The Song of the Jade Lily audiobook

There always seems to be something new to learn about WWII and this is another work of historical fiction that has taught me about another facet . I had no idea that Jews migrated to Shanghai before the war. But this story did more than just inform, it moved me because of the strength and courage of the characters and it was a testament to how heartache and loss can elevate people to do things because they love others, because it’s the right thing to do. As a young girl Romy Bernfeld and her parents left their beloved Vienna, Austria after experiencing traumatic losses at the hands of the Nazis in 1938. They are exiled but comfortable, until the Japanese take over the French section and their lives once again are in peril. What happen from then through the war years is of course heartbreaking, but there are the beautiful friendships that Romy finds and the love she discovers that sustain her through the years. As in many recent books, there is a dual time line here and secrets of the past that will be discovered. In 2016 Alexandra, Romy’s granddaughter wants to find out more of her history after her grandfather has passed away, but doesn’t want to upset Romy. So she leaves Australia after the funeral and goes to Shanghai. It is here that she finds not just her history but who she is and what she wants moving forward. The book alternates between 2016 and the war years with narrative, letters and diary entries. In these past-present stories, I tend to like the past story more, but I genuinely liked Alexandra’s character and her story as well. But Romy’s story, which is one of heartbreak in many ways is such a beautiful story of love. I didn’t even fully guess what the secret of the past was and was so taken by what people will do for the ones they love. The book is well researched and beautifully written.I received an advanced copy of this book from William Morrow/HarperCollins through Edelweiss.

The Song of the Jade Lily is beautifully told in two timelines. The first is 1939 Shanghai. Two young girls, Li and Romy, become friends. Li is from Shanghai, and Romy is a refugee from Vienna. The two become fast friends. World War II seems far away at first, but it descends upon Shanghai and these girls and tears apart their friendship. The second timeline is 2016 when a young Alexandra returns to Australia because her grandfather Wilhelm is dying. As Wilhelm spends his last days, he and his wife, Romy, share family secrets they’ve kept hidden for decades. Alexandra travels to Shanghai to find answers about her grandparents. What she finds has her doubting everything she thought was true. The Song of the Jade Lily is an engrossing and beautifully-written story. It’s about friendship, strength, and resilience in even the most horrific of times. This is a book whose characters climbed inside my heart, and I’m not sure they’ll ever leave. The mystery is intriguing, and I loved the Chinese culture infused in the story. It was a delectable reading experience, and I hope you get a chance to read it, too! I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own. My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com

At a time when no other country, including US, UK, Australia, would open its doors to Jews fleeing the concentration camps, Shanghai had opened its doors to more than twenty thousand refugees fleeing Europe during WWII. “It was possible before 1940 to be released from a concentration camp if you had a valid passport, visa, permit to take up residency in another country, and proof of transport. Such release was always subject to the prisoner leaving Germany within a limited time.”Vienna, Nov. 1938: Young Romy can’t understand why Jews are so hated. “The synagogue’s library of rare books and manuscripts lay in a pile of smoldering cinders on the footpath.”Not able to obtain visas, her family is left with only one option where visas are not needed – Shanghai.In Shanghai, International Committee set up boarding houses for the Jewish refugees. The area is safe for Jews, but relations between Chinese and Japanese have been strained since 1931.As welcoming as Shanghai felt when Romy arrived there with her family, now it feels as bad as Vienna. The relations between Chinese and Japanese become even more worried. Romy’s family is forced to move to a ghetto. She watches her friends disappear. First Vienna, now Shanghai unwelcomes them.2016: Alexandra returns to Australia to be with her grandparents, Romy and Wilhelm. Her grandpa is dying and he mentions a name Li. Alexandra has never heard either of her grandparents mention a Li. Then he mentions Shanghai and three of them. Alexandra wonders if he is lucid, because none of it makes sense.While in Shanghai on her new posting, Alexandra uses her free time to research her Chinese heritage as her grandparents never wanted to talk about their adopted Chinese daughter.This multilayered story skillfully reveals the past story of WWII Shanghai and the present day Shanghai characterized by its gardens and laneways full of sizzling dumplings and noodles; weaving into it love that matures with each challenge and friendship that deepens with each step. All this tested by the power of war and how hardship and courage can shape a person. The author vividly captures the feel of the era. This book was read by experts for historical credibility and accuracy of traditional Chinese medicine; and also by those who lived in Shanghai during the Occupation and migrated to Australia afterward.@FB/BestHistoricalFiction

Jewish families were fleeing Austria, and Romy’s family was on its way to China without her brothers Michael and Daniel. Michael had been shot, and Daniel was taken to Dachau Concentration Camp.China was the only country during the war that they could enter without a visa.We meet Romy and her family as they make the journey and settle in Shanghai in 1939.We then move to 2016 and meet Alexandra who has traveled to Australia from London because her grandfather who raised her was dying.Being back in her childhood home was bittersweet and was heartbreaking when she had to leave her grandmother to return to her job and head to Shanghai - a place Alexandra had never been. The only good thing about leaving was that Alexandra might find out who her mother really was and where her mother had really originated from.I enjoyed Alexandra's search for clues and the secret Romy was keeping from her granddaughter about who her mother was as well as learning of life in Shanghai during the war.The back and forth in time was smoothly done, and the characters were authentically portrayed. You will fall in love with the characters and respect their strength. Ms. Manning’s writing flows beautifully along with the intriguing story line.If you enjoy historical fiction, learning about another part of the world during WWII, and learning customs of the Chinese culture, you won’t want to miss reading THE SONG OF JADE LILY.THE SONG OF JADE LILY is an enjoyable, heartbreaking, heartwarming, mesmerizing, educational read. This book was given to me as an ARC by the publisher and LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review.

