THE FABERGE SECRET

Narrator Nancy Peterson impeccably delivers the multiple accents required for this novel covering the years leading up to the Russian Revolution. Set in St. Petersburg, in 1903, the fictional account follows Prince Dimitri Markhov; his vindictive wife, Lara; Czar Nicholas II, and Czarina Alexandra. The plot illuminates Prince Dimitri's awakening to the filth and poverty of the Russian lower classes and the horrors of state-supported pogroms against the Jews. Peterson's dusky, mellow voice is a gift for the ear as she offers descriptions of fabulous Fabergé eggs, casual infidelities, and lavish royal extravagances. As Dimitri wrestles between his loyalty to his friend, Czar Nicholas, and his conscience, which urges him to join those bent on revolution, Peterson makes this well-researched historical fiction fascinating listening. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2021]