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The Tea Merchant
Part 1 of a new two-book series by bestselling author Jackie Phamotse!
It is 2005, a time of silent anticipation and hidden possibilities in the rugged Cederberg mountains. Cameron Coal is embroiled in a desperate fight to save his family’s rooibos farm, which is a hair’s breadth from bankruptcy, while wrestling overwhelming grief after his wife’s death and trying to build a relationship with his blind daughter. His father, John, might be the family’s last hope to save their farm from an enemy lurking in plain sight. But in the shadows, Cameron’s brother, Sole, harbours a secret that could shatter their world.
Amid the chaos of a veld fire, Cameron’s gaze falls upon an enigmatic nurse, Luna Parks, who is new to their town. As Luna and Cameron grow closer, her mysterious past and closely guarded secrets could shatter the very foundation of their relationship.
In the meantime, several questions must be answered: Who wanted Cameron’s wife dead? How far will Cameron go to keep his enemies at bay? Will Luna ever tell him the truth about her past? Who really owns South Africa’s indigenous plant, the illustrious rooibos?
And will Cameron’s decisions cost another life, or will they ensure the rise of the Tea Merchant?
It is 2005, a time of silent anticipation and hidden possibilities in the rugged Cederberg mountains. Cameron Coal is embroiled in a desperate fight to save his family’s rooibos farm, which is a hair’s breadth from bankruptcy, while wrestling overwhelming grief after his wife’s death and trying to build a relationship with his blind daughter. His father, John, might be the family’s last hope to save their farm from an enemy lurking in plain sight. But in the shadows, Cameron’s brother, Sole, harbours a secret that could shatter their world.
Amid the chaos of a veld fire, Cameron’s gaze falls upon an enigmatic nurse, Luna Parks, who is new to their town. As Luna and Cameron grow closer, her mysterious past and closely guarded secrets could shatter the very foundation of their relationship.
In the meantime, several questions must be answered: Who wanted Cameron’s wife dead? How far will Cameron go to keep his enemies at bay? Will Luna ever tell him the truth about her past? Who really owns South Africa’s indigenous plant, the illustrious rooibos?
And will Cameron’s decisions cost another life, or will they ensure the rise of the Tea Merchant?
295 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2024
4 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
Jackie Phamotse
12 books259 followersJackie Phamotse is a writer, businesswoman, social activist and philanthropist.
Her debut novel, BARE I: The Blesser’s Game, was published in 2017 and was awarded the African Icon Literary Award in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2018. Her second book, I Tweet What I Like, was inspired by the late struggle icon Steve Biko’s book, I Write What I Like. Jackie won the 2020 SA Book Awards for Best Fiction for her novel BARE II: The Cradle of The Hockey Club. She was also nominated for a bestselling award by Nielsen BookScan and SAPnet in 2023 for her book Bare IV: Mercy. Google listed Jackie as one of the most searched personalities in South Africa in 2020. She won an award for her Social Activism at the Women of Wonder Awards ceremony in 2020, the same year the Generational Wealth Foundation listed her as one of the most influential educators.
Jackie’s main objective is to create awareness around and find long-term solutions to eradicate social ills. She currently lives in Sandton, South Africa.
Her debut novel, BARE I: The Blesser’s Game, was published in 2017 and was awarded the African Icon Literary Award in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2018. Her second book, I Tweet What I Like, was inspired by the late struggle icon Steve Biko’s book, I Write What I Like. Jackie won the 2020 SA Book Awards for Best Fiction for her novel BARE II: The Cradle of The Hockey Club. She was also nominated for a bestselling award by Nielsen BookScan and SAPnet in 2023 for her book Bare IV: Mercy. Google listed Jackie as one of the most searched personalities in South Africa in 2020. She won an award for her Social Activism at the Women of Wonder Awards ceremony in 2020, the same year the Generational Wealth Foundation listed her as one of the most influential educators.
Jackie’s main objective is to create awareness around and find long-term solutions to eradicate social ills. She currently lives in Sandton, South Africa.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 19, 2025
Disclaimer: Penguin SA kindly sent me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
The Tea Merchant is part one of a two-part series written by South African author Jackie Phamotse, the author of several books, both fiction and nonfiction.
This story begins in Cape Town, and Luna Parks is a 20-something-year-old nurse with a bright future ahead of her. At a job interview for a prestigious clinic in Belville, Luna's life is changed forever when she gets the job, but in the wake of it, she leaves behind a dead man.
Three years later Luna and the woman she met on that fatal day Amora Gootboom, are forced to flee Cape Town suddenly. With little knowledge of their new destination, the two women find nursing jobs in the small farming community of Clanwilliam in the Cederberg mountains. That same night they arrive a fire breaks out in the village, and while out helping the villagers Luna meets Cameron Coal, a navy man with a failing farm, and a tragic past. Despite his struggling farm, Cameron is greatly respected in the town and plays an important role in the small community. As Luna and Cameron's friendship turns to romance she learns that his dark past includes a wife who died in a fire a decade ago - leaving in her wake a blind daughter named Mia, and a widowed alcoholic father.
While Luna is embraced in Clanwilliam, her partner-in-crime Amora is not as fortunate and is treated like a pariah. An old friend of Cameron's Seth Fourie has also become suspicious of Luna and Amora and seems to have a vendetta against the Coals. As Seth's threatening presence looms over Luna and Amora's lives (and their past), Cameron's brother Sole, an advocate has returned to Clanwilliam and has his suspicions of Luna's intentions.
In the middle of all this drama Luna's relationship with Mia, Cameron's daughter is blossoming, and the little girl might be the only chance they may have to save the failing rooibos farm, and the rest of the Clanwilliam community. In saving the farm Luna may also learn more about her family history and her Khoisan heritage.
The Tea Merchant is an absorbing story about identity. Scattered throughout the wild plot, the steamy romance, and the intriguing characters there are dark allusions to South Africa's own troubled past (and present). There is unspeakable violence, grief, and loss, and within it all there is a love story that defies all obstacles.
Phamotse has woven together a powerful story that embraces South African history forbidden love, and desire. The only objection this reviewer may have is that the character of Cameron is a flawed one, and his treatment of the blind Mia is questionable, whilst Luna is far too naive moving forward into her new life. Despite this Phamotse is an ambitious and talented author with an incredible story to tell, and I look forward to reading the follow-up The Advocate as soon as it is released.
The Tea Merchant is part one of a two-part series written by South African author Jackie Phamotse, the author of several books, both fiction and nonfiction.
This story begins in Cape Town, and Luna Parks is a 20-something-year-old nurse with a bright future ahead of her. At a job interview for a prestigious clinic in Belville, Luna's life is changed forever when she gets the job, but in the wake of it, she leaves behind a dead man.
Three years later Luna and the woman she met on that fatal day Amora Gootboom, are forced to flee Cape Town suddenly. With little knowledge of their new destination, the two women find nursing jobs in the small farming community of Clanwilliam in the Cederberg mountains. That same night they arrive a fire breaks out in the village, and while out helping the villagers Luna meets Cameron Coal, a navy man with a failing farm, and a tragic past. Despite his struggling farm, Cameron is greatly respected in the town and plays an important role in the small community. As Luna and Cameron's friendship turns to romance she learns that his dark past includes a wife who died in a fire a decade ago - leaving in her wake a blind daughter named Mia, and a widowed alcoholic father.
While Luna is embraced in Clanwilliam, her partner-in-crime Amora is not as fortunate and is treated like a pariah. An old friend of Cameron's Seth Fourie has also become suspicious of Luna and Amora and seems to have a vendetta against the Coals. As Seth's threatening presence looms over Luna and Amora's lives (and their past), Cameron's brother Sole, an advocate has returned to Clanwilliam and has his suspicions of Luna's intentions.
In the middle of all this drama Luna's relationship with Mia, Cameron's daughter is blossoming, and the little girl might be the only chance they may have to save the failing rooibos farm, and the rest of the Clanwilliam community. In saving the farm Luna may also learn more about her family history and her Khoisan heritage.
The Tea Merchant is an absorbing story about identity. Scattered throughout the wild plot, the steamy romance, and the intriguing characters there are dark allusions to South Africa's own troubled past (and present). There is unspeakable violence, grief, and loss, and within it all there is a love story that defies all obstacles.
Phamotse has woven together a powerful story that embraces South African history forbidden love, and desire. The only objection this reviewer may have is that the character of Cameron is a flawed one, and his treatment of the blind Mia is questionable, whilst Luna is far too naive moving forward into her new life. Despite this Phamotse is an ambitious and talented author with an incredible story to tell, and I look forward to reading the follow-up The Advocate as soon as it is released.
October 22, 2024
I went through a rollercoaster of emotions in this book. The drama, suspense and storyline is INSANE 🤯📖 cultural diversity is represented so well 🇿🇦 if you're squeamish or don't like racial abuse, just beware that this book does touch on these topics (in a real yet graceful manner). LOVE the ending and LOVE the name of the 2nd book coming soon (The Advocate).
September 19, 2024
I suppose I will always be a sucker for local authors who use a South African setting in their books. There's something to say for being able to place yourself inside a particular scene if it plays off in a place you know and whose people you understand (mostly).
Luna, a Khoisan girl, gets embroiled in a murder when she applies for a new job. She must flee with Amora (the girl who involved her), to another town where they won't be found. They end up in the small sleepy town Clanwilliam - the heart of rooibos tea production in South Africa. Here they join the very unfriendly matron, Eve, at the local clinic. Upon their arrival though, they find themselves fighting fire with the locals - a familiar struggle in rural Africa. Amidst the chaos, Luna bumps into Cameron, whose family owns a farm outside town. There is an immediate spark between the two of them, but he is in the Navy, and mostly not at home in Clanwilliam.
In the meantime, Luna becomes a valuable asset to the clinic and the townspeople, and since she isn't a party-girl, her relationship with Amora dies a slow death. In a small town however, relationships and bonds are often open for all to see, and a few relationships make the eyebrows of the conservative community rise. Through trial and tribulations, Luna becomes close with Mia, the blind daughter of Cameron, who lives with her alcoholic grandfather on their run-down family farm. This bond leads to more intrigue and when Luna discovers that Cameron has an identical twin, her life begins to fall apart.
I really enjoyed the intrigue and setting in this book, and am looking forward to the promised sequel. There were a few places where I felt that the passage of time could have been made clearer to the reader, as I had to page back to just get my ducks in a row again. But, in all, a really enjoyable novel with an interesting plot!
Luna, a Khoisan girl, gets embroiled in a murder when she applies for a new job. She must flee with Amora (the girl who involved her), to another town where they won't be found. They end up in the small sleepy town Clanwilliam - the heart of rooibos tea production in South Africa. Here they join the very unfriendly matron, Eve, at the local clinic. Upon their arrival though, they find themselves fighting fire with the locals - a familiar struggle in rural Africa. Amidst the chaos, Luna bumps into Cameron, whose family owns a farm outside town. There is an immediate spark between the two of them, but he is in the Navy, and mostly not at home in Clanwilliam.
In the meantime, Luna becomes a valuable asset to the clinic and the townspeople, and since she isn't a party-girl, her relationship with Amora dies a slow death. In a small town however, relationships and bonds are often open for all to see, and a few relationships make the eyebrows of the conservative community rise. Through trial and tribulations, Luna becomes close with Mia, the blind daughter of Cameron, who lives with her alcoholic grandfather on their run-down family farm. This bond leads to more intrigue and when Luna discovers that Cameron has an identical twin, her life begins to fall apart.
I really enjoyed the intrigue and setting in this book, and am looking forward to the promised sequel. There were a few places where I felt that the passage of time could have been made clearer to the reader, as I had to page back to just get my ducks in a row again. But, in all, a really enjoyable novel with an interesting plot!
July 17, 2025
"'Let's get my wife's land back!' Cam said to Sole.
A war had been declared, and the devil watched them from behind the steel cage.
"In life, we choose our battles. We choose family. We choose love."
This book has taken me on all the twists and turns while turning my stomach at the same time.
This story was such a good mix of romance, family drama, rich history, mystery and a bit of psychological thriller. It was secret after secret and the plot twist was just plot twisting.
What craftsmanship and I commend you Jackie on research cause I'm sure the research probably took more time than the writing.
I gasped at some point during the last pages of this book.
One of my strengths is patience. So let me wait for Book 2 😁
And while I wait let me give stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
A war had been declared, and the devil watched them from behind the steel cage.
"In life, we choose our battles. We choose family. We choose love."
This book has taken me on all the twists and turns while turning my stomach at the same time.
This story was such a good mix of romance, family drama, rich history, mystery and a bit of psychological thriller. It was secret after secret and the plot twist was just plot twisting.
What craftsmanship and I commend you Jackie on research cause I'm sure the research probably took more time than the writing.
I gasped at some point during the last pages of this book.
One of my strengths is patience. So let me wait for Book 2 😁
And while I wait let me give stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
October 31, 2024
With its gloriously glossy cover, Jackie Phamotse weaves a tapestry of historical fiction through the origins of rooibos tea.
The story begins in Cape Town in 2005 when Luna, a young Khoisan nursing graduate, meets nurse Amora, who is Xhosa. They are waiting for a job interview at a Bellville clinic. Later that evening there is a murder in which both nurses are complicit. They get the jobs but three years later something else happens and they hurriedly leave town to work in a clinic in Clanwilliam.
On the evening of their arrival, there is a veld fire. Providing support, Luna meets Captain Cameron Coal who is on leave from the Navy and is rarely home. He has left his blind teenage daughter, Mia, in the care of his alcoholic father, John, who is struggling with the grief of losing his wife, Emily, who, along with Coal’s wife, Summer, had perished in a fire at their farm 10 years earlier.
Through vivid characterisations, Phamotse delves into issues of community dynamics and the intricacies of parenthood, particularly highlighting the challenges faced by men in modern parenthood. Other themes include community life, loss, grief, inheritance, landlessness, racial dynamics, heritage and belonging.
While Phamotse’s story is richly textured and well-researched, it sometimes stumbles in racial dynamics and is implausible and naive. Despite these minor shortcomings, her style, storytelling and pace draws the reader in.
This two-part story marks a departure for Phamotse, known for the BARE series for which she was awarded the African Icon Literary Award in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2018 for The Blesser’s Game. The release of The Tea Merchant signals her return to the public eye after she was sentenced to two years of house arrest with a fine and unpaid community service in her defamation case involving Basetsana Kumalo.
The story begins in Cape Town in 2005 when Luna, a young Khoisan nursing graduate, meets nurse Amora, who is Xhosa. They are waiting for a job interview at a Bellville clinic. Later that evening there is a murder in which both nurses are complicit. They get the jobs but three years later something else happens and they hurriedly leave town to work in a clinic in Clanwilliam.
On the evening of their arrival, there is a veld fire. Providing support, Luna meets Captain Cameron Coal who is on leave from the Navy and is rarely home. He has left his blind teenage daughter, Mia, in the care of his alcoholic father, John, who is struggling with the grief of losing his wife, Emily, who, along with Coal’s wife, Summer, had perished in a fire at their farm 10 years earlier.
Through vivid characterisations, Phamotse delves into issues of community dynamics and the intricacies of parenthood, particularly highlighting the challenges faced by men in modern parenthood. Other themes include community life, loss, grief, inheritance, landlessness, racial dynamics, heritage and belonging.
While Phamotse’s story is richly textured and well-researched, it sometimes stumbles in racial dynamics and is implausible and naive. Despite these minor shortcomings, her style, storytelling and pace draws the reader in.
This two-part story marks a departure for Phamotse, known for the BARE series for which she was awarded the African Icon Literary Award in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2018 for The Blesser’s Game. The release of The Tea Merchant signals her return to the public eye after she was sentenced to two years of house arrest with a fine and unpaid community service in her defamation case involving Basetsana Kumalo.
January 3, 2025
I honestly don’t know what to make of this book. On the one hand it is very suspenseful and eventful with lots of dark twists. On the other hand, Cameron is like the worst father in history and why the heck is he so creepy with all this talk about marriage after talking to each other for one night, like please get in touch with reality - this love story just seems so forced and noncredible. He is really giving me the same stalker vibes as all the white dudes in this book, the way he falls in love in an instant and acts super possessively - it’s giving me the icks.
September 20, 2025
The tea merchant is a beautifully written book that touches on South African history pre and post apartheid in the western cape. The story line is wonderful and once I started reading it, I had a hard time putting it down. The author deserves her flowers for the plots twists and turns that keep thickening through out the book.
November 19, 2025
R Naidoo: A difficult book to read as the characters and action is horrifying. However it may reflect the reality of SA society in 1190. It makes the reader aware of the vast knowledge of indigenous people. Much of SA success is based on the knowledge gained from indigenous people. This book focuses on rooibos tea.
Most hated part - The racism and abuse of people. Most characters were inhumane.
Most hated part - The racism and abuse of people. Most characters were inhumane.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews