The Phoenix Crown

ByKate Quinn & Janie Chang

Release Date: 2024-02-13
Genre: Historical Fiction

Score: 4

From 275 Ratings

Description

From bestselling authors Janie Chang and Kate Quinn, a thrilling and unforgettable narrative about the intertwined lives of two wronged women, spanning from the chaos of the San Francisco earthquake to the glittering palaces of Versailles.

San Francisco, 1906. In a city bustling with newly minted millionaires and scheming upstarts, two very different women hope to change their fortunes in this compelling historical fiction: Gemma, a golden-haired, silver-voiced soprano whose career desperately needs rekindling, and Suling, a petite and resolute Chinatown embroideress who is determined to escape an arranged marriage. Their paths cross when they are drawn into the orbit of Henry Thornton, a charming railroad magnate whose extraordinary collection of Chinese antiques includes the fabled Phoenix Crown, a legendary relic of Beijing’s fallen Summer Palace.

His patronage offers Gemma and Suling the chance of a lifetime, but their lives are thrown into turmoil when a devastating earthquake rips San Francisco apart and Thornton disappears, leaving behind a web of secrets and lies reaching further than anyone could have imagined . . . until the Phoenix Crown reappears five years later at a sumptuous Paris costume ball, drawing Gemma and Suling together as unlikely allies in one last desperate quest for justice.

Reviews

Great book!
4
By minnowdl
Fun historically based read!
Phoenix Crown
3
By Joanabake
Gripping story of SF earthquake. Interesting characters
Deception on the characters - reader is lied to.
1
By Dottie Davis
While a good read, I was highly disappointed and felt deceived when the two characters, Suling and Reggie turned out to be lesbian lovers. When you first meet Reggie, it is assumed she’s a man. So one thought. Then it comes out she’s the “male part” of a lesbian relationship. Don’t hide something like this when people are spending money on your book. Should be in the description. Wish I could get my money back. Feel deceived and will not purchase any other books from either of these authors. You lied. Can’t trust them.