Zoya

A great book, I had forgotten really. This one's right up there with Emma of A Woman of Substance. Another strong lady, without the bitterness of Emma - strong, feminine, graceful - a lady of class and culture. The fate of the Romanovs was so sad and terrible; this book inspired me to read up on them too. No doubt, they had their short comings, but who murdered the entire family were horrifyingly cruel too. It was very saddening to read about Zoya - She was living an unimaginable dream in Russia and then she is reduced to unimaginable poverty, rises in society but is again plunged into despair. Nonetheless, she prevails, through sheer grit and courage, and by the end of the book, we find her again respected and loved and admired as the Countess.