I was captivated by every emerging detail that raised one question after another. Why did the Tsar neglect to care for his teeth, while the Tsarina had sophisticated dental work, even porcelain crowns? Who was this cold-blooded Yakov Yurovsky, the primary Bolshevik executioner, who left a note, detailing the executions, in addition to the gory details of the destruction of the bodies? How and why would the mysterious Grigori Rasputin, known as the mad monk, find such great favor with the Imperial Family? Was he a man of God, a charlatan, or a sorcerer? Was it true he caused the downfall of the three hundred-year-old Romanov Dynasty? But the most pressing question gnawing at me was the looming mystery of the missing remains of the Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich. Did he survive? And if so, would he be in a position to reinstate the Romanov dynasty?
I have often asked this same question, albeit in another form, in the context of another revolution, which I witnessed in my own lifetime. Thirty-two-years have passed since the 1979 Islamic Revolution of Iran and the overthrow of the Pahlavi Dynasty. I spent my formative years in Iran. I remember well, the day my life changed in profound ways. Huddled around the TV screen, my family and I watched the Ayatollah Khomeini step onto the tarmac at the Mehrabad airport. His dark, glaring stare and condemnatory wave dismissed Mohammad Reza Shah and ushered in an era of chaos and uncertainty.
Now, after more than three decades in America, I am a changed woman, an American author with the freedom to write honestly without fear of censorship, without fear of imprisonment. With the freedom to ask “what if?” What if the Islamic Republic is overthrown? What if the Pahlavi Dynasty is reinstated?
Questions about the possibility of the fall of Communism and the reinstating of the Romanov Dynasty became tantalizing seeds that bloomed into a novel. I chose 1991, the year the Romanov bones were discovered, as the opening and closing of my novel that spans the life–one hundred and four years—of my main character. So, although the missing remains of Alexei and one of his sisters were discovered in 2007, while I was still in the process of writing the book, I saw no need to alter the storyline. As always, drawing from the amalgam of different cultures I experienced, I weaved my own fictional protagonists, such as the opal-eyed Darya Borisovna and the Jewish artist Avram Bensheimer, among epic historical figures. And as always, I allowed myself a measure of authorial liberty, imagining a meeting between the young Nicholas and Alexis in the Belovezh Forest or an anniversary in the fictional Entertainment Palace in Ekaterinburg.
After extensive research, I became intimately familiar with Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, the four Grand Duchesses, and Alexei, the hemophilic heir to the throne. I learned about Alexandra and Nicholas’s great love for each other, which might have been another cause for their downfall, how their only son’s suffering affected their private lives, the political future of Russia, and arguably the entire world. Against the backdrop of one of the most tumultuous political eras in Russian history, years of unrest, a chain of revolutions, the Russo-Japanese War, World War I, and the Bolshevik uprising, I set out to give the reader an intimate understanding of a decadent court steeped in myth, superstition, and denial.
Reading Group Guide
1. When we first meet Darya, we see her waking from sleep and covered in clouds of butterflies. The messenger at her door asks questions seemingly designed to let us know how others fear her—believing she is a sorceress—and are also in awe of her due to her rumored connections to a monarchy from so long ago; it seems like a fairy tale. How does this introduction set the tone of the story and present the threads of magical realism weaving through the history?
2. On page 19, Sabrina and Boris debate the meaning behind their daughter’s golden-opal eye. Boris is certain God means to punish him for past sins, while Sabrina interprets the message as a gift, something that will “further embellish their love.” Do their interpretations strike you as naïve, or wisely cautious? What did you suspect the true meaning of Darya’s magical eye was at this point, having read the opening chapter?
3. Boris and Sabrina conceived Darya out of wedlock, and Sabrina sometimes fears her daughter will be punished for this sin. But she comforts herself in knowing that Darya was conceived in love, so believes God would only care for her and never harm her. Identify other traditions broken throughout the course of the novel, and discuss how the characters suffer or benefit from these departures.
4. On page 37, Mossanen writes, “The Romanov executions are regarded as a legend rather than a stain on the canvas of history.” What do you think this means? How do you see this sentiment played out in the novel? Discuss the difference between these perspectives and how each might influence the Russia of Darya’s old age. Can you think of other historical events that fit this characterization? What might make a people more inclined to remember something as a legend rather than “a stain on the canvas of history,” or vice versa?
5. Born with the gift of second sight, among others, Darya sees signs everywhere. Incredibly, she finds the amulet she gave to the Tsarevich Alexei hidden within her chunk of ambergris decades later, when she splits the chunk of ambergris with the intent to bring a piece to the supposed heir. She interprets the timing of her discovery as a sign that she has finally found Alexei. What other signs occur throughout the novel, and how does Darya interpret them correctly or incorrectly? Do you think Rasputin similarly sees signs, or do you think he’s the manipulative charlatan the rebels purport him to be?
