The Last Russian Doll

(Hardback, Large Print Edition)

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Description

A haunting, epic novel about betrayal, revenge, and redemption that follows three generations of Russian women, from the 1917 revolution to the last days of the Soviet Union, and the enduring love story at the center.

In a faraway kingdom, in a long-ago land...

...a young girl lived happily in Moscow with her family: a sister, a father, and an eccentric mother who liked to tell fairy tales and collect porcelain dolls.

One summer night, everything changed, and all that remained of that family were the girl and her mother.

Now, a decade later and studying at Oxford University, Rosie has an English name, a loving fianc, and a promising future, but all she wants is to understand--and bury--the past. After her mother dies, Rosie returns to Russia, armed with little more than her mother's strange folklore--and a single key.

What she uncovers is a devastating family history that spans the 1917 Revolution, the siege of Leningrad, Stalin's purges, and beyond.

At the heart of this saga stands a young noblewoman, Tonya, as pretty as a porcelain doll, whose actions--and love for an idealistic man--will set off a sweeping story that reverberates across the century....

Reviews

"With hauntingly beautiful prose Kristen Loesch has delivered an epic, dual timeline tale that deftly transports you to the Russian revolution and the life-altering crucible that came after it. Utterly compelling. You won't be able to put it down."
--Susan Meissner, USA Today bestselling author of The Nature of Fragile Things

"A novel to be savored...Author Kristen Loesch has created a lush and dangerous world where the truth is hidden in the strangest places. A gorgeous epic."
--Anika Scott, international bestselling author of The Soviet Sisters

[A] gripping, gut-wrenching, and absolutely glorious novel...It reads like a detective story, feels like a fairy tale, and strikes readers like an enduring classic Russian masterpiece. With its original, luminous prose and masterful storytelling, The Last Russian Doll has successfully redefined the historical fiction genre.
--Weina Dai Randel, author of The Last Rose of Shanghai

"A masterful debut."
--Ellen Alpsten, author of Tsarina

"Both propulsive and engaging...By the end, no one is entirely innocent, and no one is unscathed in this love story riddled with betrayal and the far-reaching consequences of private jealousies in times of public upheaval."
--Melissa Fu, author of Peach Blossom Spring

"A hugely satisfying read, a sweeping tale of love and survival through the most turbulent years of Russian history, while deciphering a family history veiled in secrets and mysterious fairy tales. Superb."
--Anita Frank, author of The Lost Ones

"A magnificent, beautifully written novel set in two turbulent eras in twentieth-century Russian history. Kristen Loesch masterfully weaves the two timelines together into a rich, compelling, utterly absorbing novel. I adored it!"
--Karen Coles, author of The Asylum

Author Bio

Kristen Loesch grew up in San Francisco. She holds a BA in history as well as a master's degree in Slavonic studies from the University of Cambridge. Her debut historical novel, The Last Russian Doll, was short-listed for the Caledonia Novel Award and long-listed for the Bath Novel Award, under a different title. It is published or forthcoming in 10 countries. After a decade living in Europe, she now resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and children.