The Last Russian Doll by Kristin Loesch: A Four-Star Book Review

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The Last Russian Doll by Kristin Loesch is a historical fiction novel from my Book of the Month backlist. It’s a complex novel, with three narratives interwoven across multiple time periods, but I enjoyed it overall, especially its atmosphere feel.

Summary of The Last Russian Doll (No Spoilers)

Alongside Rosie’s story are chapters narrated by Tonya and Valentin, whose stories begin at the start of the Russian Revolution. Tonya, the sheltered wife of a wealthy elitist, is expected to play the roll of her husband’s living porcelain doll, but her first encounter with Valentin, the passionate revolutionary changes her forever. Their stories twist and turn through the Bolshevik uprising, World War II, and communism.

Rosie is settled in England, importing her doctoral program and planning her wedding, but she remains haunted by her childhood in Russia and the brutal way in which she and her mother left their homeland. By chance, Rosie gets an opportunity to return to Russian with the famed historian Alexey Ivanov to work as his research assistant and, hopefully, solve the mystery of what happened to her own family.

Determined to learn more about her family, Rosie discovers the story of Tonya and Valentin, as well as the fables that are interspersed throughout The Last Russian Doll. In the end, she must decide history and these stories will impact her future.

What I Enjoyed about The Last Russian Doll

I enjoyed the complexity of this novel. With so many side characters and multiple storylines, there was a lot to comprehend. However, this created a rich novel that described all situations and, eventually, brought resolution to all characters.

The complexity added to the atmospheric feel of the novel as well. This isn’t a happy, positive story. The history it describes is full of pain, torture, death, and misery. Even the house in which Rosie lived seemed to carry these feelings. But beneath that pain was a lot of heart, so it was complex in that way as well.

My Final Thoughts about The Last Russian Doll

I am glad that I read The Last Russian Doll and think that others will enjoy it as well. If you’re looking for a sweeping historical fiction story about a complicated time period with complex characters, this is the one for you. You won’t be disappointed.