Genre: Fiction
The story is not biographical but is loosely based on the story of Furnivall’s own mother, Lily, who was a Russian refugee.
Lydia Ivanova (age 5) and her mother, Valentina, escape Russia during the Bolshevik Revolution, losing her father, Jens Friis, a Danish citizen, in the process. They end up living in an International Settlement in Junchow China, and without ‘papers’, they are stuck there. The novel follows Lydia’s escapades through Junchow, from thief to protector to nurse. She is a daughter, lover, prisoner and fighter. One day she finds herself in trouble and is saved by the wonderful Chang An Lo, a freedom fighter and a Communist rebel. Soon we begin to follow their fiery romance and their ‘involvement’ with the Black Snake Brotherhood.
I thought that the novel was expertly written and the ending left me craving for more. She definitely knows what her readers want and exactly how to give them that. We watch Lydia grow from a frightened 5 year old to a strong vicious fiery-haired ‘demon’. Watching this growth, you find yourself falling in love with Lydia and hoping that all turns out well for her. This story left me in tears when I was finished, and I was disappointed that it had come to an end.
The story is continued in The Concubine’s Secret, which will be the topic of the next post.
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