I love reading and sharing my finds here. I read lots of lovely craft books but I fell in love with the cover of my latest book, The Tea Planter’s Wife by Dinah Jefferies.
Nineteen-year-old Gwendolyn Hooper is newly married to a rich and charming widower, eager to join him on his tea plantation, determined to be the perfect wife and mother. But life in Ceylon is not what Gwen expected. The plantation workers are resentful, the neighbours treacherous. And there are clues to the past – a dusty trunk of dresses, an overgrown gravestone in the grounds – that her husband refuses to discuss. Just as Gwen finds her feet, disaster strikes. She faces a terrible choice, hiding the truth from almost everyone, but a secret this big can’t stay buried forever . . .
The book is set in colonial era Ceylon and the author depicts an amazing landscape of tea plantations, wildlife and weather. I don’t know much about Sri Lanka or this period of history but reading the book made me feel like I was immersed in the story.
Sometimes it is difficult to fully empathise with stories about rich and privileged women but I didn’t feel that way about the main character Gwen. In the early days of her marriage something happens which has a profound effect on her and her family. The story unravels very slowly which made me want to read more to find out what was going to happen, I even found myself reading it on my kindle whilst my son was at a children’s birthday party! The story doesn’t have a completely happy ending but I think this makes it more realistic and believable.
The Tea Planter’s Wife by Dinah Jefferies, is published by Penguin Books on 3rd September 2015. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early copy to review.
You may be interested in my other Dinah Jefferies reviews:
I’m intrigued to read this after reading your review. Roll on September 3rd!
#readwithme
sometimes I prefer a story with a not so happy ending as we don’t always get that in real life do we. thanks for sharing with #readwithme
It sounds like an interesting read. I’m not normally one to go for historical fiction but I’m trying to give a bit of everything a go lately! #readwithme
I like the look and sound of this book, it’s sounds like my kind of read x #ReadWithMe