After the Romanovs is a bit of a misnomer as the title of this book, as Rappaport begins covering Russia and its elites several decades prior to the execution of the Tsar and his family and the rise of the Bolsheviks and continues through mainly to the beginning of World War II. This does help establish the stark contrast though, between the lives members of the upper class were able to live in Paris prior to either fleeing or being forcibly removed from Russia. The “before” period is without a doubt the story of decadence – jewelry, high fashion, the upper crust of society in music and entertainment. And oh, how the mighty have fallen several decades later. With no funds to live off of, no practical skills for many and few jobs available for those with practical skills, the former Grand Dukes and Grand Duchesses are forced into menial labor to survive and artists, musicians and writers struggle to reconcile the world they now live in against the one that shaped and influenced them. Rappaport covers the full gamut, and at times the book is richer for it by showing a full experience of every type of Russian émigré but it also bogs it down; trying to keep all of the different people and their occupations (or lack thereof) can be a struggle. Any reader that has a great love of where they come from will certainly empathize with the Russians removed from their homeland; it may be more difficult to generate sympathy for Grand Dukes used to showering jewels on mistresses being forced to work as taxi drivers. The author shows that there are those that acknowledge their circumstances and learn to adapt, but there are many that struggle to reconcile that a pampered existence is no longer theirs for the taking and prefer to live in the past – and their glory years. A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
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Fascinating look at the Russian royal family, and specifically, the extended family members who survived the Russian revolution. Unlike most books I have read about the Romanovs and others, all of the information in this book was new to me... and it was fascinating. Thank you so much to St Martins Press for this book! I really enjoyed it!

This is a very detailed and highly researched tale of the history of the Russian people during and following the Russian Revolution, WWI and WW2. As their homeland is taken over, the ruling family of the Romanovs are either killed or displaced. Most of the residents and many of the aristocracy fled the country trying to find shelter from oppression. A great many of them went to Paris, London and later to the Americas. This book reveals many of their stories. It details their struggles, their losses and what it took to begin again after financial losses so great that Princes were reduced to shop workers and/or taxi cab drivers, dishwashers and the menial tasks available mostly to uneducated workers. The book deals with the Great Russian ballerinas, artists, musicians, poets, writers and so many others. There is an overwhelming amount of research carefully referenced and gives the reader a feeling of attending a very advanced college class on the history of the Russian people. I learned a lot from this book and highly recommend it. But I will say there found myself having to go back and forth in the book to keep characters straight and feel this would be easier in a print version.

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tw: death, addiction, infidelity, murder, illness, false imprisonment, poverty, child abandonment, mentions of drug use, drugging, execution, suicide

A special thank you goes out to St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read this eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When St. Martin’s Press sends me an eARC of a book, no matter what it is, I read it. That’s just the rules around here. Luckily, St. Martin’s Press seems to know my interest and sends me books that they think I would enjoy. While this book should have been something I enjoy, I found that I just couldn’t get into it, like I wanted to. And no one is more sad about this than I am.

I have realized, from reading this book, that I am not as well versed with the Romanovs like I thought I was. Sometimes, I overestimate my knowledge about certain things and this was the time when I did just that. There were just so many different royals, a lot of them I didn’t know and I couldn’t keep track. There was even a very nice glossary in the beginning of the book, but since I read this on a Kindle and not a physical book, I couldn’t easily flip back to it like I wanted to. That would have helped out my confusion so much. So I spent much of the time just plain confused.

Even though I spent most of my time confused, I did manage to learn a lot. I often wondered what happened to the Russian royals who survived. It’s not like they could stay in Russia after everything that happened. Turned out, they went to France, which I didn’t expect. It was sad to see that, at first, the French welcomed the Russians. After a while, they came to really resent them and the resources they used. Reminds me of America, but we won’t get into that. Or we can later if you want. I don’t mind.

Overall, this was a rare miss with St. Martin’s Press. But that’s okay. You can’t love them all. It was a good book, I just underestimated my Russian knowledge, like I mentioned above.. That just means I need to read more books about them and I am sure my favorite publishing company has some books to help me on my quest. So don’t be afraid to let me know, St. Martin’s Press!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of After the Romanovs Russian Exiles in Paris from the Belle Époque Through Revolution and War by Helen Rappaport to review. This is such an interesting historical book. If you have a passion for Russian history as Helen Rappaport does, or want an introduction of how life in Paris was like after the Russian aristocracy fled their homeland, this is definitely a book for you. Each chapter covers various groups such as the arts, fashion, authors and poets, and former military and how they did or didn't adjust to living in Paris. The last two chapters then go on to tell what had happened to those who stayed in Paris and those who returned to Russia. During their time in Paris they lived in poverty and those who could took menial jobs after selling what little property such as jewelry that they were able to bring with them while dreaming of returning to Russia and hopefully the life they had lived before. It's a fascinating look at life in Paris when it was the vacation playground of the rich and how Paris treated them after the revolution when they became emigrants who quickly ran out of money. This is a well-researched book that helped me understand a particular moment in time. There are a lot of people who are discussed but there is also a cast of characters list for reference along with an extensive bibliography and notes section. Definitely a book to recommend.

