August 13, 2024

Was she, or wasn't she?

A fitting title given the latest book I've scored for reviewing purposes is a story of the woman who assumed the identity of Anastasia Romanov, youngest daughter of the last Russian Tsar Nicholas and Alexandra. The whole family was murdered in 1917 during the Russian Revolution, on the orders of Vladimir Lenin, a leading revolutionary who became the founding head of Soviet Russia.

 

I was still in my teens when I read a non-fiction book about Anna Anderson - who claimed to be Anastasia. There were a few Anastasia impersonators, but 'Anna' was the most credible and she convinced a lot of high profile and influential people both in Europe, and the US where she eventually lived. Ultimately she was exposed as a fraud, but it took many years and several court challenges and there were always niggling doubts given her physical similarity to Anastasia, the terrible unexplained scars on her body, and her detailed knowledge of Russia, its language and its nobility.

 

This is a novel though so I’m curious to see how Ariel Lawhon the author – a name unfamiliar to me - handles the known facts about Anna/Anastasia and weaves them into a story that leaves readers guessing - and wondering. Writing the short review for Better Reading could prove an interesting task as well, with care needed to avoid spoilers!

 

By the time I’ve read and reviewed ‘Am I truly Anastasia Romanov’ my next review book should have arrived. Thomas Mayo’s ‘Always was, always will be’ is a non-fiction title and comes courtesy of Independent Australia. Subscribers to IA are also offered an opportunity to put up their hands for the occasional book that is offered for review. I suspect this one could be more challenging since it deals with the aftermath of last year’s Referendum, and the impact it had across the country, but especially for Indigenous Australians. The review can be a bit longer though, so the word count is not quite so strict.


Then there are the books to read for my two my book discussion groups. No shortage of reading matter, and no immediate chance of being able to dip into the ever teetering TBR pile beside my bed either!

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Strange and Marvellous Things

By Anne Layton-Bennett • October 27, 2025
Well done to the north-west Tasmania branch of Fellowship of Australian Writers . Once again their editorial team led by Allan Jamieson have produced an excellent anthology, with the intriguing title – as above – and an undeniably quirky cover. The rather wonderful octopus is just one of the creatures on it, indicating a watery theme until your eyes pick out the morose-looking frog, sporting what appears to be a death-cap toadstool hat, and a moustachioed chap apparently hitching a ride to work on a magpie. They all suggest an intriguing mix of writing to be explored within. I appreciate I’m a little biased in promoting this collection of stories, memoirs, poems, anecdotes and travelogues of far-flung places, since I've got work included, but after my copies arrived in the post last week, and from dipping into the book already, it really does look like another interesting and eclectic read – as FAWNW’s previous anthologies have proved to be. Tasmania is definitely not short of some talented writers, even if all of them don't necessarily have a published book to their name. Neither do I as yet, but with my magnum opus finally completed, and currently being strategically submitted to publishers that are ones most likely to be interested going on their previous publications, my fingers are firmly crossed. For a first-time author I knew this part would be difficult, as well as time-consuming given the lengthy delays before possibly receiving that much anticipated email or phone call - or not if the six- eight- or ten-week deadline is reached with no news at all - but hoping that with Dr Bob Brown on-side and putting in a good word when and where he is able to do so, my submission will be plucked from the pile sent by other hopefuls. Then it will be a case of hoping it will spark enough interest to ask for a publisher asking to see the full manuscript. Strange and Marvellous Things (edited by Allan Jamieson, FAWNW) 2025 is available online or at good bookshops. RRP $25.00

Windy dog walks

By Anne Layton-Bennett • October 12, 2025
Tasmania's wild and windy weather has been more severe than usual this October, making dog walking more of a challenge, and less pleasurable than usual.

Spring cleaning

By Anne Layton-Bennett • October 2, 2025
Spring cleaning our walk-in pantry and having a clear out of stuff while doing so. A task that's been delayed due to having a broken wrist.

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