The Russian Treasures Series

In the summer of 1917, few people realized that Russia was on the verge of an unprecedented catastrophe. But a journalist’s instinct had never let Klim Rogov down. The moment he returned to his hometown after many years abroad, he sensed that a storm was coming. His plan was simple: claim his inheritance and return to Buenos Aires, where his successful career and devoted readers awaited him.

In 1922, Shanghai awoke to chilling news: a squadron had sailed into its harbor under the faded flag of a country that no longer existed, the Russian Empire. Thousands of refugees flooded into China and upended the old order. For decades, European and American colonists had lived in Shanghai like demigods—privileged, untouchable—simply because they were white. Then, almost overnight, a different kind of white foreigner appeared on the streets: penniless, paperless, and desperate. They would take any job and endure any humiliation just to survive.