The Phoenix Crown
A Novel
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4.2 • 160 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
From bestselling authors Janie Chang and Kate Quinn, a thrilling and unforgettable narrative about the intertwined lives of two wronged women, spanning from the chaos of the San Francisco earthquake to the glittering palaces of Versailles.
San Francisco, 1906. In a city bustling with newly minted millionaires and scheming upstarts, two very different women hope to change their fortunes: Gemma, a golden-haired, silver-voiced soprano whose career desperately needs rekindling, and Suling, a petite and resolute Chinatown embroideress who is determined to escape an arranged marriage. Their paths cross when they are drawn into the orbit of Henry Thornton, a charming railroad magnate whose extraordinary collection of Chinese antiques includes the fabled Phoenix Crown, a legendary relic of Beijing’s fallen Summer Palace.
His patronage offers Gemma and Suling the chance of a lifetime, but their lives are thrown into turmoil when a devastating earthquake rips San Francisco apart and Thornton disappears, leaving behind a mystery reaching further than anyone could have imagined . . . until the Phoenix Crown reappears five years later at a sumptuous Paris costume ball, drawing Gemma and Suling together in one last desperate quest for justice.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Welcome to a captivating historical mystery set in the dazzling and dangerous world of San Francisco in spring 1906, as a devastating earthquake lies in wait. When opera singer Gemma Garland arrives in the Bay to perform with the Metropolitan Opera, she has her sights set on soprano stardom. But when the charming and incredibly wealthy Henry Thornton offers to jump-start her career by having her perform at his high-society party, the fiercely independent singer can ’t say no. In Thornton ’s mansion, Gemma meets a talented Chinese embroiderer, Suling Feng— and the two women begin to piece together their new patron ’s deep, dark secrets. Authors Kate Quinn and Janie Chang seamlessly blend the history of the deadliest earthquake in America with the stories of their fabulous, hardworking heroines, women who dare to challenge the status quo. With its glamour, mystique, and a shocking murder, The Phoenix Crown is a great historical mystery with feminist sensibilities.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Quinn (The Diamond Eye) and Chang (The Porcelain Moon) team up for a stirring story involving opera, prized antiquities, and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Gemma Garland, a soprano in New York's Metropolitan Opera, is hoping to revive her lagging career. Shortly after her arrival with the Met's traveling company in San Francisco, where she's slated to perform with Enrico Caruso, Gemma meets and falls for charming railroad magnate Henry Thornton. Soon, she's singing at his house for members of high society. Her affection for Henry curdles, however, after she learns about his dark side from Chinese embroiderer Suling Feng, whom Henry has hired to mend a damaged robe from a Beijing palace. Among his other collectibles is an ornate crown, also taken from the palace. It turns out Suling's lover Reggie has disappeared, and she tells Gemma that Henry is to blame. The women confront him just as the earthquake hits, after which Henry and the crown disappear. The authors ably develop the two main characters as they discover a shared sense of independence and join in common cause while reckoning with the mixed blessings of a powerful man's patronage. Readers of historicals with strong female leads will savor this.
Customer Reviews
Great book!
Fun historically based read!
Phoenix Crown
Gripping story of SF earthquake. Interesting characters
Deception on the characters - reader is lied to.
While a good read, I was highly disappointed and felt deceived when the two characters, Suling and Reggie turned out to be lesbian lovers. When you first meet Reggie, it is assumed she’s a man. So one thought. Then it comes out she’s the “male part” of a lesbian relationship. Don’t hide something like this when people are spending money on your book. Should be in the description. Wish I could get my money back. Feel deceived and will not purchase any other books from either of these authors. You lied. Can’t trust them.