This book was a wonderful love story between young adults in two completely separate worlds. The characters are engaging and the story is one that touches the soul. I couldn't put this book down. If you're looking for a good fast read with a foreign, historical setting this book is for you.

This is the best debut novel that I have read in a long time. I am an avid reader of historical fiction of all periods, and this book blew me away. It delved deep into a world that is a complete fusion of many different cultures: Russian, Chinese, British. What I loved about this in particular was the fact that the Bolshevik revolution was the context for this novel, but not the entirity. I find this period of Russian history very interesting, but what made this book even more intriguing was the fact that this period is 'displaced' inside of China.

The love interest in this book has been extremely well created by Furnivall, especially due to the stark differences between the two lovers. However, this novel is definitely not, in my opinion, a historical romance. It is historical fiction that has a romantic storyline present within it.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a lover of historical fiction.

When this was submitted to my book club, the title killed me as all we seem to read are throw yourself over the balcony, depressing books. This was, while not a happy comedy, one of the best books I've read in years! Instead of disliking or feeling so sorry for the characters you can't relate, this is a book where you love them so much you don't want your relationship with them to end.
Lydia and Chang are a wonderful story!

I enjoyed the last one hundred pages or so.... books that take 200 pages to 'get into it' is too long for me.

I loved this book! The beginning really hooks you and doesn't let you go. It became a little far fetched towards the ending but by then you just had to find out what happens!

This was a big disappointment - characters and plot so weak. Usually Amazon gets it right but 4 stars this is not. I am a huge reader and historical fiction is my favorite. I suffered through all 500 pages and insisted on writing a review so others don't do that.

This book was wonderfully adventurous and action-packed. It's an easy and enjoyable read; it's like going to a great blockbuster movie. The novel isn't particularly deep but is extremely entertaining and full of twists and turns. I couldn't put the book down and would recommend it to anyone who likes love stories and stories that paint beautiful pictures about foreign lands and past times. I hope that the sequel comes out soon because I don't know how long I can wait.

I really enjoyed this book and hope the author continues the story with a sequel.

This book is beautifully written and heart breakingly, gut wrenching but one is still left with hope and promise for what the future holds. The characters all draw you in. Here descriptive writing is amazing. I haven't cried while reading a book in a long time but I had a good sob over this one. Bravo to the author. I am begging you for a sequel Ms.Furnivall :)

I absolutely adored this book from start to finish and found it to be an unexpectedly terrific read. Ms. Furnivall truly captured the essence of what it must have been like living in the International Settllement in pre-revolutionary China...the sights, smells, dangers, characters, customs, etc were so impeccibly deteailed that it was impossible not to get swept up into the world of Lydia, the precocious Russian protagonist. The culture-clashes and traditions of the various groups of people depicted in this novel- British, Russian and Chinese- are truly fascinating and there are plot twists and turns throughout the novel to keep it interesting.

One of my favorite aspects of the book was the way in which the author didn't tell the reader every single piece of the story. Too often, I find writers in this genre feel the need to spell out every single detail, which doesn't allow the reader to interpret a scene or sitation for him/herself. This book was brilliantly written and would make a great book club choice...I highly recommend it!

When I first started The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall, I thought it had the potential to be a great book. By the end, I determined that it was a good book, but I don't think that Furnivall lived up to my expectations. I thoroughly enjoyed the historical aspects of The Russian Concubine, but felt that the plot and character development had some weaknesses.

The Russian Concubine opens with Valentina Ivanova and her daughter, Lydia, fleeing Russia during the revolution. They end up finding a home in the Russian Quarter of Junchow, China. Junchow (a fictional Tientsin), has a large international presence due to treaties between China and England. Valentina is a classically trained pianist, but can barely make enough to support herself and her daughter. As a teenager, Lydia resorts to stealing valuables and then fencing her loot to help pay the rent and put food on the table. At least Lydia has a scholarship to attend the Willoughby Academy. Both mother and daughter believe that Lydia's education will be their ticket out of China. Lydia meets up with Chang An Lo, a 19 year old member of China's growing Communist Party (the year is 1928). They eventually fall in love. It is dangerous to be a communist, and especially, for a foreigner to be associated with one. It is also unpopular for Chinese to be associated with foreigners, who are nicknamed Foreign Devils. But Lydia and Chang seem to have a psychic relationship that is usually associated with identical twins.

This is a fascinating time in Chinese history as Chiang Kai-shek and his armies are vying for control of the country, while the communists are also fighting for their cause. Both the Chinese and the foreigners consider the other uncivilized. Furnivall has a love of China, which shines through in The Russian Concubine. And English headmaster considers his love of China and its beauty: "It had stolen his heart...the sumptuous curve of a Ming vase, the upward sweep of a calligraphy brush, the hidden meanings of a watercolor of a man fishing, a vivid sun sinking behind a raft of sampans...These things filled his senses. Sometimes he couldn't breathe, his passion for them was so strong."

