Christina Croft

I didn't think this book went into enough detail about Alice. I felt like it spent more time on the royal family than her and really only skimmed her life as if this were some high school essay. It really could have been fleshed out more. I hated the title of the book too...Alice, the Enigma? That's the best thing you could say about her to title a book and capture a reader? The art on the cover got me more than the title did. Also, the formatting of the Kindle edition was just weird with spelling and grammar errors. Wasn't there an editor? But, the story itself is good but there just needs to be more of it.… (meer)

A quick overview of the lives of the granddaughters of Queen Victoria. The first of these was Charlotte, Princess of Prussia and sister of Kaiser Wilhelm II. The last was Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain. The book encompasses a lot of characters, as there were a lot of granddaughters. Their lives are briefly described. The most well-known of the women get the most coverage. However, there are a number of ladies who are relatively unknown and it is nice to get a glimpse into their lives. The book stops at 1918 with the end of WWI. However, the last of Queen Victoria's granddaughters did not die until 1981. Each lady is given a brief summary of her life in the final chapter. Good reading.… (meer)

A good look at the life of one of Russia's most revered Grand Duchesses. Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna has touched lives across the world, spanning decades. Her humanity and selflessness touched others, even in death.

This book brings Ella to life. Married to a man much misunderstood, even today, Ella was seen as a virtual slave to his will. After his death, she seemingly blossomed.

Though not particularly lengthy, and definitely not the definitive biography of Ella, this is a good book for anyone wishing to get their feet wet with Ella. The book has some minor editing mistakes, but they are trivial in the grand scheme of things.… (meer)