Official Review: Anastasia's Book of Day by Cindy Maynard

[Kelebogile Mbangi]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Anastasia's Book of Day" by Cindy Maynard.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Imagine the struggles that an independent, never-married mother of three goes through. Now, imagine those very same struggles, amplified by living in a time and society where such a course is taboo. Anastasia’s Book of Days is a work of historical fiction, and it explores those aforementioned struggles. The book is set in the eighteen-hundreds, in Germany. It is written by Cindy Maynard. Interestingly, Maynard is a descendant of the protagonist. She states that her mission in writing this book was to imagine how the facts, dates, and people surrounding German History would have affected the life of her great-great grandmother, Anastasia Burkart.

Anastasia is the daughter of a tailor. From an early age, she longs for a life of independence. She expresses her feelings in a leather-bound book, her “book of days”, given to her by her mother. She cannot bear the thought of being trapped at home, occupied by menial, mind-numbing chores. She cannot bear the idea of being around her mood-swinging mother all day. Soon, she devices a plan that is sure to gain her a bit of independence. As her life plays out its course, she attains complete independence, ironically, it is far from the independence she dreamed of as a child.

When a book can add to your understanding of historical events, and it does so without boring you stiff – then you know it’s a good book! This gripping account opened my eyes to the little details no one thinks about in a history class (well, no one in my history class, that is). For example, what was a country’s cost of allying themselves to a conquering land, what was the cost to the layman on the street? Through Anastasia’s account, I learnt of the devastating effects that the Napoleonic Wars had on everyday life, even in a country enjoying relative peace.

I enjoyed how personal and intimate the book feels. It is written in first person, from the perspective of Anastasia. Refreshingly, the world does not revolve around her. The account is balanced, and highlights both her strengths and flaws. Her character is well developed, and as she grew from childhood to her golden years, her voice matured. My heart sank, skipped a bit, and leapt for joy in pace with that of the protagonists, as she experienced love, heartbreak and loss.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It kept me up all night, as I just could not put it down! There is nothing I disliked about the book. If you enjoyed the works of Jane Austen, then you will probably enjoy this, though it is in much simpler English. The protagonist, has the same lively spirit, that many of Austen’s lead characters had. Those who enjoy historical fiction will alike enjoy this book.

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Anastasia's Book of Day
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[juliusotinyo]

Germania in the Napoleonic wars. I think it's the only subject that can draw me to this book. Great review. Glad you liked it.

[Kelebogile Mbangi]

Thank you.

[kandscreeley]

Wow! This sounds like quite an interesting story. It is one I would be interested in reading. Thanks for the review. I'll put it on my list!

[Kelebogile Mbangi]

I'm positive that you will enjoy it.

[Anirudh Badri]

My biggest problem with historical fiction is that I usually end up being very bored by them. If this one managed to keep your interest, then I think I would like to read this. Thanks for the review!

[Donatelloo]

I was just scrolling down and 'Anastasia' word caught me . I love the name .
Talking about story, it's the perfect one to make you realize reality is far away from your imagination or how you think world would be . And I personally , like reading novels that shows someone's struggle in life .

[Kelebogile Mbangi]

Same here! At first I thought it was about about the Russian royal, Anastasia. Anyway I enjoyed this Anastasia's story too!

-- 17 Aug 2017, 17:35 --

My biggest problem with historical fiction is that I usually end up being very bored by them. If this one managed to keep your interest, then I think I would like to read this. Thanks for the review!

I'm sure you'd enjoy it, it has unexpected twists that will retain your attention.

[ritah]

Thank you for the beautifully written Review! This book sounds so interesting to me, it's definitely something I'd love to read.

[Manang Muyang]

You never fail to amaze me, Kelebogile. That your heart did all those acrobatic movements got my attention. This is another diary I'd like to snoop into.

[The Researcher]

very nice review! What you wrote about the settings of the book, the historical plot and a strong character made me determined to read this book. Thank you for sharing your views.

[Kelebogile Mbangi]

You never fail to amaze me, Kelebogile. That your heart did all those acrobatic movements got my attention. This is another diary I'd like to snoop into.

and your humour never fails to leave me in stitches!

-- 18 Aug 2017, 12:26 --

Thank you for the beautifully written Review! This book sounds so interesting to me, it's definitely something I'd love to read.

Thank u Ritah.

[Izesicle]

Oh wow. Sounds like a good read. I typically avoid historical fiction but I might change my mind with this. Thanks for checking out my review.

[Kelebogile Mbangi]

very nice review! What you wrote about the settings of the book, the historical plot and a strong character made me determined to read this book. Thank you for sharing your views.

I'm glad my review was helpful to you.

[Naval Aulakh]

It's a great review. I enjoyed reading it.