This gripping true story starts with the coming of age of Tzar Nicholas of Russia and describes his family life with Alexandria; their daughters, the four young Grand Duchesses; and their extremely ill son, heir to the throne. The family remained unaware of how their excessive way of life contributed to revolutionary fervor. The account concludes with the tragic end of the tsar and tsarina and their almost grown children, and unravels some of the mystery surrounding their fate.[ebook]