Media: None
Genre: Historical fiction
Age: intermediate ( )

My kids and I recently read, Angel On The Square, for my daughters' book group. Katya, a young Russian aristocrat, and her cousin Misha both lost their fathers during the last war. While Katya and her mother Irena are loyal to the Czar, Misha supports the revolutionary leader, Alexander Kerensky. Misha takes Katya out among the peasants and for the first time she sees the poverty and degradation in which they live.

Eventually, Irena sends Misha to the military academy due to his involvement with the revolutionaries. When the Empress asks Irena to become her lady-in-waiting, Irena and Katya move to the Alexander Palace to live with the royal family. Katya becomes close to the Grand Duchesses and looks upon the Czar as a father. But she still cannot reconcile the exploitation she saw among the peasants.

When World War I breaks out with Germany, Misha's class at the military academy is graduated early and he is sent into battle. The war is a disaster and Russia suffers many losses. The Czar goes to the battle front and leaves the Empress to rule Russia. After several years at war, the civil unrest escalates. The peasants, unhappy with the war and the Empress's rule, are ready for revolution. The Czar abdicates the throne hoping to save Russia and Kerensky heads the Russian government. For several months the royal family, along with Katya and Irena, live under house arrest until they are eventually sent to Siberia. In Siberia, still under house arrest, they find out that Kerensky's revolutionary government has been overthrown by the Bolsheviks and Lenin now heads the government. The royal family is taken away and Katya and Irena are not allowed to stay.

Katya and her mother cannot return to St. Petersburg due to the danger all aristocrats are under so they go to their country estate, The Oaks. They arrive only to find the estate has been burned by the peasants who worked their land. They are taken in by a peasant couple and Katya begins learning how to farm the land. Katya and her mother begin their new lives as peasants and are soon reunited with Misha.

The kids and I really enjoyed this book. After finishing it, my daughter bemoaned the sad ending. We were able to discuss the history behind the book and how the author had to end with the death of the royal family because Lenin really did have them killed. This book gave us some meaty discussion topics: divine right of kings, revolution, strikes, riots, Russia, monarchy, aristocracy, peasants, georgics, WWI, and Communism. We also discussed the difference between the American Revolution, the French Revolution and the Russian Revolution and why each ended differently. Angel On The Square also inspired us to do some of our own research to learn more about Rasputin, the Empress's adviser, the death of the royal family, and the Bolshevik Revolution. ( )

The story of a 12-year-old aristocratic girl in Tsarist Russia on the eve of the Russian Revolution. Takes her story through age 18 -- through the downfall of the classes.

Fascinating story of a girl experiencing the Russian Revolution while serving the royal family. ( )

Katya lived in Imperial Russa in 1913. She was of the noble class. Her mother was a lady in waiting to Empress Alexandra. They lived within the palace walls in amazing oppulance. Her life was one of luxury and she barely understood the complaints of the working poor. She was not aware how tired, hungry and angry the peasants were. As the revolution begins, her life becomes daily more affected by it until she lives in poverty and fears for her life. Whelan's writing is excellent and she creates a tale more fascinating and exotic than a fairy tale fantasy. She makes her characters feel real to the reader. ( )