I just finished reading one of the most compelling books I’ve read in a while, Kate Furnivall’s The Jewel of St. Petersburg—a completely captivating read. The story begins with the end of an era—an era where the Romanov Empire ruled Russia absolutely and where only a few controlled all the wealth and power, and everyone answered to the Tsar. The vast majority of the population had no wealth or power and barely survives from one frigid winter to the next. It’s 1910, and the time is ripe for revolution.
It is during the summer of 1910 that Valentina Ivanova, the daughter of a Minister in the Tsar’s cabinet, comes of age. With her talent, beauty, charm, and wealth, she is expected to live the life of Russian nobility. But, Valentina has opened her eyes to the world around her and is desperate to choose a different path, one that doesn’t include daily social calls, wardrobe fittings, and balls. Instead, she wants a life in direct opposition to that of her family and it includes middle-class Danish engineer Jans Friis.
Both idealists, in a quickly changing world, Valentina and Jan cling to each other and their love for Russia. Jans offers Valentina a freedom and a passion she never thought possible, and opens her eyes to the possibilities of a new life and a new world. However, her parents are a product of the Tsar’s Russia; they believe in the hierarchy of the nobility and force her into an engagement with a Russian Count. While everything familiar begins to crumble under the weight of the Russian Revolution, is Valentina strong enough to choose from her heart? The choice she makes will change her life and the lives of those around her forever.
There are no easy answers in this story, for history is what history was, and cannot be changed. As the reader you know the outcome of the Russian Revolution, but you’re compelled to find out how Valentina will change and survive. You’re riveted to the intrigues and back door deals of the Russian Court, you’re horrified at the abject poverty of the Russian people, you’re fascinated as the Bolsheviks plot revolution, and you’re consumed by the passion Jans and Valentina have for each other.
Kate Furnivall has an exceptional writing style, with fluid dialogue and rich descriptions, creating a heroine who is strong, smart, and courageous. In essence she’s created a jewel of a book that will take you on an unexpected journey with intricate plot twists and unusual outcomes.
The Jewel of St. Petersburg is the prequel to the widely read The Russian Concubine.
As a reader, what’s your favorite historical period? You can pick more than one; I have several.
Maria Lokken is an avid romance reader and an award winning television producer.
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