Escape of the Grand Duchess by Susan Appleyard is a gripping historical novel that shatters the notion that royalty is synonymous with privilege and ease. At its heart is Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, the youngest sister of Tsar Nicholas II—a Romanov who defied a doomed destiny and survived.
Unlike her ill-fated brother and his family, Olga’s story is one of resilience, sacrifice, and daring escape. Trapped in a loveless marriage to a reckless gambler—who harbours secrets of his own—she finds hope in the arms of a dashing army lieutenant. But before she can claim her own happiness, she must first endure the brutal realities of World War I, where she serves as a nurse on the frontlines.
As the Russian Empire teeters on the brink of collapse, the infamous Siberian mystic Rasputin tightens his grip on the imperial court, setting the stage for revolution. With the Bolsheviks seizing power and the Romanovs marked for death, Olga faces an impossible choice: risk everything to stay or flee into the unknown with her true love and their children.
Rich in historical detail and driven by an unforgettable heroine, Escape of the Grand Duchess is a sweeping riches-to-rags tale of survival, love, and the strength it takes to forge a new life in the face of unimaginable upheaval.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A must-read historical fiction novel based on a true story
I picked up Escape of the Grand Duchess by Susan Appleyard because I’ve always found the Romanovs interesting, but I ended up enjoying it much more than I expected. What I liked most was that Olga never feels like some untouchable royal from a history documentary. She feels like a real woman stuck in a life she didn’t choose.
Even though she’s surrounded by wealth and status, there’s a sadness around her for most of the book. Her marriage is miserable, family duty controls almost everything she does, and then on top of that the whole country is falling apart around them. It’s hard not to feel sorry for her at times.
What really kept me reading though was the atmosphere. There’s this constant feeling that something terrible is coming, and because you already know the history behind the Romanovs, it makes even the quieter moments feel tense.
By the end I felt strangely emotional about Olga and her family, which I honestly wasn’t expecting when I started the book. Definitely worth reading if you enjoy historical fiction that feels personal rather than overly focused on dates and politics.
Pick up your copy of
Escape of the Grand Duchess
Susan Appleyard
Susan was born in England, which is where she learned to love English history, and now lives in Canada in the summer. In winter she and her husband flee the cold for their second home in Mexico. Susan divides her time between writing and her hobby, oil painting, although writing will always be her first love. She was fortunate in having had two books published traditionally. Since joining the ebook crowd, she has published nine books, some of which have won various awards.
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