Lost Roses

Might be just under 4 stars.
I did not enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed Lilac Girls, but it was still a good read.

It is a bit slowed paced at the beginning, despite extreme happenings- it just lags a bit until the author starts to move time more quickly. There were some actions by the characters that I found just a little incongruent. Overall, it's an interesting story though and I appreciate it being based on reality and the research the author did to make it come alive.

I also really wondered how one single skinny horse managed to pull a cart across countries?

I really enjoyed this book. Even though it is a long book, it drew me in and kept my attention. The character development is so well done that even though there are a lot of characters, I never once had to back up to figure out who was who, or what their relationship was. This was highlighted when I picked up another book right away and was instantly struggling with who was who. This is a character driven AND plot driven novel that is well researched and well written. The story is of the fall of the tsar and the aristocracy in Russia around the first world war, told by viewpoints of those in that aristocrasy, some in the poorer class and some Americans. It made me feel frustrated by the inability of the upper class to even have a hint of a clue of what the working class dealt with on a daily basis, but the characters were still likeable. There was a theme of family and motherhood that is universal. I would highly recommend this book. You'll enjoy it even more once you read the Author's notes at the end and find out how many of the characters are historical figures.

I will not be rating or reviewing this book at this time; I read the ARC/listened to the audiobook for the BN Book Club at a time when I was not in a reading mindset and my depression colored my feelings towards.. basically everything. So I'm not sure if I didn't like this book because of the book itself or if I didn't like it because of my mental health. So, if I ever get around to rereading/relistening to this book, I'll do a rate/review then.