The Girl from Junchow
Book Club Picks

Book Club Picks: Girl from Junchow

In this sequel to The Russian Concubine, Lydia Ivanova is in Russia on a quest to find her father. As this takes her through the Russia that is ruled by Stalin, she comes to rely on people that she meets. The lady with the shady past that becomes the lover of her Cossack, Edik, the street kid who helps her more than she could ever realize at first and Antonina, the troubled wife of the commandant Dmitri, become Lydia's family.

As she travels from place to place in search of her father, Lydia encounters danger and heartbreak. When her beloved Chang An Lo meets up with her, she has to decide what is most important to her.

Will she find her father? What will she learn about her eclectic mix of traveling companions? What decisions will she make?

Book Club Picks: Girl from Junchow Opinion

I want to start out by saying that this is not a book that I would have normally picked for my personal reading. I did not read Furnivall's first novel which included some of these characters, but I was not lost because of that. I actually really enjoyed the story. It was filled with suspense and the characters were believable.

I think it would make for a good book club choice because there are many aspects to discuss. The historical references of Stalin and Mao Tse-tung will allow you to discuss their politics and tactics. The characters and their backgrounds will provide even more interesting topics to cover.

This book is almost 500 pages, so if there are slow readers in your book club group, heed this as a warning. However, it does keep your interest, and is definitely a page-turner.

Book Club Picks: Girl from Junchow Discussion Questions

1. Why do think Antonina had the OCD-like compulsion?
2. If you were Lydia, would you have made different choices regarding Dmitri, Alexei or Chang An Lo?
3. This book says that you can tell a lot about a person through their eyes or by their hands. What do you think is the most telling feature?

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