The Jewel Of St Petersburg
'Breathtakingly good' Marie Claire
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
*** THE Sunday Times TOP TEN BESTSELLING AUTHOR ***
'Wonderful . . . hugely ambitious and atmospheric' Kate Mosse
Discover a brilliant story of love, danger, courage and betrayal, from the internationally bestselling author of The Betrayal.
*****
Russia, 1910.
Young Valentina Ivanova charms St Petersburg's aristocracy with her classic Russian beauty and her talent as a pianist. But she scandalises society when she begins a romance with Jens Friis, a Danish engineer. He brings to her life a passion and an intimacy she has never known. Unbending in their opposition, her parents push her into a loveless engagement with a Russian count.
Valentina struggles for independence and to protect her young sister from the tumult sweeping the city, as Russia is bound for rebellion. The Tsar, the Duma and the Bolsheviks are at each other's throats and Valentina is forced to make a choice that changes her life for ever . . .
The Russian Concubine and The Concubine's Secret are available to buy NOW in paperback and ebook.
Further praise for Kate Furnivall:
'Superb storytelling' Dinah Jefferies
'A thrilling plot ... Fast-paced with a sinister edge' Times
'A thrilling, compelling read. Wonderful!' Lesley Pearse
'Gripping . . . poignant, beautifully written ...will capture the reader to the last' Sun
'Truly captivating' Elle
'Perfect escapist reading' Marie Claire
'An achingly beautiful epic' New Woman
'A rollicking good read' Daily Telegraph
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Beginning in the lead-up to the Bolshevik uprising, Furnivall's sure-to-please prequel to her successful The Russian Concubine centers on Valentina Ivanova, the daughter of a minister in Tsar Nicholas's crumbling regime. When revolutionaries bomb her father's home, leaving her sister crippled and her world uncertain, Valentina must search for her path in life: should she submit to the unloving arranged marriage her controlling father wants, or should she pursue her scandalous (for noble ladies) dream of becoming a nurse? To complicate matters, Valentina falls for Jens Friis, a Danish engineer who is politically moderate, intensely passionate, and completely off limits. Furnivall skillfully intertwines historical fact with a heartfelt love story and ends where Russian Concubine picks up. This will be a delight for Furnivall's fans, and equally a joy for those new to her work.