A compelling and intriguing look at the lives of the Russian aristocrats dispersed after the fall of the czar and the collapse of the country. AFTER THE ROMANOVS delivers a glittering and richly researched portrait of life among the dispossessed--and a portrait, too, of Paris and its denizens. Highly recommended.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press for a advanced copy of this European history book.

Paris was not only the City of Lights, but to the Russian counts and countesses before the revolution in their motherland that would cost the world so much, Paris was their playground. Obscene amounts of money would be spent, some on art, but mostly on baubles, bangles and fashionable gowns, until the reckoning of the tsar's overthrow made their playground their refuge. Helen Rappaport in her book After the Romanovs: Russian Exiles in Paris from the Belle Époque Through Revolution and War describes this time from the glittering beginnings to the darkness that came as World War II and more revolutions scattered these exiles further.

The book is highly researched, and extremely well written, with numerous sourcing and footnotes. There are a lot of people and titles and family, and family ties to keep track of and Ms. Rappaport does a very good job of keeping them clear and easy to follow in the narrative. Ms. Rappaport delves into politics, art, science and all sorts of intriguing facts and discourses about the exile community in Europe, things that I was unaware of. Some of the stories are happy, most seem sad, and as Ms. Rappaport states, finding stories for the unsuccessful was a tad more difficult, history is never really written by the losers or the disenfranchised, those that she writes about are very tragic.

Another part I found interesting was the need for France to open its borders, from losses sustained in the World War. And how willing they were to have emigres, until the Depression made that difficult and immigration was reduced to practically nothing. A very diverse history about a tumultuous time in Europe between the wars, a book that will appeal to many different readers.

I really enjoyed this book by Helen Rappaport. It was very well done and interesting. Would definitely recommend this to anyone.

What happened to the Russian Aristocracy after the Revolution? Where did they go to escape persecution? Why did the Tzars prefer to flee to Paris? In “After the Romanovs”, Helen Rappaport answers these questions and enlightens the reader to the fate of Russian’s Royalty. I consider her the upmost authority on Russian history! If Russian Aristocracy is your subject, then I highly recommend this latest book by Helen Rappaport to include in your personal library.

Helen Rappaport’s latest book is a thought-provoking and compelling story about Russian emigrants before and after the Russian Revolution. During the early years of the 20th century in Paris, the Russian aristocracy enjoyed opulent lifestyles with connections to the musical and visual arts. The high society of Russia was influenced by the French language and fashion, while the wealthy Parisians were affected by Russian culture, especially in the arts of literature, ballet, music and opera.

After the Bolsheviks gained power, there were few surviving members of the Romanov family. Some were able to escape with thousands of other Russians to Greece and France. Their lives went from riches to rags within a decade. The list of emigrants at the beginning of the book was quite helpful. Some lived long and meaningful lives, while others never adjusted to their new surroundings. Thank you to Net Galley for providing this book.

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. This book chronicles the difficult years following the fall of the Tsar and the Romanov dynasty in Russia. It is filled with meticulously researched information and biographic data about well- and little-known Russian refugees who left their country to survive the Revolution. I totally recommend this story to readers who are curious about the plight of these historical figures and their contribution to world history.

This was an interesting read. Chronological record of the Romanov which I am interested in, so this book was very enlightening to me. I truly enjoyed it and learned so much!

This well done nonfiction tells the story of Russians in Paris. I appreciated that Rappaport gives us the history leading up to the Revolution. She starts at the turn of the century, contrasting the haves and the have nots of the Russians. The money spent by the aristocracy boggled my mind and gave me a much better understanding of what led to the revolution. The have nots included mostly artists (like Chagall), writers and musicians.
Once the Revolution took place, I was shocked at the number of emigres that made it out of Russia and to Europe. I had to give credit to these aristocrats, who were forced to take on menial work. As was said at the time “the men drive taxis and the women sew for a living.”
I had wondered why France was so willing to take on so many emigres. The answer lies in the loss of lives during WWI and the need for labor.
The book is very detailed, giving many specific examples of what happened to individual aristocrats. There’s a very small tidbit about George Orwell’s friendship with an emigre working as a waiter. I couldn’t help but wonder if this didn’t play into his anti-communist works.
As would be expected, it’s a sad book. Few succeeded, there were a meaningful number of suicides. The depression and then WWII added to their troubles. And in the end, the younger generation assimilated into French culture.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

Interesting (unknown to me) Russian history and very well researched. It was difficult in an e book to go back and forth remembering the characters. I would definitely get this in a hard copy.