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.comKirsty Manning makes a triumphant return to the Australian historical fiction scene with her second novel, The Jade Lily. It is a novel that takes the reader from the precarious times of World War II Austria, to the cosmopolitan streets of Shanghai, through to modern-day Melbourne. If you are looking for a tale that will sweep you away into times gone by, look no further than The Jade Lily.The Jade Lily is a multiple time frame narrative that begins with present day heroine Alexandra. Nursing a broken heart, Alexandra feels she must escape London and return home to Australia. Embraced by the love of her dear grandparents, Romy and Wilhelm, Alexandra’s return home is marked by the sad decline of her grandfather, who only has a short time left to live. In these precious few weeks with her grandparents, long-held family secrets are unravelled. Linking to Alexandra’s present day journey is the powerful story of two girls who meet in Shanghai in 1939. The fateful meeting between Li, a local girl and Romy, a young girl who has escaped Vienna with her family, will change both their lives forever. An unmistakable bond forms between these two young girls, which helps the both of them survive the dangers of World War II. However, a big test to their friendship occurs and the two drift away from one another. Romy in particular finds it hard to support Li when her heart feels like it has been broken. The Jade Lily links these two different pathways to self discovery when Alexandra makes the journey to Shanghai. Armed with only a few pieces of information on the past her grandparents tried so hard to lock away, Alexandra is determined to discover her hidden ancestry. The Jade Lily is one engrossing tale that deftly combines the power of friendship, all encompassing love, the limitations of war and it reminds us of the valour displayed by those who lived through one of the harshest points in our world history.If there is one novel that I have been eagerly awaiting to get my hands on, it is my favourite Australian author, Kirsty Manning’s second and latest novel, The Jade Lily. Those who follow my reviews and reading tastes know that I have endorsed Kirsty Manning’s writing and her first novel, The Midsummer Garden as much as I can. I declared The Midsummer Garden my favourite novel of 2017 (and I read a lot of books). I also openly stated Kirsty Manning is my ‘Stella Spark’. Kirsty is a writer who inspires and transports you to another world through her novels. So perhaps now you have a good feel for the high level of anticipation and excitement I had going into The Jade Lily. I am pleased to report that I simply adored The Jade Lily and if I could award more than the standard 5 star rating, I would!I think when a novel is so good and has touched you in a way that The Jade Lily has with this reader, you find yourself lost for words. I do believe the best I can do for The Jade Lily and this review is to let the story speak for itself. I was literally blown away by the hidden history of this novel. It is a good thing that we are still digging up snippets of pertinent World War II happenings and showcasing these pivotal events via quality historical fiction titles. In The Jade Lily’s case, the hidden history of Shanghai’s Jewish population and the amount of refugees who were welcomed into this part of the world, where other countries blankly refused, absolutely floored me. It is hard not to read this novel and feel a lump in your throat form. I also felt a strong sense of regret wash over me as I uncovered this rather concealed moment of history.The Jade Lily takes a multiple narrative approach to the format of the novel, which is a style of novel I always gravitate towards. As with Manning’s first novel, The Jade Lily effortlessly sews the threads of the present day together with the past precisely. Manning is an expert in the art of the slow reveal, gently enticing the reader in both aspects of her narrative, so one informs the other. I loved the family secrets and secrets pertaining to Alexandra’s ancestry that defined this novel. It was one of the overwhelming reasons why I was utterly absorbed in the novel. I enjoyed it immensely and I liked the final turn of events in the novel, I welcomed the final twist with gusto!Manning’s characterisation is finely tuned. I loved the presentation of both her present day and past characters. I gave my heart out to Romy, I just loved her both in the present and in the past. I think Nina is the hidden heroine of the novel and for me she really stood out as being so central to the storyline. Meanwhile, the characters that define the Shanghai wartime storyline are just so colourful they burst from the pages of this novel.Setting wise, both the time period and placement of The Jade Lily was sculpted to perfection. I have nothing to fault and I must praise Kristy Manning for getting a diverse range of locales across the globe and specific time periods so precise. It is the finer details that Manning carefully includes in her novel that really makes this book something special. It is clear that Manning has done an exceptional job in combining all her relevant resources to inform each setting of her novel extremely well.There is so much to love about the themes in this novel, from family secrets, ancestry, the World War II experiences, refugees, displacement, female friendship and forbidden love. Manning also inserts a rich cultural aspect to her novel, especially in the Shanghai based aspects, where we learn some much about traditional medicine and techniques, cooking, architecture and the stunning gardens of this part of the world. The most moving part of the novel for me were the letters incorporated within the past story between Romy’s brother David and his family while he was in Dachau. These were moving, authentic and utterly devastating.Manning has devoted a lot of time and energy on the finishing touches of her novel. Be sure to check out her Author’s Note and detailed sources section, which adds further insight into the making of this great novel.As I come to the close of this review, I put my hand and my heart and appeal to you, if there is one book I can recommend, it is The Jade Lily. It is a very special, one of a kind novel, that will enhance your reading mind, providing a most accessible approach to a little known aspect of our shared world history.*I wish to thank Allen & Unwin for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.The Jade Lily is book #49 of the Australian Women Writers Challenge

Favorite Quotes:Alexandra spent most of her time with men on the trading desks, who walked around the office with their jaws clenched, veins pulsing at their temples. They smelled of adrenaline, expensive aftershave, and fear.Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.My Review:This beautifully written and masterfully crafted book turned me inside out and took my breath away. The writing was elegant, lavishly detailed, evocative, and a feast for the senses with frequent tantalizing descriptions of exotic locales, and delicious foods and spices that kept my hunger on edge and eventually devastated my dieting efforts. The premise and storylines were a fascinating combination of fact and fiction. Ms. Manning’s prose was eloquent and well-textured, complex and multi-layered, thoughtfully observant, and haunting. Her tender touches and emotive insights often stung my eyes and burned my throat. I have never been to Shanghai and had no idea of the unusual population and history or that it had become somewhat of a haven for stateless refugees, an unusual issue and term I was also unfamiliar with. The characters were compelling and endearing, and their precarious and tenuous positions often left them a heartbeat away from exposure; I felt their tension and reveled in their successes and joys. Their profound experiences were intensely moving and will definitely resonate within me for quite some time.

The Jade Lily is Australian author Kirsty Manning’s second novel, but it is my first experience of her talent. I’ve read a lot of WWII fiction but my choices have been predominately set in Europe. Even though I have studied WWII history, my knowledge of the war in the Pacific is still more limited than what I know of Europe, so reading this novel set in Shanghai over the war years was an enlightening experience. I had no idea, for example, that Shanghai had opened its borders to Jewish refugees prior to 1940. They didn’t even need a visa. The cultural history documented within this novel is incredible, providing an eye opening atmospheric journey that is second to none. Shanghai must have been one of the most multi-cultural cities in the world at that point in time. Kirsty has taken a period of time in history and carved her story into a setting that is quite significant in Jewish history. One thing that was so apparent to me while reading The Jade Lily was the absolute extent of human suffering throughout WWII on a global scale. Stories like this are grounding, they reinforce the importance of humanity uniting and persevering in the pledge for peace. There is a scene towards the end of The Jade Lily where the US are bombing the Jewish ghetto and everyone bands together to dig people out and provide assistance: Jewish, Chinese, the Japanese soldiers; everyone is united with a single purpose and that shining example of humanity in action brought me to tears. Within such devastation, hope exists.“Everywhere she looked, Chinese, Jewish and Japanese people were working frantically together to free or resuscitate victims.”I really feel Kirsty provided a balanced account of the occupation of Shanghai demonstrating on many occasions how the Japanese soldiers were not all brutal; some were, but some were understanding and sympathetic, a cross section that is not dissimilar to the rest of the population. The authenticity of this representation was something I appreciated immensely. Sometimes, good people are forced to do bad things to survive. Shades of grey permeate so many areas for so many people and in times of war the rules are constantly shifting. Kirsty demonstrated this with precision for all of her characters and this human fallibility assures this novel has a presence in my list of top WWII fiction titles. Both storylines in each era were equally as engaging, but their close link ensured that you never felt as though you were reading two separate stories, a juggle that is ever present for writers of dual timelines. Shanghai in the WWII era was just as vibrant on the page as present day Shanghai and I loved how Alexandra visited places and noted the changes for her grandmother. There is a lot about Chinese medicine in this story and I personally found all of it fascinating. It’s a type of medicine I have dabbled with in terms of treatment and I was keenly interested in the scope and integrity of it from a Chinese perspective. Themes of love and honour were woven through the narrative, the endurance of family bonds and strong friendships, of protecting your loved ones even if it compromises your integrity. I loved so much about this novel, I read late into the night past midnight even though I had to go to work the next day because I couldn’t bear to put it down. It’s definitely a top read for me, a highlight of my reading year so far.“To live, when those you love are dead, is a cruel, bitter luck.” Thanks is extended to Allen and Unwin for providing me with a copy of The Jade Lily for review.

This may even be a 5-star read for me. I'll have to sit on it a little while. This book is so emotionally powerful, I was completely sucked in. It also had a tremendous string of mysteries and twists, yet Manning plays them all masterfully. Every time I had something "figured out," she'd prove me wrong, in a delightfully shocking way. Thoroughly enjoyed this one.