The Girl from Junchow

Courtesy of Amazon.com

The Girl from Junchow is the conclusion of a trilogy written by Kate Furnivall. The trilogy focuses on a mother and daughter, Valentina and Lydia Ivanova, who are trying to make a living during the rise of Communism in both China and Russia. Valentina, a member of the Russian aristocracy, falls in love with an architect and risks everything in order to be with him. However, when the Revolution overtakes Russia the two are separated and Valentina is forced to survive along with her young daughter, Lydia. This signals a downward spiral of depression and alcoholism for Valentina. Many years later Lydia meets her own true love in the form of Chang An Lo, a young Chinese communist. However, their love is complicated by his communist beliefs and the difficulty of relationships between races.
The Girl from Junchow finds Lydia in Soviet Russia attempting to find her long lost father. Along the way she makes new friends and enemies while also trying to determine what to do about her love for Chang An Lo.
I found the story very well written, but also quite touching. Lydia makes a wonderful protagonist, because she is so complicated and damaged. She is also struggling with the problem of being with the person who she really loves while at the same time not endangering him. The idea of endangered ones loved ones is fully explored in this novel as Lydia comes face to the face with the fact that her sometimes reckless actions may unintentionally hurt the people who are most important to her. On a personal note I enjoyed the way in which the series as a whole discussed the changes that the Russia Revolution and the rise of Communism brought to the Soviet Union. As someone with family from that area the topic was very relevant, as it showed the consequences not only for the nation as a whole but for individual persons, many of whom had done no wrong.



For more information on Kate Furnivall and her work, visit her website http://www.katefurnivall.com/

Cleopatra's Daughter

Cleopatra's Daughter is another excellent book by Michelle Moran. It tells the story of Cleopatra Selene, the only daughter of Queen Cleopatra, Egypt's most famous queen. The story begins with the aftermath of Cleopatra's defeat in the Battle of Actium and follows Selene and her twin, Alexander, as they attempt to adopt to their new life in Rome under the protection of Octavia, Augustus' beloved sister.

Courtesy of Michelle Moran

This is a well written tale  that gives a reader a feel for the time, but at the same time it is easy to relate to the homesickness and loneliness of the novel's heroine, Cleopatra Selene. Moran also focuses on the relationships of the key players in Roman history as well as exploring the difficult journey from childhood to adulthood.  Much like Moran's previous novels, The Heretic Queen and Nefertiti, the reader is able to explore the life of a strong female, historical figure and live through some major historical events