The Concubine's Secret
| Company type | Novel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Literature |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founder | Kate Furnivall |
| Products | Historical romance novel |
The Concubine's Secret, published in 2009 and written by Kate Furnivall, is the follow-up to The Russian Concubine and is also known in the United States as The Girl from Junchow. The story centers on Lydia Ivanova and Chang An Lo, whose paths separate as Lydia embarks on a quest with her half-brother to locate her father, while Chang ascends to a prominent military position.
Plot
Taking place after the events of The Russian Concubine, the narrative begins following the death of Lydia’s mother and the discovery of information about her father, Jens. Lydia sets out alongside her half-brother Alexai Serov and their guardian Live Popkov to find Jens, who is detained in a forced labor camp. During their train journey to Russia, Lydia encounters Antonina, the spouse of Dmitri Malofeyev, the camp’s harsh commander. Meanwhile, Chang An Lo—Lydia’s partner—has been released from prison and rises through the ranks to become a senior officer in Mao Zedong's forces. When Alexai vanishes and Lydia faces imminent peril, Chang must take action to protect her.
Characters
- Lydia Ivanova : A 17-year-old with a Danish father, Jens, and a Russian mother; exiled from Russia at age five after her father’s capture; romantically involved with Chang An Lo; undertakes a journey to find her imprisoned father.
- Chang An Lo : Lydia’s lover and kung fu expert; advances to a high-ranking military position within Mao’s army; committed to rescuing Lydia.
- Alexei Serov : Lydia’s half-brother, son of Jens Friis and Natalie Serova; relocated to China at age twelve; grapples with family revelations.
- Live Popkov : Ukrainian guardian and loyal friend of Lydia’s family.
- Antonina Malofeyev : Troubled wife of Dmitri who develops feelings for Alexei and ultimately kills her abusive husband to protect Lydia.
- Dmitri Malofeyev: Cruel officer overseeing the prison camp; threatens Lydia until his death at Antonina’s hands.
- Elena Gorshikova: Former prostitute who becomes Live’s partner and raises a child alone.
- Leonid Ventov : Russian entrepreneur connected with Dmitri.
- Edik : Orphaned young pickpocket who allies himself with Lydia.
- Maksim Voshchinsky : Leader of a gang who befriends both Lydia and Alexei.
- Mikhail Vushnev : Individual responsible for assaulting Alexei.
- Additional significant characters include Chang An Lo’s commanders Li Ta-cao, Luo Wen-cai, Chou En-lei; his companions Hu Biao and Tang Kuan; allies of Jens such as Olga and Anoosuka; along with various other figures influencing the storyline.