Turnbull tells me that she had been planning a research trip to Russia and was in the process of booking tickets when the pandemic hit. “Imperial Russia has always held a fascination for me,” says Turnbull, “and the story of Rasputin’s hold over the emperor and empress is long one I’d wanted to tell.” The costumes are sensational, as is Nicholas Hoult’s delightfully vile take on Peter III.” Another period piece she kept returning to for inspiration was the BBC’s 2016 adaptation of “War & Peace.” “At first, I found myself cringing at the historical inaccuracies, but then I just fell into the fun of it. To further put herself in the mood, Turnbull, 33, turned to a recent TV series for inspiration: “The Great” on Amazon Prime. It is, at its heart, Turnbull says, “the coming of age of Olga herself, as she grapples with the often-conflicting priorities of love, honour and duty – not only to her country, but to the woman she wants to be.” The novel begins on the night of Nicholas II’s abdication, then moves forward and back in time, as it charts the rise of Lenin as well as moves made by the imperial family that led to revolution.
“The Last Grand Duchess,” out this month, delves into the last days of the Romanov dynasty, as witnessed by Nicholas and Alexandra’s eldest daughter, Olga Nikolaevna. Having already taken on the British beau monde in her 2020 breakout hit, “The Woman Before Wallis,” the Toronto-based author has set her gaze further – toward Russia. “I might have indulged in caviar and champagne – strictly for research purposes, of course!”īryn Turnbull – her fabulous six-month-old goldendoodle/springer spaniel mix, Edie (who may or may not be the reincarnation of Princess Margaret, she says) by her side – is filling me in on her latest go at historical fiction.
0 kommentar(er)
