In 1926 the Marfo-Marinski Obitel Miloserdiya (the Martha and Mary Convent of Mercy) was closed and all the remaining nuns were banished to Siberia and Central Asia; the Grand Duchess’s spiritual confessor, Father Mitrofan, was imprisoned in the Gulag and later died of pneumonia. As for the convent itself, its buildings, which during the Communist era were used as community halls and warehouses, fell into extreme disrepair. In 1993 the Marfo-Marinski Obitel Miloserdiya was reconsecrated at its original site on the Bolshaya Ordinka, vows for 33 nuns were renewed, and its orphanage reopened.
To this day, restoration of Grand Duchess Elisabeth’s beloved obitel continues, as does her pioneering social work.
The author gratefully acknowledges that for the purposes of authenticity many of Grand Duchess Elisabeth’s own words from her diaries and letters (including her farewell letter written on the train to Siberia) were used in the writing of this novel. Similarly, other non-copyrighted historical documents, such as the letters of Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra as well as Rhetta Dorr’s actual interview of Grand Duchess Elisabeth regarding education in America, were also employed. For more information, a readers’ group guide, and to view historical photographs, please visit:
www.robertalexanderbooks.com
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many thanks to those who helped so very much: researcher Mary Ann Fogarty, Ellen Hart, Dr. Don Houge, Robin Seaman, Katherine Solomonson, and Meri Tarlova. My deep gratitude to everyone at Viking, particularly my editor David Cashion and publicist Ann Day. And of course, thank you, Marly!
Robert Alexander
