The Girl from Junchow

by Kate Furnivall

Overview

An epic journey of love and discovery from the national bestselling author of The Russian Concubine and The Red Scarf.

China, 1929. For years Lydia Ivanova believed her father was killed by the Bolsheviks. But when she learns he is imprisoned in Stalin-controlled Russia, the fiery girl is willing to leave everything behind- even her Chinese lover, Chang An Lo.

Lydia begins a dangerous search, journeying to Moscow with her half-brother Alexei. But when Alexei abruptly disappears, Lydia is left alone, penniless in Soviet Russia.

All seems lost, but Chang An Lo has not forgotten Lydia. He knows things about her father that she does not. And while he races to protect her, she is prepared to risk treachero's consequences to discover the truth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780425227640
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	06/02/2009
Series:	A Russian Concubine Novel
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	512
Sales rank:	751,984
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.20(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Kate Furnivall was born in Wales and currently lives in Devon, England. Married and the mother of two sons, she has working in publishing and television advertising. She drew inspiration for The Russian Concubine from her mother’s experiences as a White Russian refugee in China.

Editorial Reviews

In her third novel, Furnivall returns to the story of Lydia Ivanova from The Russian Concubine, a Russian girl who fled the Bolsheviks and settled in Junchow, China, with her mother, who was then killed. Alone in a strange culture, Lydia learns that her father, whom she believed to be dead, is imprisoned in a labor camp. She flees China with her stepbrother, Alexei, to search for her father, leaving behind her lover, Chang An Lo, a Communist rebel. When Alexei later abandons Lydia, Lo comes to the rescue, but not before Lydia learns the terrible truth about the only family she has left. Furnivall deftly evokes the details of a bygone era, though these often take too much of a front seat and distract from Lydia's quest to find her father. Fans of Furnivall's earlier works will enjoy the chance to see what has become of Lydia. (June)

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Publishers Weekly

For most of her life, Lydia Ivanov believed her Danish father to be dead, a victim of the Russian Revolution. Furnivall's sequel to The Russian Concubine picks up with Lydia's discovery that he is still alive, held as a prisoner of the Soviet Union. With her half-brother, Alexei, and lifelong friend and protector Liev Popkov in tow, Lydia sets off on a journey from the Chinese city of Junchow to reunite her fractured family. Close on their heels is Lydia's love interest, the Communist activist Chang An Lo, who has discovered vital information about Lydia's father that he must pass on to her. With a much tighter plot than Furnivall's last effort, this book delivers an engrossing adventure that sweeps readers along in lush waves of drama and romance. Though a few minor weak spots beg the suspension of disbelief, the unflinching and finely crafted descriptions of Russia in its Soviet infancy more than compensate. A rare sequel that is better than its predecessor, this novel will appeal to those seeking a summer beach read that mixes fascinating historical details with exciting adventure and romance.
—Leigh Wright

Library Journal