Do you know someone who is fascinated with Imperial Russia?
Upheaval would be the perfect present for them!
You can buy it through my website or through @downingfield.bsky.social

Sorting material for the sequel to Upheaval and running out of desk space 🙄 If you haven't had a chance to buy Upheaval yet, here's the link downingfield.com/book/upheaval

Do you like to support your local businesses? I do. So do you know you can order Upheaval through your local bookshop? Just give them the details below and support your local bookshop.

My books have arrived! So exciting to see the 2nd edition of Upheaval in print! If you're excited too, or would like to purchase the book, visit my website www.alexdefircks.com or check out @downingfield.bsky.social #books #memoir

We had a fabulous time at the launch for the 2nd edition of Upheaval. If you couldn't join us, here is the link for the recording: youtu.be/t6uPdD76u9o

Look what arrived in the post! The proof copy of the 2nd edition of Upheaval. I love the cover. So exciting! Now to check for mistakes...

Here is a sneak peek at some of the #familyphotos which might be included in the updated 2nd edition of my grandmother's #memoir. If only I could identify the man next to my grandfather!
The photos were taken in June 1919 when my grandparents took a cruise down the Kuban River.

Starting to plan the sequel to Upheaval, luckily I just discovered Microsoft has a Whiteboard!

Istanbul Day 2 and, thanks to the incredible research by @goreme1990.bsky.social I walked the same streets as my grandparents, in what was Constantinople. From the Hotel Tokatlion, to the Grand Bazaar, I followed their footsteps.

Yesterday, I flew to Singapore on my way to Istanbul, the first stop in my journey to follow in the footsteps of my grandparents. The clouds on the flight were amazing!

It's surreal that, in less than 2 weeks, I will be in Istanbul to walk in the footsteps of my grandparents, who went there as refugees in 1920. So I've been reading Inside Out In Istanbul, written by @goreme1990.bsky.social. I highly recommend it. #Istanbul #familyhistory #ancestors #russianhistory

I spent an afternoon with my publisher @downingfield.bsky.social deciding on photos for the 2nd edition of my grandmother's memoir Upheaval. So many to choose from! I'm very excited about this stage in the process as it's becoming real now! #FamilyHistory #Memoir #FamilyPhotos

This is one of my favourite photos from Upheaval, my grandmother's memoir. My grandmother, Countess Olga Kleinmichel (later Olga Woronoff) with her father, Count Konstantin Kleinmichel. This phtoto will also be in the 2nd ed of Upheaval, which will include more content. To be published in October.

Something exciting is coming soon...here is a sneak peek at the photos I selected with @downingfield.bsky.social for the updated second edition of my grandmother's memoir. Stay tuned! #familyhistory #memoir #ancestry #russianhistory #amwriting

3 years ago I wrote a post about this card from my great grandmother to my mother. I still haven't had any luck finding the Khasoff family she mentioned. On a brighter note, when I'm in Paris I'll most likely see the address where my great grandmother wrote this! www.facebook.com/share/8ynQs9...

Do you think about connections between your passion and the books you read? There are definitely similarities between my passion for family history and my love of detective fiction. Read about it in my latest blog post, link in my bio. (Image taken from Conan Doyle's story The Red-Headed League).

I'm not feeling very Christmassy right now but walking through the streets of South Melbourne yesterday I saw this lil bit of Christmas and smiled...

Melbourne getting into the spirit of Christmas with the Australian Girls Choir. 🌲