They were the most photographed and talked about young royals of the early 20th century. The four Russian Grand Duchesses—Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia Romanov—were much admired for their happy dispositions, their looks, and their privileged lifestyle. Over the years, the story of the sisters and their tragic 1918 deaths in a basement at Ekaterinburg has clouded our view of them. Drawing upon a trove of diaries and letters, Helen Rappaport creates a new portrait of these intelligent and perceptive witnesses to the dark turmoil of the dynasty's last days.