Unfortunately, I thought there were too many subplots in The Russian Concubine that didn't always add to the story. Also, I never bought into the love relationship between Lydia and Chang. In fact, there weren't a whole lot of characters that I ever grew to like.
And just when I reached the end of the 517 page book, Furnivall sets the reader up for a sequel. While I'm glad that I finished The Russian Concubine, if Furnivall does come out with a sequel, I not sure I'd be interested.

I love historical fiction and this book was a real disappointment. It was light on the details that help transport the reader to the era and the references to our heroine's alcoholic, flawed mother became tiresome quickly. I can't believe the hype - I wish I could get my $ 15 back!

I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. It wasn't perfect but it was a darn good read, a real romp. Lots of fun. Now I'm off to beg Kate Furnivall to write a sequel! I don't want to say goodbye to Lydia, Chang, and Liev!

Wow Wow Wow, what more can I say! This is the most beautifully enticing book I have ever read, I literally could not put it down, I read it in 4 days, and have continued to re-read my favourite parts over and over again, especially the love affair between Lydia and Chang!
I felt swept up in the emotion and turmoils of their lives, and it gave a whole new meaning to the saying 'Never give up on true love', and especially on life and that is what Lydia and Chang did, they didn't give up, they came from two completely different backgrounds, but from diversity came an ever increasing love for each other and an appreciation for the way others live and see themselves!

From page 1 this book sweeps you away into an unforgettable story of love, betrayal,secrets, cultural clashes, Chinese, Russian, and English history and so much more. Truly one of the best books I've read in a very long time. Nothing in this book disappointed me! Kate Furnivall has written a book that will be long remembered.

This book has it all......love, adventure, action, family, politics,
history, sex, and you will not want to put it down until you're finished!!! The characters are all so vivid and the author does
a very good job of making you feel like you're in their world. They
all are tied together by fate and chance. You will think you are
in China in the early 1900's, and you will be sad when the book ends!
You'll want more!

This book was -- although not perfect -- absolutely extraordinary. It was an ambitious effort to say the least: Chinese, English, and Russian history at one of the most tumultuous times in all of history all in one novel! What saves it is the relatively short time span covered.
There were times when the plot took some odd and awkward turns. Every once in a while I would find myself saying "Who is this character, where on earth did they come from, and why are they doing that??" Liev Popkov and the re-introduction of Tan-Wah are a couple of examples where the necessity of their presence to the plotline was not immediately clear. It was never very clear what Christopher Mason had over Theo Willoughby and how that translated into Opium trafficking either (surely there are other ways to save a school...), at least not until the end. The majority of the book cooked along at a good pace, and when it got a little boggy, I could generally go back and skim the last few pages and get back on track. The underlying theme of a girl growing into a woman in spite of her difficult circumstances is a universally understood one though, and artfully captured in this novel. The love story may be improbable, but it was beautiful. And who says a novel has to be completely probable?
Furnivall is a gifted writer. When she describes something that smells bad, feels good, is excruciatingly painful, or breathtakingly beautiful, you feel those things with all of your senses, to the core of your soul. I look forward to her future efforts.

I really liked this book. At first,I had a hard time figuring out where the auhor was going, it became clear after a while. You just have to stick with it. I do admit, I was hoping for a more exciting ending, but she left the door wide open for a sequel or for other books. I enjoyed the book and it was very thought-provoking. It mad me very curious about the history of China during the communist revolution. It is not a subject people really think about.

I could not put it down and when i finally did it was over and left me wanting more.the whole book is very well written and detailed and the characters were very well put together. I have not read a book this good in a very very long time. I can not wait for the sequel to find out what happens with Lydia and Chang.

In the begining I wasn't very enthralled, but when I hit the 1/3 mark of the book it began to get alot more interesting and I couldn't put it down after that point. Admittedly the love story is a little strange like other reviewers said and Chang's character could have been developed a little more. Other than that, I absolutely loved this book.

This is perhaps the best book I have ever read. It was so wonderful. The story...the HISTORY....it took my breath away. I could not put it down. Not even to cook or do the dishes. This is SO GOOD how can someone write like this? I knew nothing about russia or china in the early 1900's.... and now I feel like I know so much...and so much about people and their natures and motives... this is one of the best books ever written. It is sure to become a classic.

Out of 5 possible stars.... this one deserves 7. At least.

I think this book was fantastic. It included alot of great historical facts about the social and cultural influences of the time - following the British attempts to colonise China and the reasons and motives behind their presence, as well as the feelings of the Chinese about such invasions. It also includes all of the history of the Russians who fled Socialist Russia for safety. For these reasons, I do not think the book would have been anywhere near as good had it only followed the storyline of Lydia and her mother. A country with so many millions of people, from so many backgrounds and agendas needs more than two characters to explain such a complex number of issues and lifestyles occuring in China at the time.

