The Phoenix Crown

The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang is an enthralling saga weaving the lives of two women with vivid historical events, spanning from the seismic upheaval of the San Francisco earthquake to the opulent splendour of Versailles. This unforgettable story melds history with suspense, creating a masterpiece that will captivate readers from beginning to end.

San Francisco, 1906. The city teems with the vibrancy of newly minted millionaires and eager opportunists, but it is also a melting pot of ambitions and dreams. Here, two vastly different women seek to alter their destinies: Gemma, a golden-haired soprano with a voice as enchanting as it is in need of revival, and Suling, a determined embroideress from Chinatown, desperate to flee the confines of an arranged marriage.

Their stories intertwine when they are drawn into the orbit of Henry Thornton, a charismatic railroad magnate whose fascination with Chinese antiques includes the legendary Phoenix Crown, a priceless relic from Beijing’s desecrated Summer Palace. Thornton’s patronage seems to offer Gemma and Suling the opportunity of a lifetime. However, their newfound hopes teeter on the brink when the catastrophic San Francisco earthquake tears the city apart, and Thornton mysteriously vanishes, leaving behind a web of intrigue and unanswered questions.

Five years later, the enigmatic Phoenix Crown resurfaces at an extravagant costume ball in Paris. This unexpected reappearance propels Gemma and Suling into a final, desperate quest for justice, catapulting them into a world where the past refuses to be forgotten, and the stakes are as dazzling as they are perilous.

Praise for The Phoenix Crown:

“Impeccably researched, magnificently rendered, and breathlessly paced” - Jamie Ford

“Seamless, page-turning masterpiece of history and suspense – shot through with women rising up from the margins of society to claim their own singular futures, I could not put this triumphant novel down” - Marie Benedict

“Heart-pounding, gasp-out-loud storytelling – The Phoenix Crown is the best book I’ve read all year” - Victoria Christopher Murray

“Lushly detailed, richly imagined, and utterly satisfying, The Phoenix Crown will entrance readers” - Booklist

“Action-packed, this novel skillfully uses its strong female leads to examine racism, sexism, and classism. Readers won't want to put this one down” - Historical Novel Society

“[A] seamless collaboration of two terrific novelists” - The Washington Post