This book was written by Julia "Lili" Dehn,  who was a close friend of the last Empress of Russia, Alexandra Feodorovna.  She witnessed many of the most important events of the sunset years of the Romanov Dynasty. Her book is an intimate, first-hand account from the perspective of a palace insider and close friend of Alexandra.  Lili met the infamous Rasputin through Alexandra and knew him personally.  She experienced the events of 1917 and the fall of the dynasty at the side of the Empress  This is an excellent memoir to learn more about the Romanovs and life before the Russian revolution.