White Gardenia

Belinda Alexandra

Feb 2010 · HarperCollins Australia

About this ebook

The beloved debut novel from one of Australia's foremost storytellers. Epic and passionate, White Gardenia will sweep you away ...

'Mama, Mama,' I said to myself, 'keep safe. You will survive, and I will survive, until we can find each other again.'

In a district of the city of Harbin, a haven for White Russian families since Russia's Communist revolution, Alina Kozlova must make a heartbreaking decision if her only child, Anya, is to survive the final days of World War II.

White Gardenia sweeps across cultures and continents, from the glamorous nightclubs of Shanghai to the harshness of Cold War Soviet Russia in the 1960s, from a desolate island in the Pacific Ocean to a new life in post-war Australia. Both mother and daughter must make sacrifices, but is the price too high? Most importantly of all, will they ever find each other again?

Rich in incident and historical detail, this is a compelling and beautifully written tale about yearning and forgiveness.

PRAISE FOR WHITE GARDENIA:
'Depicts vividly the powerful lifelong bond between mothers and daughters' - Paullina Simons 'Captivating' - Daily Telegraph
'A passionate and powerful family saga' - Australian Women's Weekly

Ratings and reviews

I purchased the paperback edition of this book and found it hard to put down! The depth of the research was evident in the creation of believable characters, and opened my eyes to the horrific hardships endured to survive. An epic read and highly recommended! I am looking forward to reading more of Belinda's work.

Heartbreaking and breath taking. Loved how it spreads over countries and cultures. Even my 12yr old bookworm was in ex statics and emotionally invested whilst reading it.

About the author

Belinda Alexandra has been published to wide acclaim in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Holland, Poland, Norway, Russia, Spain, Turkey, Hungary and the United States. She is the daughter of a Russian mother and an Australian father and has been an intrepid traveller since her youth. Her love of other cultures is matched by her passion for her home country, Australia, where she is a volunteer rescuer and carer for the NSW Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service (WIRES). An animal lover, Belinda is also the patron of the World League for the Protection of Animals (Australia). Find out more at:www.belinda-alexandra.comTwitter: belinda_alexandra_authorInstagram: belinda_alexandra_authorAuthor photograph by Elizabeth Allnutt