Olga Yunter was born in the summer of 1900 in a remote trading post surrounded by the desolate steppe of southern Siberia. Her childhood, as the youngest of five children, was happy, but soon mutterings of rebellion were heard in the streets and Olga, still only a schoolgirl, was swept up in the chaos of the Russian Revolution. Violent tragedy ensued and, with a price on her head, Olga was forced to flee for her life, with only a handful of rubies sewn into her petticoats. For a penniless Russian girl, China was a difficult place to suffer exile, but Olga survived: she married an Englishman and together they began to bring up their daughter in the bustling northern city of Tientsin. But in 1937 the Japanese attacked and for the second time in her life Olga lost her family home. Once more she would have to start over again, now in the glamorous world of Shanghai, as the shadows of war lengthened on the horizon...

Shelf wear and fading. Some damage to cover extremities. Previous owner's name written on the end page.