Set mostly in the 1920s, The Tea Planter's Wife tells the story of a young English woman, Gwen, who moves to Ceylon after marrying the owner of a large tea plantation. She soon discovers the family is hiding many secrets, including the truth about the tragic death of her new husband's first wife. Soon, our heroine has her own dark secret to keep, one which nearly tears her apart. The ending is not quite what the reader is expecting and the truth makes Gwen's actions all the more heart breaking.
One of the things the author does well is describing the Ceylonese landscape. Having been to that part of the world, I remember the vivid greens, the deep blues; the smells of the flowers... Her descriptions of the cities and the people are exactly as I remember. The setting is as much a character in the story as the people themselves.
The author did leave a few unanswered questions, however they had to do with side characters and side stories and weren't central to the plot.
Fans of Lisa See would enjoy this book, as well as fans of Downton Abby. I look forward to reading the author's other works.
I received a complimentary copy from Library Thing Early reviewers.
One of the things the author does well is describing the Ceylonese landscape. Having been to that part of the world, I remember the vivid greens, the deep blues; the smells of the flowers... Her descriptions of the cities and the people are exactly as I remember. The setting is as much a character in the story as the people themselves.
The author did leave a few unanswered questions, however they had to do with side characters and side stories and weren't central to the plot.
Fans of Lisa See would enjoy this book, as well as fans of Downton Abby. I look forward to reading the author's other works.
I received a complimentary copy from Library Thing Early reviewers.
The Tea Planter's Wife by Dinah Jefferies is really the story of two wives and two marriages. The book starts off dramatically with the exit of one wife. The why and how are the prelude to this book and tie into the eventual conclusion. Unfortunately, emotions along with the plot get lost in the melodrama and fail to ring true, making this not the reading experience for me.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2016/09/the-tea-planters-wife.html.
Reviewed based on a publisher's galley received through NetGalley
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2016/09/the-tea-planters-wife.html.
Reviewed based on a publisher's galley received through NetGalley
A wonderous saga of a young woman, Gwen, who leaves everything she knows and loves in England to move to Ceylon with her new husband, who has been married before and is quite older. Blinded by love, Gwen is thrown into a new household, a new socio-economic structure, life with a husband with secrets and a sister-in-law who wants her gone. The story takes us through Gwen's life over the course many years. She grows in countless ways and must come to terms with the difficult choices she makes to survive in Ceylon and with her husband. A bit slow going at times, but I loved this rambling story.
Thank you Penguin's First to Read program for providing a galley in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Penguin's First to Read program for providing a galley in exchange for an honest review.
