The Girl from Junchow

April 20, 2009
In her third novel, Furnivall returns to the story of Lydia Ivanova from The Russian Concubine
, a Russian girl who fled the Bolsheviks and settled in Junchow, China, with her mother, who was then killed. Alone in a strange culture, Lydia learns that her father, whom she believed to be dead, is imprisoned in a labor camp. She flees China with her stepbrother, Alexei, to search for her father, leaving behind her lover, Chang An Lo, a Communist rebel. When Alexei later abandons Lydia, Lo comes to the rescue, but not before Lydia learns the terrible truth about the only family she has left. Furnivall deftly evokes the details of a bygone era, though these often take too much of a front seat and distract from Lydia's quest to find her father. Fans of Furnivall's earlier works will enjoy the chance to see what has become of Lydia.

May 15, 2009
For most of her life, Lydia Ivanov believed her Danish father to be dead, a victim of the Russian Revolution. Furnivall's sequel to "The Russian Concubine" picks up with Lydia's discovery that he is still alive, held as a prisoner of the Soviet Union. With her half-brother, Alexei, and lifelong friend and protector Liev Popkov in tow, Lydia sets off on a journey from the Chinese city of Junchow to reunite her fractured family. Close on their heels is Lydia's love interest, the Communist activist Chang An Lo, who has discovered vital information about Lydia's father that he must pass on to her. With a much tighter plot than Furnivall's last effort, this book delivers an engrossing adventure that sweeps readers along in lush waves of drama and romance. Though a few minor weak spots beg the suspension of disbelief, the unflinching and finely crafted descriptions of Russia in its Soviet infancy more than compensate. A rare sequel that is better than its predecessor, this novel will appeal to those seeking a summer beach read that mixes fascinating historical details with exciting adventure and romance.Leigh Wright, Bridgewater, NJ

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2009
Too many coincidences mar whatmighthavebeen a decent historical love story set in Lenins Communist Russia. The plot takes up where The Russian Concubine (2007) left off, with Lydia Ivanova traveling through Siberia in search of her father. In a twist on the authors The Red Scarf (2008), instead of the hero escaping a prison camp, here the hero searches for someone in a prison camp. By the time Chang An Lo, who happens to be in Moscow, meets up with Lydia and they renew their love affair, the chance meetings and liaisons are rife, and characters seem to randomly appear and disappear on cue. Furnivalls talent for capturing the historical milieuof early Communism falters under the weight of pedestrian dialogue and melodrama. Although this novel is a definite disappointment in the wake of Furnivalls outstanding earlier books, there are still occasionally brilliant portrayals of the bleak, tragic lives of ordinary people caught up in revolution. Recommend Solzhenitsyn for those seeking to understand the gulag and James Meeks The Peoples Act of Love (2006) for a stellar view of characters under pressure in Siberia.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)