I bought a copy of The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall after reading a recommendation on the website of Kate Mosse, author of Labyrinth and I’m so glad I did.

The Russian Concubine tells the story of Valentina, a White Russian, and her daughter, Lydia, who must fight for survival in the International Settlement in China after fleeing the Bolsheviks. Wounded by the loss of her husband, Valentina seeks solace in vodka and pretty much leaves Lydia to her own devices. Lydia finds herself having to resort to stealing to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. As political tensions in China increase, Lydia falls in love with a young Chinese communist which not only places her own life in danger but also those around her.

The love story between Lydia and Chang Lo is very powerful and so heartbreakingly full of despair and promise at the same time. I’ve always been interested in pre-revolution Russia but never felt the same way about China. The atmosphere in the novel is so striking, I’m now finding myself very curious and that can never be a bad thing.

However, the cherry on top of the cake for me, was discovering the premise is actually based on the experiences of Furnivall’s own mother who was a White Russian raised in China and India. While the events of the story are fiction, the premise and many of the names used are directly lifted from Furnvall’s family tree. Furnivall was unaware of her Russian heritage for a very long time and a visit to her website reveals the story behind the book.

Lydia and Chang Lo’s love affair ends abruptly and we will have to wait for the sequel to find out more, however Furnivall’s next book is also set in Russia and I can’t wait for its release.