Helpful Score: 3
"The Tea Rose"
By Jennifer Donnelly
This heartwarming tale begins working-class London where our main character Fiona lives and works. Born into a hard working Irish family, Fiona works long hard hours packing tea at Burton Tea, a major company that her father also works for as a dock worker. The Finnegans are hard working honest folk who are just trying to scrape by in life, but Fiona and her beau Joe dream of bigger and better things for themselves. Determined to open their own shop together and marry, they save every penny they can to get the money to finance their dream life together.
Life takes a turn for the worse however when Fiona's father Paddy joins the Tea Union. Disaster befalls the Finnegans when an "accident" changes their lives forever. Now struggling to make ends meet Fiona and her family are suddenly thrust into poverty, and to make matters worse Joe makes a horrible mistake that causes him to have to leave Fiona forever.
Distraught by grief, Fiona goes to Mr. Burton, the owner of the company she works for to plead for some money to help her family. While at the factory however, she overhears a conversation that she shouldn't have...a conversation that could cost her her life.
Desperate, Fiona grabs up her little brother and heads for America and her Uncle's shop in New York City. She's in for a shock when she gets there however, her Uncle's shop is going up for auction in a few short months. Determined to pursue her dream, Fiona reopens her Uncle's shop and seeks her fortune. But the ghosts of her past still haunt her and are slowly pulling her back to London to seek revenge...
"The Tea Rose" kept me riveted from the very first page. "The Tea Rose" is full of vivid historical fiction from two different countries, England and the U.S. Donnelly creates a vivid picture of two very separate worlds: The working poor, and the elite society.
I felt a deep connection with the main character of Fiona. I felt pain when she did, cried with joy with her, and wanted to leap from my chair when she triumphed. Admittedly this book would be classified as a "chick book." A deep-seeded romance is the true heart of this book, and though irksome at times really brought all of the characters together and kept the story moving at a good pace.
I honestly have no complaints about "The Tea Rose." I loved everything about this book and I didn't want it to end. All lovers of historical fiction have to read "The Tea Rose!" If you don't you are truly missing out. I will definitely be reading more of Jennifer Donnelly in the future!
Five Stars!
By Jennifer Donnelly
This heartwarming tale begins working-class London where our main character Fiona lives and works. Born into a hard working Irish family, Fiona works long hard hours packing tea at Burton Tea, a major company that her father also works for as a dock worker. The Finnegans are hard working honest folk who are just trying to scrape by in life, but Fiona and her beau Joe dream of bigger and better things for themselves. Determined to open their own shop together and marry, they save every penny they can to get the money to finance their dream life together.
Life takes a turn for the worse however when Fiona's father Paddy joins the Tea Union. Disaster befalls the Finnegans when an "accident" changes their lives forever. Now struggling to make ends meet Fiona and her family are suddenly thrust into poverty, and to make matters worse Joe makes a horrible mistake that causes him to have to leave Fiona forever.
Distraught by grief, Fiona goes to Mr. Burton, the owner of the company she works for to plead for some money to help her family. While at the factory however, she overhears a conversation that she shouldn't have...a conversation that could cost her her life.
Desperate, Fiona grabs up her little brother and heads for America and her Uncle's shop in New York City. She's in for a shock when she gets there however, her Uncle's shop is going up for auction in a few short months. Determined to pursue her dream, Fiona reopens her Uncle's shop and seeks her fortune. But the ghosts of her past still haunt her and are slowly pulling her back to London to seek revenge...
"The Tea Rose" kept me riveted from the very first page. "The Tea Rose" is full of vivid historical fiction from two different countries, England and the U.S. Donnelly creates a vivid picture of two very separate worlds: The working poor, and the elite society.
I felt a deep connection with the main character of Fiona. I felt pain when she did, cried with joy with her, and wanted to leap from my chair when she triumphed. Admittedly this book would be classified as a "chick book." A deep-seeded romance is the true heart of this book, and though irksome at times really brought all of the characters together and kept the story moving at a good pace.
I honestly have no complaints about "The Tea Rose." I loved everything about this book and I didn't want it to end. All lovers of historical fiction have to read "The Tea Rose!" If you don't you are truly missing out. I will definitely be reading more of Jennifer Donnelly in the future!
Five Stars!
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