Angel on the Square (Russian Saga, 1)

by Gloria Whelan

Book Overview

From the author of the National Book Award-winning novel Homeless Bird comes "an absorbing saga"* about a young heroine coming of age in the tumultuous years leading up to the Russian revolution.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0064408795
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.47 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.6" x 0.6" x 5.1"

Customer Reviews

If you liked Homeless Bird, you will love this!!

12 year old Katya lives in St.Petersburg in 1914. She is an aristocrat and doesn't know about the world outside of her.She is pampered, and in her cousin Misha's opinion a "spoiled child." Misha doesn't like the aristocratic lifestyle, and particularly hates the ruling of royals. He sides with the peasants, and tries to be as simple as possible. Katya does not believe Misha's words about how peasants live in awful conditions, and that the Tsar does nothing to help. All she has heard is good things about the Tsar, her mother respects and would never say a bad word about him or his family. Katya and her mother soon leave off to live in the Tsar's palace as Katya's mother is invited as a lady-in-waiting. At first Katya's life is tea-parties and gossip galore with all the Romanov daughters. Soon, however, Katya sees behind the palace walls, and begins to agree with Misha on his opinions of peasants. Throughout the book you see Katya's emotions and opinions on the real condition of everyone other then the nobles in Russia. Katya takes a big journey form noble to a farming peasant, and learns so much on the way. I liked this book very much because it actually told what happened in the rest of St. Petersburg and not just in the Romanov's castle. If you liked this book you will definitely love Homeless Bird.

An emotional new novel by Gloria Whelan

Twelve-year-old Katya Ivanova has everything anyone would want. She lives in St.Petersburg, Russia with her mother who is a close friend to the Empress Alexandra. Katya knows nothing of the turmoil in Russia and of the troubles of the poor. When her mother is asked to be a lady-in-waiting for Empress Alexandra and the Tsar Katya moves in with them and their four daughters---Olga, Tiatiana, Marie, and Anastasia, who Katya quickly befriends and is better known as Stana. To Katya everyday life is great. She is naive to the outside world of the palace. Little does she know of the pheasants who want to overthrow the Tsar. The only worry in her life is Misha, her cousin, who is one who feels strongly about the revolution. As the years pass Russia enters World War I and the turmoil starts. For young Katya it is very hard to bear seeing how mistreated the Tsar is by his own people, who he thought was loyal. This was another great historical novel by Gloria Whelan. It was very emotional and meant a lot to me. I have always been one interested in Anastasia so I really liked this book.

A historical fiction masterpiece.

In pre-War Russia, a revolution rages. Katya and her mother, however, live in luxury -- their home is with the Tsar and the Empress, and their four daughters -- Olga, Tatiana, Marie, and Anastasia -- and the ailing Alexei. Katya has never known what it's like to be poor before, because she has always lived with royalties and luxuries. But she does know Misha, a young soldier who knows about the revolution and fights strongly with the army for salvation, and Katya fears he will die in the war. As the years pass by, the luxurious Russia is thrust into the inevitable war that would mark itself in history. Katya knows she is no longer safe, even behind palace walls with her best friend, Anastasia --and finds that she must do something to try to stop the war. Angel On The Square is powerful historical fiction that deals with the wins and losses of revolution, what it means to care, and what maturity is all about.I felt strongly for Katya and for Russia as I read this book, and reading about the Grand Duchesses and their family, mostly Anastasia, through young Katya's eyes, is touching and the descriptive is beautiful. Until its last astounding page, this book was excellent.

I highly reccomend this wonderful historical novel.

Wealthy, twelve-year-old Katya Ivanova and her mother have always lived a luxurious life in their mansion in the city of St. Petersburg, Russia. They spend their summers on their country estate, The Oaks, and Katya's mother is a close friend of Empress Alexandra. When the Empress invites Katya's mother to come live in the palace as a lady-in-waiting and to bring Katya along to be a companion to her youngest daughter, Anastasia, Katya is thrilled. She and Anastasia, or Stana as she is called, become close friends. Katya even gets to accompany the royal family on their elegant yacht. But as the years go by, the world is engulfed by a terrible war. Defeat after defeat lowers the morale of the Russian soldiers, and soon the people are rebelling. Even though she has seen firsthand the poverty that many people live in, the royal family has become a second family to Katya. As revolution changes her once predictable life, Katya must change, too, if she is to survive what is to come. This was a beautifully written historical novel. Over the course of the story, Katya changes from a spoiled little girl to a mature young woman with a greater awareness of the world around her. I highly reccomend this novel to readers who enjoy historical fiction.