Book Blurb:
A Russian princess. An extraordinary sacrifice. A captivating secret….
From the number one best-selling author of The Secret Wife, The Lost Daughter is a sweeping, moving story of the tenacity of love and the power of forgiveness. Spectacular, enthralling and romantic, Gill Paul’s latest novel will stay with you forever. 1918. With the country they once ruled turned against them, the future of the Romanov family hangs in the balance. When middle daughter Maria captures the attention of two of the guards, it will lead to the ultimate choice between right and wrong….
Fifty-five years later…’I didn’t want to kill her’. With these cryptic words Val’s father dies, leaving her to unravel a mystery which unites two families who have faced unspeakable tragedy and perhaps to finally offer an explanation which has been long overdue.
My Review: 4 stars
The Lost Daughter introduces us to Maria, sister to the infamous and storied Anastasia and Tatiana Romanov, daughters of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. I’d never heard of Maria and she was a welcome surprise with a witty and spirited personality. You need not know anything about the Romanov family. The author does a fine job at introducing them through wonderful storytelling.
Using a dual period narrative allows the characters from the 1970s to unleash the past as the reader learns about it simultaneously. When Val’s father says some horrifying comments about “killing her” Val has to figure out who the “her” is or is it the dementia that’s muddling his words. Her search leads for understanding leads us back to the early 1900s when the Romanov’s are being imprisoned.
Val’s story is compelling as well. Surviving and escaping an abusive relationship and doing what she can to unlock the mystery of her mother’s death or disappearance is prevalent to her story. Lots to chew on there. Maria’s romance and escape from Russia will keep you glued to the pages. She’s a richly drawn character.
This is my first Gill Paul book but it won’t be my last. Many of you recommended her books to me and I’m so glad I finally got to this one!
Quotes I liked:
If you can help someone without harming anyone else, then why on earth wouldn’t you do it?”
“The minutes crawled interminably, so slow she suspected the clock had been tampered with in order to torture them.”
“It doesn’t seem like a place where we can have fun; it’s more like a mausoleum in which we have been interred.”
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