Author of the terrific The Russian Concubine (a must read) with her second, a great big saga of Stalin’s Russia, of labour camps, of unbearable hardship, of communist fear and betrayal and of love. She is a truly splendid new addition to the big epic novel area. Highly recommended.
Davinsky Labour Camp, Siberia, 1933: Sofia Morozova knows she has to escape. Only two things have sustained her through the bitter cold, aching hunger and hard labour: the prospect of one day walking free; and the stories told by her friend Anna, beguiling tales of a charmed upbringing in Petrograd — and of Anna’s fervent love for a passionate revolutionary, Vasily.
So when Anna falls gravely ill, Sofia makes a promise to escape the camp and find Vasily: to chase the memory that has for so long spun hope in both their hearts. But Sofia knows that times have changed. Russia, gripped by the iron fist of Communism, is no longer the country of her friend’s childhood. Her perilous search takes her from industrial factories to remote villages, where she discovers a web of secrecy and lies, but also bonds of courage and loyalty – and an overwhelming love that threatens her promise to Anna.
‘This gripping novel is poignant, beautifully written and will capture the reader to the last’ Sun
Author
About Kate Furnivall
Kate Furnivall was born in Wales and now lives by the sea, with her husband, in the beautiful county of Devon. She has worked in publishing and television advertising. Kate’s love for all things Russian stems from her family history in pre-Revolution St Petersburg. Look out for three previous novels, The Russian Concubine, Under a Blood Red Sky and The Concubine’s Secret, also published by Sphere.
