White Gardenia

By Belinda Alexandra

Book cover for 'White Gardenia' by Belinda Alexandra featuring a woman in a dark coat and red hat holding a red umbrella and suitcase, walking in an Asian street with red lanterns.

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Epic and passionate, White Gardenia will sweep you away …

'Mama, Mama,' I said to myself, 'keep safe. You will survive, and I will survive, until we can find each other again.'

In a district of the city of Harbin, a haven for White Russian families since Russia's Communist revolution, Alina Kozlova must make a heartbreaking decision if her only child, Anya, is to survive the final days of World War II.

White Gardenia sweeps across cultures and continents, from the glamorous nightclubs of Shanghai to the harshness of Cold War Soviet Russia in the 1960s, from a desolate island in the Pacific Ocean to a new life in post-war Australia.

Both mother and daughter must make sacrifices, but is the price too high? Most importantly of all, will they ever find each other again?

Rich in incident and historical detail, this is a compelling and beautifully written tale about yearning and forgiveness.

Read a Chapter Sample
Read a Chapter Sample

Product Details:
PRINT ISBN: 9780732280758
Publisher: HarperCollins Australia
Published: 31st August 2005
Pages: 496
Historical Fiction

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What people are saying about White Gardenia:

  • Book cover for 'White Gardenia' by Belinda Alexandra. Features a woman dressed in vintage clothing, carrying a suitcase, holding a red umbrella, and walking down a street decorated with red lanterns.

    Soraya M. Lane - Author

    ‘an incredible novel that has stayed with me for years’ ‘Belinda creates characters that are impossible not to fall in love with, and she’s a natural storyteller who artfully blends historical detail with fiction’

  • Book cover for 'White Gardenia' by Belinda Alexandra. Features a woman dressed in vintage clothing, carrying a suitcase, holding a red umbrella, and walking down a street decorated with red lanterns.

    Australian Women’s Weekly

    ‘A passionate and powerful family saga’

  • Book cover for 'White Gardenia' by Belinda Alexandra. Features a woman dressed in vintage clothing, carrying a suitcase, holding a red umbrella, and walking down a street decorated with red lanterns.

    Paullina Simons - Author

    ‘Depicts vividly the powerful lifelong bond between mothers and daughters’

  • Book cover for 'White Gardenia' by Belinda Alexandra. Features a woman dressed in vintage clothing, carrying a suitcase, holding a red umbrella, and walking down a street decorated with red lanterns.

    Bingeing On Books

    ‘This book had me hooked from the very first sentence.’

  • Book cover for 'White Gardenia' by Belinda Alexandra. Features a woman dressed in vintage clothing, carrying a suitcase, holding a red umbrella, and walking down a street decorated with red lanterns.

    Bettina

    ‘I've found myself another favourite author’

  • Book cover for 'White Gardenia' by Belinda Alexandra. Features a woman dressed in vintage clothing, carrying a suitcase, holding a red umbrella, and walking down a street decorated with red lanterns.

    Booktalk with Eileen

    ‘Riveting, riveting, riveting.’ ‘This was a thunderous story, deeply emotional and one I couldn’t put down.’

WHITE GARDENIA FEATURED ON THE BLOG:
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Although the course is directed at unpublished writers, there is plenty to offer established authors as well. Jojo is not only a warm and humble personality, but she is also an excellent teacher. But before I say more about the course, let’s talk a little bit about love stories.

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When Belinda Met Anna

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Sapphire Skies and the Russia-Ukraine War

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Navigating the Complicated World of: Mother and Daughter Relationships

Mother’s Day, which is celebrated around the world in May, conjures up images of happy motherhood and femininity – lots of pink; carnations and roses; bathrobes and bath bombs; scented candles and slippers. It’s a time to remember and honour the woman who brought us into the world.

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Where Do I Get My Ideas From?

This is a question I’m often asked when I give book talks. And I ask it of other writers too! Who can blame us - when we love a book, we are intrigued to know what was it that inspired the writer to create that particular story?

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BELINDA ALEXANDRA’S BOOKS:

Book cover titled 'The Italian Correspondent' by Belinda Alexandra, featuring a woman with a headscarf and sunglasses sitting beside a vintage scooter against a sky with clouds.
Book cover titled 'The Masterpiece' by Belinda Alexandra, featuring a profile of a woman with brown hair wearing a blue beret and purple coat, with a cityscape and bridges in the background.
Cover of a book titled "The French Agent" by Belinda Alexandra, featuring a profile of a woman with dark hair, wearing a blue outfit, against a backdrop of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Book cover titled "The Mystery Woman" by Belinda Alexandra, featuring a woman in a red dress walking on a beach with a coastal background, holding a purse and a coat, with a quote from Natasha Lester.
Book cover titled 'Behind Alexandra: The Invitation' featuring a woman in vintage attire and a large feathered hat, with a cityscape in the background.
A hardcover book titled "Southern Ruby" by Belinda Alexandra. The cover features a partially visible woman with dark hair and violet eyes, with a background of a house surrounded by trees and pink flowers, and a subtitle about family secrets and forb
Book cover of 'Sapphire Skies' by Belinda Alexandra, featuring a woman in vintage attire with a light blue beret and a blue dress, with a winter-themed background including snow and Russian architecture.
Book cover titled "Golden Earrings" by Belinda Alexandra, featuring a woman with dark hair in a bun, wearing a red dress, with a city skyline in the background.
Book cover with a woman in professional attire holding a pink jacket against a Tuscan landscape background, featuring green fields, trees, and a villa, with small airplanes flying in the sky.
A book cover featuring a woman in a white dress and pink hat standing against a sunset landscape background with trees and hills. The cover has the title "Silver Wattle" and the author's name, Belinda Alexandra, along with the phrase "A dark past, a
Book cover of "Wild Lavender" by Belinda Alexandra featuring a woman with dark hair in a teal dress, standing in front of a lavender field with a pink sky at sunset.
Book cover of 'White Gardenia' by Belinda Alexanda showing a woman in a blue coat and red hat holding a red umbrella and suitcase, walking past traditional Chinese lanterns.
Book cover titled 'The Divine Feline' by Belinda Alexandra featuring a cartoon woman with a high bun and red lipstick holding a gray cat, set against a blue background.
Cover of a book titled "Emboldened" by Belinda Alexandra, with illustrated red flowers and gold accents on a black background, and the subtitle "On finding the fire to keep going when all seems lost."
A pink and white journal titled "The Feel Good Now Journal" with silhouette images of three cats and a pug on a ledge, and authors' names Belinda Alexandra and Kelly Morton at the bottom.

International bestselling author. Lover of nature, beauty and magic.