false 1212868 12 <p>A sweeping novel set in war-torn 1928 China, with a star-crossed love story at its center. </P> <p>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, the sixteen-year-old must steal to feed herself and her mother, Valentina, who numbered among the Russian elite until Bolsheviks murdered most of them, including her husband. As exiles, Lydia and Valentina have learned to survive in a foreign land. </P><p> Often, Lydia steals away to meet with 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.</p> 2547901 book 2006 The Russian Concubine total:1246|5:210|4:477|3:380|2:142|1:39| 1246 4413 2138 347 5 3 false false Sat Sep 20 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Sep 14 20:38:53 -0700 2008 Sat Sep 20 17:28:13 -0700 2008
I'm going to start with a quote straight ...more...]]> 1 2 false false Mon Mar 30 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 25 11:42:16 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 30 11:17:15 -0700 2009 more...]]> 1 2 false false Sun Jul 13 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Jun 26 06:17:31 -0700 2008 Sun Jul 13 17:32:57 -0700 2008 more...]]> 2 2 false false Sun Feb 24 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Thu Dec 20 06:17:27 -0800 2007 Sun Feb 24 11:27:02 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 1 false false Sat Jan 31 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 31 11:30:48 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 31 11:52:28 -0800 2009 The Russian Concubine. Yes, Lydia and Chang are lovers, but concubine just gives a ...more...]]> 2 0 false false Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 11 20:18:12 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 11 20:18:12 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Fri Jul 17 09:48:34 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 17 09:48:50 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 1 false true Wed Apr 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon May 18 15:23:13 -0700 2009 Tue May 19 07:48:47 -0700 2009 the title. My best guess is that it's called Russian Concubine because there are hints of Valentina being a slave to money from men - letting men have her to keep her family fed, clothed, her daughter in school etc. While she was not a concubine she essentiall...more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sat Jul 25 21:08:17 -0700 2009 Sat Jul 25 21:14:37 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Mar 08 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Mar 08 16:44:01 -0700 2009 Tue Mar 10 01:10:51 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 1 false false Sun Oct 19 12:04:05 -0700 2008 Sat Oct 18 02:49:28 -0700 2008 Sun Oct 19 12:04:05 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Aug 24 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 24 20:45:25 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 24 21:01:03 -0700 2009
It takes p...more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Jan 20 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 26 11:04:16 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 26 11:11:57 -0800 2009 more...]]> 2 1 false false Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Jun 29 10:22:36 -0700 2008 Sun Jun 29 10:30:32 -0700 2008 more...]]> 2 0 false false Mon Jun 09 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Jun 03 15:23:11 -0700 2009 Sun Jun 21 15:00:16 -0700 2009 1 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Mar 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 09 19:33:33 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 09 19:44:06 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Jun 06 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri May 15 08:04:15 -0700 2009 Sat Jun 06 09:16:26 -0700 2009
The author masterfully d...more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Apr 03 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 30 10:56:08 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 07 06:20:35 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Aug 21 08:37:29 -0700 2009 Fri Aug 21 08:37:29 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sun Dec 14 10:34:34 -0800 2008 Sun Dec 21 09:27:35 -0800 2008 Under a Blood Red Sky - and while I didn't savour it quite as much, there was plenty here to hold my interest. Like its successor, this is essentially a love story, but the narrative surrounding the ce...more...]]>