Midnight In St. Petersburg - Softcover

Bennett, Vanora

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1443424943 ISBN 13: 9781443424943

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, 2013

Synopsis

Fabergé jewels, the mysterious Rasputin and a rare, priceless violin are dangerous temptations for a young woman struggling to survive and love in revolutionary Russia

St. Petersburg, 1911: Inna Feldman has fled the pogroms of the south to take refuge with distant relatives in Russia’s capital city. Welcomed into the flamboyant Leman family, she is apprenticed into their violin-making workshop.

With her good looks and talent, she feels instantly at home in their bohemian circle, but revolution is in the air, and as society begins to fracture, she is forced to choose between her heart and her head. She loves her brooding cousin, Yasha, but he is wild, destructive and devoted to revolution; Horace Wallick, an Englishman who works for Fabergé, is older and promises security and respectability. And, like many, she is drawn to the mysterious, charismatic figure who befriended her on the train and who is beginning to make a name for himself in the city: Rasputin.

As the revolution descends into anarchy and blood-letting, a commission to repair a priceless Stradivarius violin offers Inna a means ofescape. But which man will she choose to take with her? And is it already too late? Steeped in Vanora Bennett’s love and deep knowledge of Russia, Midnight in St. Petersburg is an extraordinary novel about music, politics and the toll that revolution exacts on the human heart.

About this title

About the Author

Vanora Bennett is the author of two acclaimed novels, Portrait of an Unknown Woman and Figures in Silk, and an award-winning journalist. She has contributed to the Los Angeles Times, the Times Literary Supplement, The Times (London), and the BBC. She lives in North London with her husband and two children.

Review

Praise for Midnight in St. Petersburg

“A tale of thundering passions set in the Russian Revolution . . . Historical fiction at its best.”
―Kate Saunders, The Times (UK)

“A rich gorgeous broth of passion and danger . . . I was swept away by the meticulous set-dressing, epic plot, and unashamed romanticism.”
―Saga Magazine

“Bennett’s sophisticated grasp of historical realities and psychological complexity gives power and depth to what might easily have been a cliched romance.”
―The Sunday Times (UK)

“Engaging tale of life in pre-revolutionary Russia. The author’s style is easy on the eye, and the story is both fascinating and illuminating.”
―Books Monthly

"A thoughtful read for those interested in Russian history or historical dramas."
―School Library Journal

"Excitement and romance abound in Midnight in St. Petersburg, a beautifully written story of love, music and politics of the time."
―The Missourian

Praise for Vanora Bennett

“Bennett’s background detail is impeccable―part love story, part thriller, all excellently imagined and written.”
―The Times (UK) on Portrait of an Unknown Woman

“Bennett knows what drives her characters, both fictional and historical, and they seem as real and easy to relate to as your next-door neighbor.”
―The Christian Science Monitor on Figures in Silk

“A page-turning story, successfully evoking the atmosphere of intrigue and fear that beset the times.”
―The Daily Mail (UK) on The Queen’s Lover

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1443424943
• ISBN 13: 9781443424943
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 480