6. When Darya first asks the Empress for permission to bring Rasputin to court, Alexandra rejects the idea, claiming on page 80, “We will put our trust in the Lord. He will heal my son.” Why does Darya want to bring Rasputin to see the Imperial Family? What finally makes it possible for her to do so—and why isn’t she thrilled with the prospect? Describe the complicated relationship Darya and Rasputin share at the Romanov court, and discuss their feelings for one another.
7. According to Darya, popular gossip and political intrigue paint Rasputin as responsible for the destruction of the Romanov’s three-hundred-year-old dynasty, and yet when we see him with the Romanovs, he seems like a friendly monk, even if he is unaware of court protocol. Why does the Empress tolerate Rasputin, given her evident disgust with his lack of manners and general crudeness? What makes the Tsar banish Rasputin from court, and why does he later invite the monk to return?
8. Darya is dubious about helping the Romanovs establish the Artists’ Salon at court. What does she worry will happen? Does she think she made a mistake in her choice of artists? Do you think she made a mistake? What would you have done in her place? Identify the many enemies Darya and the Romanovs have lurking in court, and discuss their motives. Do you think the Salon helped or hindered the Romanovs’ slow slide into disgrace?
9. Rasputin recognizes White Thighs Paulina, the whore Avram uses as a model for his virgin and child portrait of the Tsarina and the Tsarevich. When Darya confronts Avram, he swears he used Paulina as a model because she had the right look. Did you believe him? Does Darya? Discuss the role of this portrait in Mossanen’s version of the Romanovs’ downfall. Which other portraits claim important roles in the story? How does art influence the events of the novel?
10. Though the Tsar would dismiss Avram, a Jew, from his court, Alexandra won’t hear of it, certain Avram’s painting of the Tsarevich keeps the poor boy healthy. Darya continues her secret relationship with Avram, also despite his being Jewish, for six years. Why doesn’t she leave with Avram, or simply break it off if she fears her own disgrace? What ultimately causes him to leave her? Discuss the ways she and Avram influence one another throughout the novel.
11. Though there are hints all along that Darya’s gifts are magical in nature, it isn’t until Rasputin finally gets to put her in a trance that we learn the true origin of her strange abilities. Did you suspect Darya’s secret past? Did this information change how you feel about her and her attachment to Alexei? Why or why not? Compare and contrast the details of her past life with her current one.
12. There are many dramatic turning points for the Romanovs and for Darya in The Last Romanov. What moment does Darya pinpoint as the moment Russia loses her soul? What relation does this event have to the crack in her opal eye and the unfolding of her own future? What ultimately heals her eye?
13. Finally, after years of searching, Darya receives word that an heir to the Romanov Empire has been located by the Russian Nobility Association. But when they bring her to meet him, she’s dismissive. Why doesn’t Darya accept Pavel, whose DNA and story reveal him as the grandson of Tsar Nicholas II? Why does Pavel, who thought to become Tsar and revive the Romanov dynasty, cave so quickly and agree to Darya’s escape plan? Do you believe it’s necessary for him to escape and hide, as Darya convinces him? Why or why not?
14. On page 195, Rasputin warns Darya that she will be forced to live life after life until she makes amends for the sins of her past self. But she counters, “This is my last life. I am a different woman now.” She interprets the messages from the Ancient One as admonitions to care for the Romanov Dynasty and its young prince in particular. At the end of her life, she wonders if she has fulfilled her promise to the Ancient One and redeemed herself for Athalia’s transgressions. Do you think she has? Why or why not?
15. How did you feel about the ending? Do you think Darya was right to dismiss Pavel? Why do you think she chooses not to announce to the world that she’s finally found the Tsarevich? Why do you think Avram never told her that he’d found Alexei? What would you have done?
16. Who do you think is the last Romanov alluded to by the novel’s title? Alexei? Pavel? Darya herself?
A Conversation with Dora Levy Mossanen
1. Both of your last two books, Harem and Courtesan, are intergenerational in that they follow the lives of three related women—mothers, daughters, and granddaughters. But The Last Romanov mostly follows Darya, who loses her mother at a young age and who never has a child of her own. How did writing a novel with one protagonist differ from writing the multigenerational stories you’ve previously told?
DLM: To me, this, too, is a multigenerational novel. Sabrina Josephine, Darya’s mother, is an important character in the story, and although she dies when Darya is still young, she influences Darya in significant ways that continue to reverberate throughout the novel. And although Darya does not have a child of her own, to her, Alexei is no different than a son. And she certainly loves and cares for him as a mother would. So, in the end, this story, too, is influenced by three generations.
2. Historical fiction by its very nature requires meticulous research, infused with a healthy dose of imagination. What kind of research did you do in preparation for writing The Last Romanov? How did you decide what facts to include, revise, or ignore?
DLM: Research was voluminous, and it was not easy to sift through the plethora of tantalizing information I gathered. Fascination with the Romanovs continues even today, nearly a century after their death, and new information is constantly uncovered. After all, it was only in 1991 that the Romanov remains were exhumed, and it was as recently as 2007 when the missing bones of Alexei and one of his sisters were eventually found. One of the most important jobs of a writer is to exercise control when it comes to which researched fact to include and which to ignore. If even the most intriguing information does not help advance the story, then it does not belong there. And as imagination is an important player, even in historical fiction, the responsibility of the novelist is critical in what facts to leave alone and what to tweak without harming the integrity of the historical tale.
