by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang
This is a book about the lives of three women at the time of the San Francisco earthquake. It is written by two authors, one writes from the Chinese character's experience the other writes from the main character an aspiring opera singer.
The three characters are Alice Eastwood, a botanist, Gemma the aspiring opera singer and Suling. All three women encounter a man Henry Thornton. Thornton is friends with Alice because of her and his interest in botany. Suling is trying to get enough money to escape an arranged marriage and is hired to embroider some garments for Thornton. Gemma becomes Thornton's mistress and he promises to make her famous.
Gemma arrives in San Francisco to join the chorus at the Opera. She is surprised that her friend Reggie who invited her to come to SF is no longer around.
The women become acquainted with each other and are shocked to learn that Thornton is not what he appears. It seems he murdered a Pinkerton agent in New York and that Gemma's missing friend was his mistress previously. They eventually find out that he has imprisoned Gemma's friend in an insane asylum.
Thornton is a collector of Asian antiquities, elegant robes and the Phoenix Crown.
As the women are about to confront Thornton the San Franciso earthquake occurs. Thornton learns that they know about his past and he traps them in the house as fire rages through it. The women manage to escape and Suling is able to get to the asylum and rescue Gemma's friend. This women is her lover.
The women survive the quake and go their separate ways, Alice ot Colorado, Gemma to New York and later South America and Suling and her lover go to Paris where Suling works for a fashion house. The women assume Thornton died in SF but one day Alice sees mention of the Phoenix Crown in a Paris newspaper. She sends telegrams to the other women. They all meet in Paris and find Thornton is going by a new name and is engaged to the daughter of a very rich man. The women tell the fiancee about his past and her father hears the confrontation too. Thornton is then arrested by a Pinkerton detective.
It was an interesting story, kept your interest throughout. I was wondering how/if the women would get justice and the way it was handled was very believable.
