Anna [Paperback]

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 6, 1991

When Anne Peters, a young Englishwoman, is offered a new life in St Petersburg as governess to Count Kirov's children, she finds herself caught up in the intense lives of the family. The author won the Young Writer's Award in 1972 for her book "The Waiting Game".

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this vast yet meticulously detailed historical romance, veteran British author Harrod-Eagles sets young English governess Anne Peters at the center of shifting and cataclysmic events occuring in Russia between 1803 and 1812. Dismissed by her stuffy English employers because of a social blunder, the outspoken Anne is hired by Count Nikolai Kirov, an adviser to the czar, to educate his two lively daughters, Yelena, nine, and Natasha, two. Warmly received in the count's diverse Petersburg household--which includes his ineffectual wife, Irina; his vitriolic mother, Vera; and a host of ebullient relatives--Anne, now called Anna Petrovna, predictably, falls in love with the count, whose response is guarded. Against the somber background of the Napoleonic wars and ominous portents that the French emperor has designs on Russia, tensions within the Kirov household increase. Anna leaves and marries unwisely, leading a hollow existence as the wife of a wealthy, dissolute nobleman. Although the plot is fairly formulaic and much of the cast outrageously stereotyped--there are only devoted servants, contented serfs, happy peasants--the entanglements nevertheless intrigue. Readers may look forward to the projected sequel.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Lightly laced with romance, this simple story of Englishwoman Anne Peters's life with diplomat Count Kirov's family in Russia serves as a framework for illustrating a fascinating period of world history. Anne joins the count's family as governess to his young daughters after he rescues her in Paris at the start of the Napoleonic Wars in 1803. The course of the wars unravels through the experiences, thoughts, and emotions of Anne and the colorful Russian characters. This revealing perspective works well within the thoughtfully constructed plot. Details of fashion, society, and geography further bring the era to life. This book is sure to please readers of historical fiction as well as some romance enthusiasts. Highly recommended.
- Betsy Larson, Brennemann Lib., Chicago
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 672 pages
• Publisher: Pan Books (September 6, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0330317903
• ISBN-13: 978-0330317900
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,129,248 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A cross between Jane Eyre, War and Peace, and Rebecca, January 28, 2002

By 

"mbeg7" (Baton Rouge, LA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anna (Kirov Saga, Part 1) (Hardcover)

I loved this book! I found it two years ago on an obscure back shelf at the local library during the summer, when I was looking for a good book to read. I brought it home after reading the dust jacket, and the first time I read it I was completely engrossed. I couldn't put it down and read the whole 500-something page book in one sitting. I have since gone on to read the other two books in the Kirov Trilogy, but I would have to say that Anna is by far my favorite. For me Cynthia Harrod-Eagles does a wonderful job at bringing the characters to life, weaving their personal struggles with the historical events of the time. As much as I love this book, I would never call Anna a literary masterpiece. Anna is the type of book that you read for pleasure, for the experience that the story gives you, and I must say that the experience is most definitely pleasurable.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Imperial Russia, May 22, 2009

By 

celticsfan34 (california) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Anna (Paperback)

This book really captures the feel of early 19th century Russia in a way that no other author I've encountered has managed to do. It's not an original plot - governess falls in love with her aristocratic employer - but the author's treatment of Russia during the Napoleonic era rings true and evocative. The other 2 titles in the Kirov saga (Fleur, Emily) are also worth reading but not as gripping as this one.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful, rich read., July 13, 2000

By 

Corrielle (West Hills, CA. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anna (Kirov Saga, Part 1) (Hardcover)

This book was moving and interesting, with a cast of rich, well drawn characters that kept me involved in the story. It is the story of passionate, vital people who are caught in the sweep of history and must either endure it or rise above it. If Gone With the Wind had been set in Russia, this would have been it. I truly enjoyed it.