In the tradition of Paullina Simons comes an unforgettable story of a mother and daughter from a remarkable new writer. Beginning in a small village under Japanese occupation on the Chinese–Russian border in the final days of World War II, White Gardenia tells the story of a White Russian mother and daughter, separated by war. From the glamorous nightclubs of Shanghai to the harshness of the Siberian wasteland, from a desolate island in the South China Sea and to a new life in post-war Australia, and finally to Cold War Moscow, White Gardenia sweeps across cultures and continents. Both mother and daughter must make sacrifices to survive. But is the price of survival too high? Most importantly of all, can they ever find each other again?

Deidre Rubenstein's well-modulated contralto voice brings empathy and compassion to Alexandra's first novel, loosely based on the true story of a White Russian mother and daughter forced to flee China at the outbreak of WWII. Rubenstein's narrative style, low-key and perfectly enunciated, conveys the struggle to survive and the passion for life that Anya exemplifies. As a refugee, Anya moves from Shanghai to the Philippines, and finally, to Australia, so many different accents and speech patterns are used by Rubenstein to portray the people Anya encounters. Her steady pace and ability to communicate emotions to listeners complement this powerful dramatization as it spans the decades. S.C.A. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

 

Deidre Rubenstein’s well-modulated contralto voice brings empathy and compassion to Alexandra’s first novel, loosely based on the true story of a White Russian mother and daughter forced to flee China at the outbreak of WWII. Rubenstein’s narrative style, low-key and perfectly enunciated, conveys the struggle to survive and the passion for life that Anya exemplifies. Her steady pace and ability to communicate emotions to listeners complement this powerful dramatization as it spans the decades.

 

Belinda Alexandra is the daughter of a Russian mother and an Australian father. She has lived in New York, California and Melbourne and has a Masters degree in Creative Writing and a BA in Asian Studies. She currently lives in Sydney and is studying French and ballroom dancing.

White Gardenia by Belinda Alexandra
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