While some may cringe at a few of the smaller story arcs, those of Lydia, Chang, Mr Theo, The British men like Alfred and the Chinese drug lords help to explain and explore such a complex and amazing period of time. I look forward to another book by this author.

If you are looking for an entertaining book this will make a good choice. The author certaintly does not lack imagination. Plot twists are coming left and right although some of it is predictable. A little long so don't start it unless you have time on your hands. It picked up unexpectedly in the middle so I'm just starting my housework at 1AM.

Lydia Ivanova is a bi-racial 15 year old woman struggling with poverty in the Russian quarter of Junchow in the late 1920's. When she was a young child her mother, Valentina, fled from Russia just after the fall of the Romanovs avoiding capture even though the Bolshevik soldiers took her husband, a Danish man named Jens Friis. Valentina managed to convince the soldiers to allow her entry into China with Lydia but for the last decade she has been known as a white Russian refugee and forced to live in squalor because of this. The result of her mother's status and alcoholism is that Lydia has to steal to provide while Valentina relies on the kindness of men to provide for her and her daughter. On one of her excursions Lydia meets a young Chinese man with familiar eyes who saves her from a snake with martial arts. He makes an impression on her that she carries for some time.

After some time Lydia meets the young man again. His name is Chang An Lo, and he is one of the secret communist faction that is trying to undermine Chiang Kai-shek's regime, but prominent drug cartels, criminal gangs, and Kuomintang troops are both working against him and his friends. Lydia becomes involved with him and his cause emotionally and finds herself yearning for him when he is not around, particularly when he disappears for several months. She endeavors to find him, hoping that he is still alive, because he has become so much a part of her.

This historical fiction based on Furnivall's mother's life as a white Russian refugee in China blew me away. It was such an enjoyable read I devoured more than half of it in a single sitting. Of course it largely is a romance story between Lydia and Chang An Lo, however the romance is not cheesy and largely does not come into play until later in the book. For a the whole build up to the romantic climax I was hoping it wouldn't turn pedestrian or over emphasized and I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't. My only gripe is that she felt like she left open the ending for a possible sequel, and I didn't feel as if the story needed furthering. I would have been much happier if she had not opened up that ending. Overall though Furnivall is definitely a great narrative voice and I will be reading her again in the future.

Extremely difficult to read. It has its moments that is smooth to read. But the majority of the time it's just very choppy. The story was all over the place. And the main character went through some difficult situations, yet she didn't seem all that phased. I was looking forward to the book but I was sadly disappointed.

(Spoilerish)

The overall summary sounded like it had the potential to be a very interesting book. Exiled Russians living in China in a time of great change for the country. Unfortunately, the book squandered opportunities to make an excellent novel due to the shear number of sometimes ridiculous sub-plots. I didn't feel as if the writer had a strong grasp of Chinese History during the time period. The characters were not well developed and I had to skim the last 50 pages which I almost never do because it was turning into a soap opera that would be canceled in a week.

The love story with Chang was completely unbelievable. The book would have been very interesting if it just focused on the one main plot of Lydia and her Mother surviving in China during a pivotal time in Chinese History. Instead we throw in a bizarre and unbelievable romance, communism, a school teacher plot, a snake gang, a cruel over lord whose actions were for the most part inexplicable, alcoholism, affairs, physical abuse experienced by yet another 10th party in the book, and the over-used plot of your possible love interest is your half-brother from an ill-begotten affair. Around 200 pages I wanted to toss the book in the trash but kept with it as it spiraled further and further into ridiculousness. It felt like the author read "The Lover" and tried to take a small book and created an epic and instead created a compilation of predictable short stories that had me shaking my head in disbelief.

To be completely honest, I finished this book, set it aside, and said, "Well, that was weird." I didn't get what the author was trying to say with this book, but it was still an interesting read.

Lydia and her mother, Valentina, are Russian refugees living in an International Settlement in China with English, French, Americans, and Chinese in a huge melting pot of cultures. Valentina and Lydia are destitute as Valentina scrapes by as mistess to various wealthy men in the colony. Lydia steals to survive and roams the Chinese town outside the settlement where she runs into trouble and is saved by Chang An Lo. They develop an odd forbidden relationship based on discussions of communism and Lydia continually binding up Chang's injuries. Valentina moves from man to man trying to foget her murdered husband and marries a wealthy Englishman in the settlement. Lydia's schoolmaster has his own adventures with forced opium runs, while his Chinese mistress is the daughter of a powerful Chinese gangster in control of the opium. Chang is an enemy of a Chinese gang that kidnaps and tortures Lydia to reach him. There are lots of interesting sub plots in this book and each one could make another novel. However, all combined into this novel, it just makes everything confusing!

