The Jewel of St. Petersburg

I finally finished reading Kate Furnivall's latest novel last night. Notes from the cover:

In this prequel to her debut novel, The Russian Concubine (2007), about White Russian Lydia Ivanova, Furnivall focuses on Lydia’s mother, Valentina, during the years leading up to and including the Russian Revolution of 1917. When Bolsheviks bomb her family’s country estate in 1910, crippling her younger sister, Katya, 17-year-old title character Valentina is left with guilt and resolve. With a slim frame but steely character, she defies both convention and her father, who is the czar’s minister of finance, first by training and working as a nurse and then by refusing to marry for money (in order to solve the family’s financial problems). Instead, she chooses the man she loves passionately, Dane Jens Friis, the czar’s engineer. Through the years, her hatred grows for Viktor Arkin, a Bolshevik leader once in the Ivanovas’ employ who develops an emotionally complicated relationship with the family. Furnivall portrays a country in dreadful conflict, with the grinding poverty of the masses fueling rebellion against the privileged classes. A must for readers of The Russian Concubine and Furnivall’s The Red Scarf (2008).

I became interested in Furnivall's novels two summers ago when I read The Russian Concubine and the sequel, The Girl from Junchow. A historical fiction zealot, I was instantly captivated by the tales of Lydia Ivanova and the beldam of post WWI Russia/China. While I am highly educated in both US and European history, I know very little of the events that transpired between the Romanovs and the Bolsheviks during the Russian revolution and even less about early 20th century China (no wonder I had such a hard time grasping the events in Dr. Zhivago!).  Becuase of my ignorance, I found the need to seek out historical texts to help me understand the period and the life of Lydia and her family, and let me say - I was HOOKED.

The Jewel of St. Petersburg is a prequel to the other novels, and was nearly as fabulous as the other two books. I became absolutely captivated with the Danish hero, Jens Friis, and enthralled with the story's antagonist, Viktor Arkin. In Arkin, Furnivall has created a character whose outward actions are remarkably heinous and despicable, while his inner emotions are tormenting and tragic. I actually found Arkin's character far more intriguing than that of the "leading lady," Valentina. Arkin longs for a revolutionized Russia, void of the controlling Tsar Nicholas and his disgustingly rich comrades, but to achieve this goal, he must spill blood, ruin lives, and destroy much of St. Petersburg. His tragic connection to the Ivanova family provides the principal conflict of the story, and makes for page-turning tale. Several nights I sat up reading, only to discover that I had long passed my desired bedtime...and I paid for it the next mornings!

If you are a fan of Kate Furnivall's other novels, you will enjoy this one as well. Before you fire-up the Kindle, however, consider looking into the story's primary character - St. Petersburg. Familiarity with the city's history will no doubt be beneficial when trying to digest the events connected to the revolution and to Valentina's tale.