I enjoyed this book. It was very interesting and informative. If I had to critique one thing I'd say the chapters are too long. They'd be fine if there were subsections but a 30 minute chapter is long for any nonfiction book. I did learn a lot too.

An interesting look at what became of the Russian aristocrats during the Bolshevik revolution. Helen Rappaport has a way of writing non-fiction that really draws you in and makes you want to keep reading. History buffs rejoice, you will love this one! A big thank you to St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for a preview copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

There was a lot of interesting information and history to be gleaned. There was history of the opulence and cruelty in the reign of the Romanovs; there was history of the artistic communities in Paris; there was history of the American ex-pats in Paris; there was history of the economic and political situation in Europe. Yes, this book covered a lot and it also included specifics for various Russian emigres: what they ate, where they lived, potty arrangements, debauchery and sexual liaisons. It covered a LOT.

Readers wishing to know more about the above will find a wealth of information in this book.

Even before WWI and the Russian Revolution, aristocrats, dancers, musicians and artists found their way to Paris from the Russian empire. There were several grand dukes, uncles to Nicholas II, some notorious for misbehavior, but most all of them supportive of the arts. Ballet Russes with Sergey Diaghilev changed ballet with his association with now well- known musicians and artists, especially Vaslav Nijinsky, Igor Stravinsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov. Montparnasse became the heart of bohemian society, many Jewish peoples escaped from pogroms and settled in Marais and Paris became full of political rival groups. Many Russians returned to Russia for WW I, then fled in 1917-18 when the Bolsheviks prevailed. Some fled with jewelry and other valuables, but many arrived with nothing. Rappaport focuses on those who faced their new reality with hope and actually working like Grand Duchess Maria Pavlova, who used her embroidery and sewing skills to survive. She stuck to her own narrow class of aristocratic exiles but did help them survive with needlework jobs when she started working for Chanel, Between the years 1922-35, twenty-seven fashion houses were established in Paris by Russian emigres. Many males found work as taxi drivers or at Renault car factories. Rappaport also tells the stories of many writers and other emigres who just could not let go of the past and slowly faded away or committed suicide and there were divisions when one of the Grand Dukes claimed to be the new czar. At first France welcomed the emigres because they had lost so many men during the war and there were jobs, but then the Depression hit, and emigres of any nationality were not wanted. Rappaport says there are not many sources for information for the truly poor emigres who fled the Bolsheviks but there were many. However, one former aristocrat who particularly stands out is Elizaveta Pilenko who opened a House of Hospitality that was like a homeless shelter and soup kitchen for any in need of help and became known as Mother Mary Skobtsova. When France was invaded by the Nazis, she was sent to a prison camp and murdered. I have enjoyed other books by Ms. Rappaport and found this one easy to read and informative. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is only my second book of Helen Rappaport’s, not because I don’t care about her writing (I think she is an absolutely fabulous non fiction author), but because for a variety of personal reasons, I am no fan of the Romanov dynasty, But when I saw she had a new book out, and on the topic of Russian exiles in Paris (an area of history I honestly didn’t ever consider), both as an immigrant and a lover of Paris, I knew I had to check it out,

Without any spoilers, and really, those are kinda subjective to each reader,. I knew in some surface level that a whole lot of “white” Russians left the former empire following the March/ October Revolution but I just thought they were lots of aristocrats. Helen Rappaport dismantles that belief of mine and painstakingly illustrates just how wide the range of immigrants was in the wake of the Bolshevik take over. They were every day white color workers (doctors, lawyers, engineers), intellectuals, artists, and yes a whole lot of aristocrats and royals. They all sought freedom in Belle France though it also represented beauty, glamour, sophistication and bounty to others, What I found most interesting was learning about the almost absolute equity of how difficult their lives were once they got to France. Almost everyone escaped with no funds, and so many with no life skills ( aristocrats or military especially), they all starved, they all scraped, they all sold off everything of value, and in the end, most of them worked menial jobs to survive while dreaming of return to the Russia that no longer existed.

This is not a book glamorizing the opulence of their previous lives (only really referencing it in the beginning chapter), but the story of the Russian life after the opulence built on oppression of many, was taken away by the oppressed, and the former bountiful had to learn what real life was like, but in a new land.

This book was interesting for the most part but I also found parts of it very dry. History is so hard to really show what the time was like and keep it exciting. All in all this was a solid book just really was not what I was expecting. Generally my books that are history that I love are ones that have a lot of action.