I'm fascinated by Russian history, and Virginia Rounding's Alix and Nicky is the perfect read for anyone new to Russian history or seasoned scholars. At the center of this book is the love that Alix (Alexandra) and Nicky (Nicholas II) have for each other. Using letters between the couple that spanned decades, Rounding paints a beautiful and ultimately tragic love story.
We learn early on that their marriage almost didn't come to be. Both were quite infatuated with each other, but Alix was very reluctant to marry into the Romanov family. She would be required to convert to the Russian orthodox faith, which she found inconceivable. Rounding makes an interesting claim that I think is very astute; she argues that Alix's real fear was embarking on a new chapter and essentially leaving childhood behind. I imagine this has been a fear for many royals ranging from the Bourbons to the Hapsburgs!
The sweet domesticity within the Romanov household comes across very clearly in the letters. Despite the country being desperate for a male heir, Nicky was overjoyed at the birth of his daughters. He notes in his diary that each birth was a blessing from God. Both he and Alix had a custom of writing the other a letter before they left on a trip, so even in those first moments apart each had a memento of the other.
Of course even during these heartwarming family scenes there was political strife across the country. Both Nicky and Alix viewed the revolutionaries as not representative of the real Russian people. The revolutionaries in their view were cosmopolitan and not really in touch with what it meant to be Russian. They were contrasted with the Russian peasantry, good simple folks who loved and feared the Tsar as they would God. This may explain why they were so susceptible to Rasputin, and valued his council above even their own staff.
For more on the Romanov family, I also recommend the historian Helen Rappaport! Her The Romanov Sisters is an excellent companion piece to Rounding.
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