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Summary: Makes history interesting!
Review: The writing in this series is phenomenal! It is obvious that extensive research was done to make these books so real and vivid ... to the point that one forgets who is a creation of the author and who isn't! Definitely on my "must read" recommendation list!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best series I've read!
Review: The writing in this series is phenomenal! It is obvious that extensive research was done to make these books so real and vivid ... to the point that one forgets who is a creation of the author and who isn't! Definitely on my "must read" recommendation list!
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Summary: An epic of two girls and the Russia they both love.
Review: This is the first, and in my opinion, best book in the Russians series, which tells the story of the aristocratic Fedorcenkos, the humble Burenins, and their homeland as revolts and war assail it. The Burenins' poverty forces their daughter Anna to go to St. Petersburg and work on the vast Fedorcenko estate. Soon, she becomes personal maid to the Princess Katrina Fedorcenko. Though the shy, selfless maid and bold, willful princess are opposites, they become close friends, and as Anna learns the ways of the aristocracy, her faith slowly changes the fiery Katrina. But revolution and war loom darkly over Russia, and both watch helplessly as war erupts in their beloved Motherland. This is an excellent book in a good series, and it contains a wealth of information about Russia. The characters are vividly lifelike and the story is captivating in spite of a few slow places. I highly recommend it.
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Summary: A journey of faith and friendship, beautifully written
Review: This was an absolutely wonderful book. The characters are realistic as well as the plot. You see this period in Russia from many, many different viewpoints and it is shocking how amazingly well each character is portrayed and how you sympathize with them. You sympathize with revolutionaries, when it is a revolutionary viewpoint and you sympathize with Princess Katrina Fedorcenko when it is hers. Most of all you sympathize with Anna Yevnovna, a 16 year old girl who goes from peasant, to kitchen servant, to maid to a princess. Judith Pella and Michael Phillips are amazing co-authors. Buy and read this book!
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Summary: I'm So Glad I "Discovered" This Series!
Review: When I came across this book in my church's library a week ago, I wasn't too thrilled with it. Somehow, I ended up checking it out, but my expectations were not high. I expected either a boring, dry chronicle of Russia's history or a sappy, overdone love story. Well...a week later I can assure you that that is definitely not the case. "The Crown and the Crucible", set in the 1870's, is essentially the story of two families who represent the two basic types of people that were in Russia. There is Anna Burenin, a 17-year-old whose family has always been peasants, and there is 15-year-old Katrina Fedorcenko, whose life has been that of a high-ranking Russian aristocrat. Anna and Katrina's lives become intertwined when Anna goes to the Fedorcenko household to be a kitchen servant, and by a remarkable sequence of events, becomes Katrina's personal maid. But other things are happening as well in this novel. We see how unstable life was in Russia, and read how even Viktor Fedorcenko (Katrina's father) had to guard what he said around the tsar, whom he had known since childhood. Segei Fedorcenko, Katrina's brother, also has problem. It seems that he and Anna are beginning to fall in love...and how could ever be easy since he is an aristocrat and she is a maid? And the brutal war in Turkey over Russian territory only intensify his not-so-loyal thoughts toward the government. "The Crown and the Crucible" is a magnificently written story that expertly blends history with the lives of people. The characters themselves are wonderful, and I loved seeing the changes and growth in all of them...most notably Anna's Christian influence on Katrina. There is no character who you do not like and begin to know "personally" and nothing fake about the characterization. There are few books that are so well-written, historically accurate, and filled with characters you can't forget. I'm certainly glad I came across this book! And, of course, I desperately need the sequel now...
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