Robert Alexander: The Kitchen Boy

“More tea, my child?”

Kate looked up at the old, shrunken face, and saw a smile that was as sweet as a spoon of honey yet as wrinkled as a dried apple. Yes, Kate herself had inherited the defective gene from her father, who’d gotten it from his own mother, May, who had in turn been passed it from her own mother, none other than…

No, thought Kate, you can’t ever go there. Just don’t. The time and place for that family is no more. You have a husband and children at home who need you, who need your protection.

“Sure, I’ll have a bit,” said Kate, clutching the gold bracelet on her wrist, the bracelet given to her grandmother at a time when she was young and her life so in danger.

While this is a work of fiction, the indented passages, secret notes, and letters attributed to the Romanovs, their captors, and Rasputin are all accurate and can be found in various archives. Taking creative license, I’ve made changes to only one of the documents, Empress Aleksandra’s long letter, which appears midway through the book. That letter, written to Anna Vyrubova, is actually a compilation of two different letters that Aleksandra wrote and secretly smuggled out of their captivity. To see some of these documents, historical photos, and a complete bibliography, please visit www.thekitchenboy.com.

Many thanks to many people, particularly to:

Lars, who’s been by my side since the start of all things Russian. Meri and Sasha, the dearest of friends who by chance and good fortune happen to be the best business partners. My writing pal, Ellen Hart, with whom I talk all the time but never enough. Katie Solomonson, my favorite reader. Dr. Don Houge and his vision. Susan Moody for her constant support. Olga for her help. James Rea for his innovative book trailer, www.thekitchenboy.com. Leslie Schnur and her brilliant insights. Jane von Mehren and Stephen Morrison at Viking for restoring my faith. And my particular gratitude to my agent, Marly Rusoff, who not only steered a steady course but made it wonderful.