KATE FURNIVALL - THE RUSSIAN CONCUBINE & CONCUBINE'S SECRET

REVIEWED BY MAGGIE PERKOVIC ON SHOW 26TH NOV
I STARTED TO READ THIS BOOK AFTER GOING HALFWAY THROUGH THE SEQUEL 'THE CONCUBINE'S SECRET'. SO MANY REFERENCES TO EVENTS THAT HAD HAPPENED IN THE FIRST BOOK MADE ME PAUSE, OBTAIN THE START OF IT ALL AND READ EVERYTHING IN THE CORRECT SEQUENCE.
FIRST OF ALL I HAVE GOT TO SAY THESE ARE TWO RATTLING GOOD STORIES. THEY ARE BASED ON SOME TRUE AND RIVETING FACTS. THE AUTHORS MOTHER WAS IN FACT A DAUGHTER OF THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION WHO WAS ESCAPING WITH HER SMALL DAUGHTER WHEN SHE WAS PREVENTED FROM LEAVING RUSSIA AND ENDED UP IN THE INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENT IN CHINA IN 1918.
SO MUCH WAS CORRECT BUT AFTER THAT FICTION IS ALLOWED TO MIX WITH FACT AND WE MEET MANY MORE CHARACTERS FEATURING IN BOTH THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION AND THE CHINESE BID FOR FREEDOM FROM THE HARSH WARLORDS THAT RAN THE COUNTRY AND LEARN THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO MAO TSE TUNG BECOMING LEADER. LYDIA THE HEROINE, IS A FLAME HAIRED FEISTY TEENAGER WHO TAKES MANY RISKS LOOKING AFTER HER MOTHER VALENTINA WHO IS IN DESPAIR AFTER LOSING HER HUSBAND AND FAMILY TO THE VICIOUS FIGHTING IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION. CHANG AN LO IS A YOUNG CHINESE WHO SAVES LYDIA FROM A NASTY ATTACK BY SOME THUGS AND IS LATER SAVED BY HER WHEN HE IS ALSO ATTACKED. THEY HAVE A BOND WHICH IS UNBROKEN THROUGH THE TWO BOOKS, THRUST INTO CLASHES WITH THE SAVAGE TRIADS OF JUN CHOW AND THE STRICTURES OF THE WHITE COLONIAL SETTLEMENT. LYDIA AND CHANG FALL IN LOVE AND ARE SWEPT UP IN A FIERCE FIGHT AGAINST PREJUDICES AND SHAME, FORCED TO FACE OPIUM RUNNING, BETRAYAL AND KIDNAP, THEIR COMPELLING ATTRACTION TO EACH OTHER IS TESTED TO THE LIMITS.

THE SEQUEL IS SET IN CHINA IN 1929 WHERE LYDIA FINDS OUT THAT HER FATHER, BELIEVED DEAD FOR MANY YEARS, IS IN FACT ALIVE BUT CAPTIVE IN STALIN CONTROLLED RUSSIA, SO SHE SETS OUT TO FIND HIM TOGETHER WITH HER HALF BROTHER ALEXEI, LYDIA WALKS INTO DANGER ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. HER PROTECTOR FROM THE FIRST BOOK A HUGE RUSSIAN WITH ONE EYE AND A THIRST FOR VODKA, CALLED POPKOV, IS ALSO PART OF THE UNLIKELY TRIO.
ALEXEI DISAPPEARS LEAVING LYDIA ALMOST PENNILESS, SHE SOON BECOMES ENTANGLED WITH A MYSTERIOUS RUSSIAN OFFICER BUT CHANG AN LO IS NOT FAR AWAY. NOW AN IMPORTANT PERSON IN THE COMMUNIST REGIME HE RACES TO PROTECT HER AND STARTS A CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT ARE BOTH INSPIRING AND DESTRUCTIVE. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS CHARACTERS IN BOTH THESE BOOKS IS VERY VIVID, WHILE THE GRAPHIC DETAILS OF THE ABUSE BY THE VILLAINS IS QUITE ENTHRALLING!
AS WE ALL KNOW BOTH STALIN AND MAO TSE TUNG WERE MONSTERS WHO USED THEIR POWER AND INFLUENCE TO COMMIT IMMENSE SUFFERING TO THEIR PEOPLE. ALMOST SIDELINED ARE THE BRITISH IN THESE BOOKS SOME VILLAINOUS, SOME KIND, SOME TORN BETWEEN THE CULTURES AND LYDIA'S FATHER, WHO WAS DANISH AND FORCED TO SURVIVE IN A RUSSIAN LABOUR CAMP AND LATER ENGAGED IN BUILDING A SECRET WEAPON FOR THE RUSSIANS, THE LOVE BETWEEN HIM AND HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER TRULY TOUCHING.
I WHOLLY RECOMMEND THESE BOOKS AND I AM LOOKING FOREWORD TO READING HR FIRST NOVEL 'UNDER A BLOOD RED SKY' WHICH I THINK IS SET IN RUSSIA.
BY MAGGIE PERKOVIC