# Read the first page of I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon Read the opening of I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon free, no signup. A woman claims to be the murdered Russian grand duchess. - Page: https://uncovered.ink/read/i-was-anastasia-ariel-lawhon - Genre: Historical fiction - Year: 2018 - ISBN: 9781101973318 - Read it blind (cover and title hidden): https://uncovered.ink/?b=9781101973318&s=read-page - Buy: https://bookshop.org/a/125786/9781101973318 - Borrow: https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=9781101973318 ## The opening If I tell you what happened that night in Ekaterinburg I will have to unwind my memory—all the twisted coils—and lay it in your palm. It will be the gift and the curse I bestow upon you. A confession for which you may never forgive me. Are you ready for that? Can you hold this truth in your hand and not crush it like the rest of them? Because I do not think you can. I do not think you are brave enough. But, like so many others through the years, you have asked: Am I truly Anastasia Romanov? A beloved daughter. A revered icon. A Russian grand duchess. Or am I an impostor? A fraud. A liar. The thief of another woman's legacy. That is for you to decide, of course. Countless others have rendered their verdict. Now it is your turn. But if you want the truth, you must pay attention. Do not daydream or drift off. Do not speak or interrupt. You will have your answers. But first you must understand why the years have brought me to this point and why such loss has made the journey necessary. When I am finished, and only then, will you have the right to tell me who I am. Are you ready? Good. Let us begin. • PART ONE • The End and the Beginning Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. - SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE • I • Anna FOLIE À DEUX 1970, 1908 Charlottesville, Virginia February 17, 1970 Fifty years ago tonight Anna threw herself off a bridge in Berlin. It wasn't her first brush with death, or even the most violent, but it was the only one that came at her hands. Anna's husband does not know this, however. She watches him, watching her, and she knows he sees only a fragile old woman who has waited too long for vindication. He sees the carefully cultivated image she presents to the world: a crown of thinning silver hair and tired blue eyes. Age and confusion and a gentle aura of help- lessness. This impression could not be further from the truth. She has been many things through the years, but helpless is not one of them. At the moment, however, Anna is simply impa- tient. She sits in this living room, two thousand miles from her past, waiting for a verdict. Jack is like a frightened rabbit, all nerves and tension. He springs from his chair and begins to pace through the cluttered den. "Why haven't they called? They should have called by now." "I'm sure they read the verdict hours ago," Anna says, lean- ing her head against the fold of her wingback chair and closing her eyes. Whatever news awaits them is not good, but Anna does Copyrighted mater I Was Anastasia not have the heart to tell him this. Jack is so hopeful. He has already written a press release and taken a Polaroid so he can bring both to The Daily Progress first thing in the morning. Jack spoke with the editor this afternoon, suggesting they reserve a front-page spot for the story. He's hoping for something above the fold. He's hoping for exclamation points. Even though Jack hasn't admitted it, Anna knows that he is looking forward to reporters showing up again. They haven't had any in months, and she suspects he's gotten lonely with only her and the animals for company. She feels a bit sorry for him, being saddled with her like this. But there was no other way. Gleb insisted on it, and in all the years she knew him, Gleb Botkin remained her truest friend, her staunchest champion. ## Books with a similar feel - [Tai-Pan by James Clavell](https://uncovered.ink/read/tai-pan-james-clavell.md) - [The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell](https://uncovered.ink/read/the-marriage-portrait-maggie-ofarrell.md) - [The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis](https://uncovered.ink/read/the-masterpiece-fiona-davis.md) - [A Winter Wonderland by Fern Michaels](https://uncovered.ink/read/a-winter-wonderland-fern-michaels.md) - [Flower Net by Lisa See](https://uncovered.ink/read/flower-net-lisa-see.md) - [Sentimental Education by Gustave Flaubert](https://uncovered.ink/read/sentimental-education-gustave-flaubert.md) --- Source: Uncovered (https://uncovered.ink). A short sample shown for reading and discovery. Rights holders can request removal at https://uncovered.ink/takedown.