The Tea Planter's Wife By: Dinah Jefferies

Book Description....

"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 neighbors 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 . . ."

Title:  The Tea Planter's Wife
Author:  Dinah Jefferies
Publisher:  Penguin
Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:

"The Tea Planter's Wife" by Dinah Jefferies

My Thoughts...

A beautiful love story of Gwendolyn Hooper who was nineteen from the UK falling in love with a plantation owner [Laurence]who was a widower living  in Ceylon in the 1920's.  Now married and  living in Ceylon and having to deal with the Sinhalese ad Tamil people was quite some interesting read.  This is such a well written story that the reader will find it hard to put down. Be prepared for a read that will involve "jealousy, deceit, mistrust and family secrets, love, tragedy, horrible decisions, heartbreak, grief, loss, economics, politics, political unrest, violence to workers, racism and the strength of a certain kind of woman."  This author really know how to bring out a rich beautiful setting in the colonial style of read with such vivid descriptions with such colorful scenes['especially watching tiny creatures, colorful birds, walking in the grounds by the lake and the beautiful waterfall that surrounded the exotic flowers'] and all done with such a intriguing plot.  I loved how this author brings this heroine Gwendolyn from a naive innocent young lady into a adult as she  blossoms and is now found having to deal with some of the tea plantation issues and also what has gone on with the house-hold...in the the past, her husband secret to even her own secrets.  Wow, all I can say is that this turns out to be one fascinating read.  Yes, even very sad and even depressing at times with its twists but definitely one that you will not want to put down until the very end. The characters were off the chart ....Gwen, Laurence, Savi, Fran, McGregor, Naveena, Hugh, Verity, Christina, Caroline.... to name a few who all had their own tale were all well developed and portrayed giving the reader a story with 'smoldering tension with a fast emotional and riveting plot.'

If you are looking for a good stunning historical family with lots of drama...you have come to the right place for "The Tea Planter's Wife" will give it to you and so much more.

I would like to thank Net Galley, the publishers and Dinah Jefferies for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest and open review.