This engaging YA novel from Maine author Kathryn Williams blends modern realistic fiction with a touch of almost magical historical mystery. Seventeen-year-old aspiring writer Jess Morgan finds an old trunk in her deceased great-great-aunt Anna’s house. It is full of old journals, written in a language she doesn’t recognize and, being a storyteller, she is immediately intrigued. Enter Evan, a local college student at Keene State who studies Russian, and can translate the pages. Once he begins reading, the plot thickens: the forgotten journals are – just maybe – written by Anastasia Romanov. If they can be believed, she survived her family’s assassination and lived out her days in rural Keene, New Hampshire. The more Jess and Evan read, the more convinced Jess becomes that the story they relate is the true one.

The book is primarily set in 2007, where Jess is navigating high parental expectations, a popular, sporty boyfriend with whom she feels like an imposter, and a growing attraction for the studious Evan. Interspersed are Anastasia’s journal entries that tell of her dramatic rescue and years-long trek across Europe toward (eventual) safety in the United States.

Characters are likeable and flawed, and easily relatable. The story is well written and enjoyable, drawing readers into the mystery of great-great-aunt Anna’s past as much as Jess herself. There is no notable diversity with characters, but to be fair this does reflect an aspect of rural teen life in many New England towns. The addition of the Romanov storyline adds mystery and a ballast of sorts for Jess’s character to grow and come into herself as she tries to figure out who she truly is, and which parts of herself are simply a story she’s created. This would be an easy book to put into teen’s hands if they like realistic fiction, history, or (very light) romance.

Reviewed by Jenny Martinez Nocito