Chang and Lydia are supposed to be star crossed lovers, but it seemed too forced to me. I didn't root for them to be together at all, and the risks they took to see each other and falling in love over communist debates just seemed ridiculous. The school master's opium runs came out of nowhere and I couldn't made myself care. The only character I took an interest in was Valentina and the other White Russians refugees.

The torture scenes are very disturbing, but the book is still interesting. Looking back on the title, The Russian Concubine, I wonder who exactly the author was refering to? The mother, Valentina? Lydia was the main character, but she wasn't a concubine. Argh, I'm still scratching my head over this book!

The ending is surprising and leads to a sequeal I'm sure is in the works. Lydia is traveling back to Russia to find out what happened to her father when the book ends. I wish the author would have focused more on the Russians and what happened during the Bolshevik Revolution in this book instead of Chinese gangs and Communisim, so maybe I'll be a fan of the sequel. As for this book, read it if you can't find anything else you want to read. Maybe you'll love it. I didn't.

Kate Furnivall has captured the Russian soul, the Chinese soul, the English soul and my own soul. I was torn between wanting to read it slowly so it would never end and wanting to finish it because of too much suspense. The characters are unforgettable. The history is researched and fascinating. Kate's own mother was a White Russian refugee in China so no wonder she had such an advantage in getting everything so authentic. One has to read this with reverence for the Chinese people. This is the first time I have ever really understood the motivations of the Chinese Communists.

I have never read a novel in which so much suffering could be intertwined with so much love, courage and joy. It wasn't only the suffering and joys of the main character, Lydia, but of all the characters which made it a joy to read. They were all complex characters and therefore came alive and believable at the skillful hands of this wonderful novelist.

Whether it is the opium trade or Sun Yet San or Chiang Kai Shek, Ms. Furnival gets it all just right.

Please let this be a best seller and let there be a sequel. I can't say goodbye to Chang and Lydia and Albert and the rest of them.

Here is a warning, but not a spoiler: It is full of surprises.

Furnivall's book was by far the best novel i have ever had the pleasure of reading. I devoured this book in a mere two days. I could barely stand to be away from the powerful love story. I love this wonderfully written story. I rarely share books with friends for fear of losing my copy. I will share this book with everyone and anyone and would be happy to purchase a second copy.
As soon as i finished the book, i looked up the author praying for a sequel, and much to my exhiliration, there is one in the works. I am rarely a fan of "love historic fiction" but this novel sang. The characters are human. I feel like i know these people. I have cried with these characters and feel i have walked a mile in their shows.
Buy this book. It has become my favorite, and after Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Spendid Suns, that is hard.

It's amazing, pure and simple. The Love story is masterfully done! The characters are strong and vibrant, and their relationship contains a touch of realism that draws you in and never lets you go.
I finished it and felt completed in a way I didn't know i was lacking.
I pray she writes a sequel, Im an avid reader and this book is surely one of the top 5 I have ever read.

I bought this book because of the book's back cover synopsis and especially because Diane Gabaldon wrote a good review of it. I love Diane Gabaldon's Outlander Series with Jamie and Claire. All of them are on my list of well written books too.

I basically bought this book because I thought it was a love story. It definitely is but the first half of the book is spent introducing all the important characters and describing their personalities and also describing the surroundings where the story takes place - the social and political climate in 1920's China. This is all very important to the development of the book's plot. The love story begins in the last half of the book. I have to admit that I really started to get irritated because I WANTED A LOVE STORY from beginning to end. But it was well worth the wait. Lydia and An Lo's story had me laughing and at the same time crying. Kate Furnivall gives the two main characters in her book depth, intelligence and a good reason to fall in love!!

If she doesn't continue this love story that will be okay because we can just leave it up to our imagine. However, I do hope she writes a second book because I love her writing!!!!!!!

The only reason why I give her four stars and not five is because Lydia and An Lo's story didn't start soon enough.

I read this book over a weekend. Could not put it down. Hope there is a sequel. Did not want to lose contact with the characters. Wonderful!

This book was a real page turner. I can not wait for Kate Furnivall's second novel. She tells a story with such passion. Do yourself a favor and read this book.

I didn't find the story line unusual. I didn't feel the characters were well developed. I never really cared about the people in the book or got what they were about....i'd recommend the good earth by pearl buck over this anyday.

I didn't buy this off of Amazon...I went and bought it at a local bookstore. At first it didn't sound intresting, (sometimes the back of books really ruin the story for me) so I read the first chapter and was automatically hooked. I was reading it in line while I was waiting to pay for it. It is very hard to put down, with its compelling characters and fluid moving storyline. Kate Furnivall was able to put together an outstanding book that had surpises around every corner.

This is a stirring story, can't put the book down. It has its touch oof romance and dealing with coming into adulthood. It also brings in social struggles of the time. I love it.