Twelve year-old Ivan, disputing with Michael over the privilege of swinging with pretty Anna Popovna, was abruptly put face to face with his past. Who was he? Why did all the villagers treat him differently? And what could he do to win Anna’s favor? As Ivan set out on a mission to surpass his rival, he watched a wondrous man revive a drowned carpenter, assumed dead, and his life was forever changed.
When Ivan eventually took his place in high Russian society, he discovered that his boyhood hero was none other than Czar Alexander himself. Ivan dedicated his life to the Czar and served him heroically from Moscow to Paris and back to Russia.
Through the eyes of Ivan and of Henri, a reluctant supporter of Napoleon, we follow the story of Czar Alexander and the disastrous fate of Napoleon’s army. We read about Anna Popovna as well as other gentle and inspiring ladies, discover Ivan’s past and, through it all, get to know the admirable Czar. Alcock’s thrilling novel about war and faith, young men and maidens, France and Russia, shows us history as well as ourselves.
The Czar: A Tale of the Time of the First Napoleon by Deborah Alcock provides quality entertainment while drawing the reader closer to God. Exciting, historically accurate, and deeply religious, The Czar is a must-read for any student of European history and is recommended to all teens and adults.
Disclosure I received a free review copy of The Czar in order to share my honest opinions.

The Czar is the closest thing to a nonfiction novel I have ever read! Set in the early nineteenth century, the time of Napoleon's reign in France, the saga opens in the sleepy Russian village of Nicolofsky. Young and arrogant Ivan Ivanovitch is introduced as a pampered resident who does little, if anything, to earn his keep. We later learn that Ivan is an orphaned Russian prince when he is abruptly swept away from his foster family in order to learn how to be a prince and a soldier. During this time, Russia is ruled by the Czar Alexander, a hero to Ivan since he saw the great Czar bring a carpenter back to life.

The character of Frenchman Henri de Talmont is used to bring to life the French invasion of Russia. The differences between leaders Napoleon and Czar Alexander are stark, from lifestyle to religion to basic character. Czar Alexander's Christian walk is well documented and is relevant to world politics today. The French and Russian people find they have commonalities in their struggle for deciding who their king shall be.

The book uses many footnotes to provide or expand on sources of information or to explain an event or a person in context. Black-and-white copies of intricate drawings depicting scenes in the book are sophisticated and interesting.

The Czar is intended for an advanced reading audience beginning in upper junior high school. It is a good complement to studies of world history, Christian history, and government. It could also be used for a literature study.

Pros: Studying Russian history wasn't something on the educational radar for me or my children. However, after reading The Czar, I am inspired to learn even more about the Christ-following Russian leader, Alexander. It is a book that I plan to incorporate into world history for my soon-to-be high schooler.

Cons: It took a concentrated effort to keep reading the book through the first several chapters. It is rich in detail, for sure, but I felt lost for a while as far as the story line goes, thinking I had missed something. However, it turns out it was well worth the dedication. Another challenge for me was the use of French phrases sprinkled into the text without translation by footnote or otherwise. I took three years of French in high school, but that was long ago!

The Czar was like a rich dessert. I couldn't truly appreciate it by going through it quickly. It was worth the time and effort it took to read it slowly and purposefully.

Source: The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, March 2011