The Song of the Jade Lily Audiobook By Kirsty Manning cover art

The Song of the Jade Lily

A Novel

Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for $0.00
Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.

The Song of the Jade Lily

By: Kirsty Manning
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
Try for $0.00

$0.00/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $24.29

Buy for $24.29

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

“Kirsty Manning weaves together little-known threads of World War II history, family secrets, the past and the present into a page-turning, beautiful novel." (Heather Morris, number one New York Times best-selling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz)

A gripping historical novel that tells the little-known story of Jewish refugees who fled to Shanghai during WWII.

1939: Two young girls meet in Shanghai, also known as the “Paris of the East”. Beautiful local Li and Jewish refugee Romy form a fierce friendship, but the deepening shadows of World War II fall over the women as they slip between the city's glamorous French Concession district and the teeming streets of the Shanghai Ghetto. Yet soon, the realities of war prove to be too much for these close friends as they are torn apart.

2016: Fleeing London with a broken heart, Alexandra returns to Australia to be with her grandparents, Romy and Wilhelm. Her grandfather is dying, and over the coming weeks, Romy and Wilhelm begin to reveal the family mysteries they have kept secret for more than half a century. As fragments of her mother's history finally become clear, Alexandra struggles with what she learns while more is also revealed about her grandmother's own past in Shanghai.

After Wilhelm dies, Alexandra flies to Shanghai, determined to trace her grandparents' past. Peeling back the layers of their hidden lives, she is forced to question what she knows about her family - and herself.

The Song of the Jade Lily is a lush, provocative, and beautiful story of friendship, motherhood, the price of love, and the power of hardship and courage that can shape us all.

©2019 Kristy Manning (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers
20th Century Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Jewish World Literature Heartfelt Friendship England War
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_webcro805_stickypopup
Fascinating History • Strong Female Characters • Complex Relationships • Educational Content • Emotional Depth
Highly rated for:
All stars
Most relevant  
This book was so different than most WWII books. Please take the time to listen and reference the different times and places as you will learn so much about far more than the usual Germany/Japan stories found in other books during this time period.

A wonderfully educational read!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

heart-wrenching, full of emotion, wonderful characters and detailed setting. everything I enjoy in a historical novel

gripping story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

These novels are ‘tailor’ written for those readers who enjoy historical influence on the present, whether for characters or events. One must concentrate with the jumps between past and present but another winner for me. Thanks Kristy!

Love historical romance

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I enjoyed this story and learned more about the immigration of the Jews in the 1930’s. This only issue with this book is the needing was just unnaturally abrupt!

Interesting slice of history

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I learned something! I didn’t know German Jew escaped to China. Then they got caught up in the Japanese portion of the second WWII. I enjoyed the story and I felt the narration was good. My only con would be it was really long. I will try this author again!

Great story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Very good story about Holocaust survivors in China and Australia. A different perspective. The narration is the best!

My Favorite Narrator

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Of course, I learned nothing about Jewish refugees escaping to China in school, so this was a great story to actually learn from. I didn't like the narrators attempts at accents, since she would let the accent slip after a few sentences. Overall, the story was good. characters believable and the last 3 chapters were very unexpected!

A fascinating part of world history!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

So much went on during the war and so many brave souls survived. I love reading about their lives.

Excellent book! I didn't want to put it down.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I really enjoyed the stories in this novel both the historical and the modern day connection. The characters experienced such horrors but didn’t give up on finding the good. The ending was unexpected as well.

Fascinating story!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

One of my favorites. Touches all basis. History, love, trauma, mystery, nothing missed. A great book club read!

Great read!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews