winding, intricate tale involving multiple points of view over generations of Russian/Soviet History. It's worth the effort, but my own ignorance of dates for historic events hindered me a bit. In 1991, Raisa returns to a Russia she left 14 years before to try and understand the violent events that led to her mother's flight with her to England. Piecing together the lives of her ancestors from her mother's cryptic dying words and the random clues she finds in her mothers possessions leads her into a rabbit warren of the lives of others, many of whom are not who they appear to be. As she untangles her family history, whe comes to terms with her own fears and her own behavior which impact her life in unexpected ways.

Absolutely stunning, emotional and propulsive look at a young woman with tragedy in her past who returns to the scene of the crime and her birth searching for answers. Haunted by the grisly death of her father and sister Rosie is pulled back into revolutionary Russia for the answers -

In a faraway kingdom, in a long-ago land...this is story of generations of women interlocked in Russian history. It starts with the overthrow of the Romanov family by the Bolsheviks in 1917 and continues to 1993. Rosie who lives in London takes a position as an assistant and goes to Russia to discover her history. I throughly enjoyed this book and the Russian history interwoven with this story. I had trouble at first understanding the multiple names given to the characters at different times in their lives. I would highly recommend.

THE LAST RUSSIAN DOLL is highly recommended for fans of literary historical fiction. This is truly a sweeping saga that covers so much within its pages. But the reader does not feel overwhelmed because we're in good hands. Loesch is such a talented writer, who integrates her research seamlessly into the narrative. Each timeline is equally captivating. There are a lot of characters to keep up with, but that should not detract from readers' enjoyment. I can definitely see the comparison to great Russian literature.

The author compared her writing style to Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, and I agree. This made it a challenge to keep track of the characters, whose names sometimes changed, their locale varied, and even the time periods jumped around. I may reread it, and keep a cheat sheet (which I remember doing when I read War and Peace!), for I think I would appreciate the novel so much more. The story has all the right elements, but I couldn’t follow the presentation. A good choice for a patient and discerning reader.

The Last Russian Doll is one of the most compelling books of historical fiction that I’ve read in years. The themes feel nearly as sweeping as the best of Russian literature encompassing forbidden love, romance, world war, civil war, treachery, mystery, political upheaval, hope, despair, beauty, bleakness, loss, miscommunication, custom created porcelain dolls, Gulags, torture, redemption, fairy tales, survival, and the search for meaning in life. Mix War & Peace with Crime & Punishment and toss in a bit of Anna Karenina with a dash of Pushkin, Stalin, Chekhov and a pinch of Solzhenitsyn. I could not stop reading. It is one of those stories I did not want to end.
The story alternates among perspectives/ voices as well as three different time periods: 1917/1918; 1945/1946; 1991. Completely loved this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review. An absolutely stunning debut.

“It will be all or nothing. This life, or him. This palace, or that cellar. Royalty, or revolution.”

Rosie is currently residing in England with her fiancé. She goes to see a famous man named Alexey Ivanov speak in London. She already knows he is looking for an assistant and she wants him to choose her. This would mean leaving England and returning to Russia to hopefully face the demons she has been fighting with all along since she left fourteen years ago.

I love, love, love reading books with dual timelines, so this was right up my alley being told from the POV of Raisa aka Rosie in 1991, and Antonina aka Tonya starting in 1915 continuing over decades. Each timeline was equally engaging and entertaining as the other, which was a bonus. This is a one of those books you pick up and you do not want to put down because you cannot wait to find out what is going to happen next. The author did such a fantastic job of keeping me captivated. You get the mystery of how these two timelines are going to be tied together which keeps you engaged along with a ton of rich, Russian history intertwined.

At first, I was confused by the inclusion of the fairy tales at the beginning of some of the chapters (what do they mean?). But as you continue through the book, you come to learn that they were written by one of the characters and describe actual moments in their life. I thought this was such a lovely touch. The author notes that all of them were written by her and not based on preexisting stories. She did such an excellent job on them (so much so that I personally think she should look into writing a book of them).

This historical fiction gem gives you a little bit of everything; Russian history, hardships, romance, political strife, heartache, commitment, determination, true love and new love. It does not disappoint!

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

“Love should not be a frenzy, Mama used to say. You will know it by how quiet it is. How it grows over time, every day a little bit more, a little bit stronger, without anyone noticing, until it’s all you can see, like the White Nights of St. Petersburg. Until it is just a fact of life.”

This story reminded me of 'The Revolution of Marina M' by Janet Finch, same time frame, same aristocrat x revolutionary love story, same tragedies of missed connections and miscommunication. Regardless of feeling like I've read this story before I enjoyed it. Books with past/present timelines and overlapping storylines seem to be popular with historical fiction. I think the story would have been stronger without Rosie's involvement.