About Red Year
• Paperback: 286 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge Books (June 4, 2017)
Can a red-haired woman from Chicago single-handedly force Joseph Stalin to back down?
China, 1927. Thirty-three year old Rayna Prohme, accompanying her left-wing journalist husband, becomes the political confidant and lover of Mikhail Borodin, the Russian commander sent to prop up a failing Chinese revolution. In a bid to continue their love affair, Rayna hatches a plan to accompany Mme. Sun, the widow of the Chinese revolution’s founder, to Moscow.
But Moscow does not welcome the women. Borodin shuns them. Rayna’s stipend and housing arrangements are cancelled. “Go home,” she is told. But Rayna does not want to go home to an ordinary life, to her husband and Chicago. Instead, she applies to a Soviet espionage school that soon demands she spy on Mme. Sun. The Chinese widow is, by now, in grave danger as her exit visa is blocked. Rayna must make a choice — Borodin and Russia or Mme. Sun and China.
Praise
Set in Russian and China during the 1920s, this beautifully written novel tells the story of a true American dreamer—a woman who charged into danger in search of passion, justice and some money to pay her bills. A fascinating story. –Susan Breen, author, Maggie Dove mysteries
Purchase Link
Amazon
About Jan Shapin
Jan Shapin has been writing plays and screenplays for nearly thirty years, in the last decade concentrating on fiction. Shapin has studied playwriting at Catholic University in Washington, DC, screenwriting at the Film and Television Workshop and University of Southern California, and fiction writing at a variety of locations including Barnard College’s Writers on Writing seminar, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference and Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference.
Her plays have been produced in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. She has received grants from the RI Council for the Humanities and has served as a juror for the Rhode Island State Council for the Arts screenplay fellowship awards. Two previous novels, A Desire Path and A Snug Life Somewhere, were published in 2012 and 2014.
She lives in North Kingstown, RI with her photographer husband. Learn more about Jan at her website, janshapin.com.
Tour Stops
Thursday, July 27th: Tina Says…
Tuesday, August 1st: Kahakai Kitchen
Wednesday, August 2nd: Wining Wife
Saturday, August 5th: Thoughts On This ‘n That
Monday, August 7th: The Paperback Pilgrim
Tuesday, August 15th: A Chick Who Reads
Monday, August 21st: Dwell in Possibility
Tuesday, August 22nd: Bibliotica
Monday, August 28th: Sara the Introvert
Wednesday, August 30th: Girl Who Reads