Phoenix Crown: A Novel

The thrilling and unforgettable narrative from bestselling authors Janie Chang and Kate Quinn centers around the intertwined lives of two wronged women, spanning from the chaos of the San Francisco earthquake to the glittering palaces of Versailles.

In 1906 San Francisco, a bustling city filled with newly minted millionaires and scheming upstarts, two very different women seek to change their fortunes. Gemma, a golden-haired soprano with a silver voice, desperately needs to revive her fading career. Suling, a petite and resolute Chinatown embroideress, is determined to escape an arranged marriage. Their paths cross when they are drawn into the orbit of Henry Thornton, a charming railroad magnate whose extraordinary collection of Chinese antiques includes the fabled Phoenix Crown, a legendary relic from Beijing's fallen Summer Palace.

Thornton's patronage offers Gemma and Suling the chance of a lifetime. However, their lives are thrown into turmoil when a devastating earthquake rips San Francisco apart and Thornton disappears, leaving behind a mystery that reaches further than anyone could have imagined. Five years later, the Phoenix Crown reappears at a sumptuous Paris costume ball, drawing Gemma and Suling together in one last desperate quest for justice.

The intertwined narratives of these two wronged women take readers on a thrilling journey from the chaos of the San Francisco earthquake to the glittering palaces of Versailles. As they navigate the challenges and uncertainties of their lives, Gemma and Suling must confront their own demons and uncover the truth behind Thornton's disappearance, all while racing against time to reclaim the Phoenix Crown and find the justice they so desperately seek.

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