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The Russian Concubine
by Kate Furnivall

The experiences of the author's mother inspired this debut novel, a somewhat unlikely tale of star-crossed love in 1928 China. Valentina Ivanova and her 16-year-old daughter, Lydia, White Russian refugees, live in grinding poverty in the International Settlement of Junchow, subsisting off whatever presents Valentina can charm from gentlemen admirers and the profits Lydia makes from pawning stolen goods. When Lydia inadvertently attracts the unwelcome attentions of a criminal gang, the Black Snakes, she finds a rescuer in Chang An Lo, an English-speaking Communist and kung fu master. Danger is never far as the two fall in love. Lydia's travails of her are mirrored by those of Theo Willoughby, the British headmaster of her school. Theo's struggle to preserve his school and his happy life de él with his Chinese mistress, Li Mei, drives him to collude with Li Mei's estranged father—the leader of the Black Snakes—to run opium into Junchow. Violence is more prevalent (and graphic) than sex, and the narrative has extended periods of inertia during which there is much action, but not of the plot-advancing sort. Despite these flaws, Furnivall vividly evokes Lydia's character from her and personal struggles against a backdrop of depravity and corruption. 

A sweeping novel set in war-torn 1928 China, with a star-crossed love story at its center.

In a city full of thieves and Communists, danger and death, spirited young Lydia Ivanova has lived a hard life. Always looking over her shoulder from her, the sixteen-year-old must steal to feed herself and her mother from her, Valentina, who numbered among the Russian elite until Bolsheviks murdered most of them, including her husband from her. As exiles, Lydia and Valentina have learned to survive in a foreign land.

Often, Lydia steals away to meet the handsome young freedom fighter Chang An Lo. But they face danger: Chiang Kai Shek's troops are headed toward Junchow to kill Reds like Chang, who has in his possession the jewels of a tsarina, meant as a gift for the despot's wife. The young pair's all-consuming love can only bring shame and peril upon them, from both sides. Those in power will do anything to quell it. But Lydia and Chang are powerless to end it.

Condition - Excellent 
Paperback 
Published in 2007 by Sphere
ISBN : 978-1-84744-167-6
Length - 577 pages



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