3. Darya, our protagonist, is one of the non-historical characters in this novel. She’s also one of the strangest in terms of her magical gifts and exotic appearance. What led you to give Darya a golden opal eye and mystical powers? Did you use any sources as fodder for her abilities and concoctions, or was it all straight from your imagination? Is Queen Athalia a historical figure, or is she based on one?
DLM: Opal is a mythical precious stone, purported to carry all types of healing, aphrodisiac, and magical powers, so I thought it would be fitting for Darya, who has supernatural powers. Perhaps it is my background, the culture where I come from, that’s rife with myth, magic, and superstition that compels me to create such characters. Plus, I truly enjoy the freedom of imagination magical realism affords me. Athalia is based on a Biblical figure, who might or might not have been the daughter of Jezebel. Athalia, who ruled Judah, or Israel, for six years, is the only female monarch in the bible. Since there remain so many unsolved mysteries about her life and her intents in the Bible, it is with this controversial historical figure that I took the most authorial liberty.
4. Now that you have three novels under your belt, have you seen any changes emerging in your writing process or style? Tell us a little bit about that process.
DLM: My writing style is constantly evolving, and that’s why once my books are out, I never go back to read them. Not even a paragraph. Because that is crazy-making for me. I know that if I ever start reading, I’d want to change this and that and then curse myself for not having added this or that. As for the writing process, some habits remain the same, but others have changed. I still prefer to start writing early in the morning until my brain tells me it’s time to quit. I still like to write in a central corner, where I can tell what’s happening around the house. I still like the ritual of steeping a cup of tea before I sit to write with all the intention of drinking it, but which invariably turns cold and undrinkable. What has changed is that I mostly work on my laptop rather than on the desktop computer. If I’m stuck in the story, I’ve learned to get up and take a short walk, sometimes no further than the other room, and the solution comes to me. And now, I don’t panic if I don’t have an idea for another book right now and right here. I’m confident that I have enough stories to tell in my lifetime.
5. Legends of Rasputin range from portraying him as a crazed priest with political ambitions to a sinister sorcerer with ties to the Devil himself. How did you balance the true historical record of Rasputin with the many legends that abound? What busted myth or unknown fact surprised you most?
DLM: Rasputin was the most compelling and contradictory historical figure I researched. He had crude manners and was a notorious drunk and womanizer, who was a member of the Khlysty sect, who shared the orthodox belief that the body is a sacred gift that should not be debased, yet maintained that sin was an essential part of the human life and that man can attain grace through sin. This doctrine was attractive to Rasputin, who took advantage of it to justify his debauchery. What surprised me most was that Rasputin did indeed possess certain healing powers. It is documented that he was able to stem the Russian heir’s bouts of hemophilic bleeding. Doctors now credit this to Rasputin’s hypnotic power that succeeded to soothe and calm—essential in stopping hemophilic internal bleeding—the heir and those he was surrounded by, especially his mother.
6. Besides their tragic execution and the mystery of possible lost heirs, the Romanovs are most famous for the intricate artistic wonders created for them by masters such as Peter Carl Fabergé. Are any of the items you so beautifully describe in the novel real? Of those you researched, which was your favorite and why?
DLM: The jeweled Fabergé eggs I describe in the novel that were created by the House of Fabergé from 1885 to 1917 are all real, except one. The Fabergé egg pendant the Empress gifts to her friend, Sabrina Josephine, and Sabrina then gives to her daughter Darya. These Fabergé imperial eggs, with the intricate secrets they reveal, are truly works of wonder, one more stunning than the other. My favorite is the Alexander Palace Egg, which Nicholas II presented to his wife, Alexandra. The Alexander Palace Egg is made of Siberian nephrite, diamonds, gold, rubies, and tiny paintings of the Imperial children on ivory. The initial of each child is monogrammed in diamond above each portrait. The surprise inside the egg is a detailed replica of Alexander Palace, including the adjoining gardens, the Imperial Family’s favorite residence. In 1917, Kerensk
y’s army confiscated it from Alexandra’s Lilac room. Perhaps I favor this egg, not only because of its beauty and historical value, but also because it represents Alexander Palace, where most events of my story take place.
7. Your first novel, Harem, takes place in the fourteenth century. Courtesan takes place in the late nineteenth century. What first attracted you to the fairly modern period of history (mostly twentieth century) portrayed in The Last Romanov? What attracted you to the story of the Romanovs?
DLM: I am attracted to periods when major historical events reverberate around the globe and change our world in major ways. I am also fascinated by eras of unimaginable decadence that end up imploding. This is what happened in Tsarist Russia, when the enormity of excess on one hand and poverty on the other ignited a chain of revolutions that resulted in Communist rule.
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