The Jade Lily
Kirsty Manning
Reviewed by Helen
I have had this one sitting on my TBR pile since its release and I am sorry I didn’t read it earlier, this is a beautiful story filled with emotion, friendship and such courage as two young girls meet in Shanghai in 1939 and a bond forms but war changes life in so many ways, what will happen to them? Then 2016 commodities trader Alexandra starts to uncover secrets after the death of her beloved grandfather, a journey to Shanghai and the mysteries unravel.
1939 Romy Bernfield and her family flee Austria and head to Shanghai as refugees, Romy’s father is a doctor so they move into the French part of Shanghai and life here is good, Romy meets her neighbour Li Ho and her family they become inseparable, Mr Ho is a Chinese Doctor and soon Romy is picking up a lot of information in this area and is hoping to become a doctor whereas Li only wants to be a singer but war soon changes things Li has to change her way of life and the Bernfield’s are moved into the ghetto, here life is very hard. So much happens in this time, so much heartbreak.
2016 Alexandra leaves London and returns to Melbourne to be with her grandparents parents Romy and Wilhelm, Wilhelm is dying and Alexandra is also uncovering secrets about her family that have been kept for many years. A new position in Shanghai will give Alexandra hopefully the information she wants about her families past and look towards a better future.
This is a compelling read, beautifully written the descriptions took me to Shanghai during the wars years and now, the characters are so strong and courageous what Romy, Li and the other fabulous characters, Nina, Jian and Wilhelm went through was heartbreaking and so emotional, I cried so much throughout this story the truth about the war years is always hard and to read and feel what they went through was bought to life in this book, I do highly recommend this one, Kirsty Manning is a favourite author for me.
1939 Romy Bernfield and her family flee Austria and head to Shanghai as refugees, Romy’s father is a doctor so they move into the French part of Shanghai and life here is good, Romy meets her neighbour Li Ho and her family they become inseparable, Mr Ho is a Chinese Doctor and soon Romy is picking up a lot of information in this area and is hoping to become a doctor whereas Li only wants to be a singer but war soon changes things Li has to change her way of life and the Bernfield’s are moved into the ghetto, here life is very hard. So much happens in this time, so much heartbreak.
2016 Alexandra leaves London and returns to Melbourne to be with her grandparents parents Romy and Wilhelm, Wilhelm is dying and Alexandra is also uncovering secrets about her family that have been kept for many years. A new position in Shanghai will give Alexandra hopefully the information she wants about her families past and look towards a better future.
This is a compelling read, beautifully written the descriptions took me to Shanghai during the wars years and now, the characters are so strong and courageous what Romy, Li and the other fabulous characters, Nina, Jian and Wilhelm went through was heartbreaking and so emotional, I cried so much throughout this story the truth about the war years is always hard and to read and feel what they went through was bought to life in this book, I do highly recommend this one, Kirsty Manning is a favourite author for me.
5 stars
Apr 24, 2018 Allen & Unwin AU
