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A review by thelibraryofimagination
The Tea Planter's Wife by Dinah Jefferies
5.0
Reading this book through @thepigeonhole was such an enjoyable experience.
The Tea Planter’s Wife is the story of a woman, Gwen, who marries Laurence and moves to Ceylon to be with him. Laurence owns a tea plantation and Gwen is immediately immersed in its daily affairs. Not only does Gwen have to cope with the frustrations of the plantation, but the aggravation of not knowing the story behind the mysterious death of Laurence’s first wife. Unfortunately, Gwen also has to deal with Laurence’s selfish and sinister sister, the grumpy and uncooperative plantation manager and the suspicious financial advisor Christina. All of the new people in Gwen’s life put a strain on her that leaves her reflecting on who she is and what she is capable of.
This book is intriguing and beautifully written.
The intriguing part was the story itself. The mystery of the past was especially intense as it forced me to keep guessing as to what actually happened to Laurence’s previous wife: How did she die? Why was Laurence so unwilling to talk about her death? Ultimately, the reader is left asking these questions until the very end of the book. But any good reader could not read through without making predictions about what may have happened. Some may predict correctly, but the interesting thing is that the author leaves the reader guessing and you read on just to find out if you were correct.
The characters were captivating, especially Verity. Verity is Laurence’s awful sister, who constantly manipulates other characters for her own personal benefit. A truly awful character! Laurence left me wondering about his true affections for his wife and Gwen kept me rooting for her to stand up for herself, just once Gwen. Just once!
All in all the rich and lively characters drive the story forward.
As for the writing itself, Jeffries encapsulates the essence of Ceylon forcing the reader to embark on a sensuous journey from the very first page. There were many times I imagined the plantation as if I was there; feeling the sunshine on my face or the wind brush my hair and even smelling the exotic scents described.
If you want a book that is beautifully written, has engaging characters and an intensely mysterious story this is your next read!
The Tea Planter’s Wife is the story of a woman, Gwen, who marries Laurence and moves to Ceylon to be with him. Laurence owns a tea plantation and Gwen is immediately immersed in its daily affairs. Not only does Gwen have to cope with the frustrations of the plantation, but the aggravation of not knowing the story behind the mysterious death of Laurence’s first wife. Unfortunately, Gwen also has to deal with Laurence’s selfish and sinister sister, the grumpy and uncooperative plantation manager and the suspicious financial advisor Christina. All of the new people in Gwen’s life put a strain on her that leaves her reflecting on who she is and what she is capable of.
This book is intriguing and beautifully written.
The intriguing part was the story itself. The mystery of the past was especially intense as it forced me to keep guessing as to what actually happened to Laurence’s previous wife: How did she die? Why was Laurence so unwilling to talk about her death? Ultimately, the reader is left asking these questions until the very end of the book. But any good reader could not read through without making predictions about what may have happened. Some may predict correctly, but the interesting thing is that the author leaves the reader guessing and you read on just to find out if you were correct.
The characters were captivating, especially Verity. Verity is Laurence’s awful sister, who constantly manipulates other characters for her own personal benefit. A truly awful character! Laurence left me wondering about his true affections for his wife and Gwen kept me rooting for her to stand up for herself, just once Gwen. Just once!
All in all the rich and lively characters drive the story forward.
As for the writing itself, Jeffries encapsulates the essence of Ceylon forcing the reader to embark on a sensuous journey from the very first page. There were many times I imagined the plantation as if I was there; feeling the sunshine on my face or the wind brush my hair and even smelling the exotic scents described.
If you want a book that is beautifully written, has engaging characters and an intensely mysterious story this is your next read!