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Die Frau des Teehändlers
Ceylon in den 1920er Jahren.
Die junge Engländerin Gwen Hooper trifft mit ihrem frisch angetrauten Ehemann Laurence in der familieneigenen Teeplantage ein. Dort bezieht das Paar eine traumhafte Villa, und Gwen fühlt sich wie im Paradies. Doch warum verhält sich ihr eigentlich sehr liebevoller Ehemann bisweilen so seltsam? Und warum macht er ein Geheimnis um seine verstorbene erste Ehefrau? Als Gwen schließlich Zwillinge zur Welt bringt, wird sie mit einer entsetzlichen Wahrheit konfrontiert, die sie zu zerstören droht ...
Eine fesselnde Geschichte um Schuld, Verrat und wohlgehütete Geheimnisse vor der atmosphärischen Kulisse Sri Lankas
Die junge Engländerin Gwen Hooper trifft mit ihrem frisch angetrauten Ehemann Laurence in der familieneigenen Teeplantage ein. Dort bezieht das Paar eine traumhafte Villa, und Gwen fühlt sich wie im Paradies. Doch warum verhält sich ihr eigentlich sehr liebevoller Ehemann bisweilen so seltsam? Und warum macht er ein Geheimnis um seine verstorbene erste Ehefrau? Als Gwen schließlich Zwillinge zur Welt bringt, wird sie mit einer entsetzlichen Wahrheit konfrontiert, die sie zu zerstören droht ...
Eine fesselnde Geschichte um Schuld, Verrat und wohlgehütete Geheimnisse vor der atmosphärischen Kulisse Sri Lankas
530 pages, Paperback
First published August 27, 2015
1591 people are currently reading
16796 people want to read
About the author
Dinah Jefferies
23 books1,286 followers*Breaking News* Richard & Judy pick THE TEA PLANTERS WIFE for their autumn bookclub 2015. Here's what Santa Montefiore said: ‘My ideal read; mystery, love, heart-break and joy – I couldn’t put it down.’
Here's what Richard Madeley said. "The Tea Planter’s Wife is so much more than a conventional love story, with all its twists and turns and guilt and betrayal...deeply impressive. The fetid, steamy atmosphere of the tropics rises from these pages like a humid mist. We are on a tea plantation in 1920s Ceylon and 19 year old Gwendolyn Hooper is the new bride of the owner, a wealthy and charming widower. But her romantic dreams of marriage are overshadowed by echoes from the past – an old trunk of musty dresses; an overgrown and neglected gravestone in the grounds. Her new husband refuses to talk about them. Gwen’s perfect man is becoming a perfect stranger…"
Quote from the great author Kate Furnivall about my first book THE SEPARATION:
'A powerful story of love and loss that is utterly captivating. I was drawn deep into the world of Malaya and England in the 1950s in this intense exploration of what it means to love. Beautifully written and wonderfully atmospheric, Dinah Jefferies skilfully captures this fragile moment of history in a complex and thrilling tale. THE SEPARATION is a gripping and intelligent read.'
In 1985, the sudden death of Dinah Jefferies’ fourteen year old son brought her life to a standstill. She drew on that experience, and on her own childhood spent in Malaya during the 1950s to write her debut novel, The Separation. The guns piled high on the hall table when the rubber planters came into town for a party, the colour and noise of Chinatown, the houses on stilts, and the lizards that left their tails behind.
Now living in Gloucestershire, Dinah once lived in Tuscany working as an au pair for an Italian countess; she has also lived in a ‘hippy’ rock’n roll commune based in an Elizabethan manor house, but started writing when she was living in a small 16th Century village in Spain.
Here's what Richard Madeley said. "The Tea Planter’s Wife is so much more than a conventional love story, with all its twists and turns and guilt and betrayal...deeply impressive. The fetid, steamy atmosphere of the tropics rises from these pages like a humid mist. We are on a tea plantation in 1920s Ceylon and 19 year old Gwendolyn Hooper is the new bride of the owner, a wealthy and charming widower. But her romantic dreams of marriage are overshadowed by echoes from the past – an old trunk of musty dresses; an overgrown and neglected gravestone in the grounds. Her new husband refuses to talk about them. Gwen’s perfect man is becoming a perfect stranger…"
Quote from the great author Kate Furnivall about my first book THE SEPARATION:
'A powerful story of love and loss that is utterly captivating. I was drawn deep into the world of Malaya and England in the 1950s in this intense exploration of what it means to love. Beautifully written and wonderfully atmospheric, Dinah Jefferies skilfully captures this fragile moment of history in a complex and thrilling tale. THE SEPARATION is a gripping and intelligent read.'
In 1985, the sudden death of Dinah Jefferies’ fourteen year old son brought her life to a standstill. She drew on that experience, and on her own childhood spent in Malaya during the 1950s to write her debut novel, The Separation. The guns piled high on the hall table when the rubber planters came into town for a party, the colour and noise of Chinatown, the houses on stilts, and the lizards that left their tails behind.
Now living in Gloucestershire, Dinah once lived in Tuscany working as an au pair for an Italian countess; she has also lived in a ‘hippy’ rock’n roll commune based in an Elizabethan manor house, but started writing when she was living in a small 16th Century village in Spain.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,243 reviews
July 31, 2019
A wonderful, thought-provoking story about a young English woman, Gwen, who travels to Ceylon in the 1920's to join her new husband on his tea plantation. She soon settles in to the lifestyle of the plantation and finds herself pregnant, but after she gives birth finds herself keeping secrets from her husband. However, Gwen is not the only one keeping secrets.
This is a beautifully written novel, Dinah Jefferies captures the time and the prejudice rife in Ceylon at the time well. The plantation and lifestyle came to life and I could picture the women pluckers in the fields, the lake and the house all so vividly. I read through this book quickly, as I had to know what would happen to Gwen and her family in those trying days. I recommend this book to all lovers of Historical Fiction.
This is a beautifully written novel, Dinah Jefferies captures the time and the prejudice rife in Ceylon at the time well. The plantation and lifestyle came to life and I could picture the women pluckers in the fields, the lake and the house all so vividly. I read through this book quickly, as I had to know what would happen to Gwen and her family in those trying days. I recommend this book to all lovers of Historical Fiction.
September 17, 2016
I thought this book was okay. It wasn't great and it wasn't bad. But that is just my opinion, others love it and others don't love it and it's all good.
There is a little prologue in the front of the book that had me wondering for a good while. But there comes a time when secrets come out that I finally figured out who the person was and what it was about. It was actually sad.
This story is about 19 year-old Gwendolyn (Gwen) and she marries a wonderful tea planter named Laurence. They meet in London but she soon marries him and moves to Ceylon to his tea plantation. He ends up with two of them and a third on the way.
Laurence has a ton of workers and people that help with the house. It takes a little bit for Gwen to get used to everything. One of the servants named Naveena was very good to her and I liked that character. It turns out there are some secrets about her too.
Let me just go ahead and say there are about a ton of secrets in this book. It's like a mystery trying to figure everything out. I had a big idea of one thing when Gwen has her twins about a year later. I won't go into that though. I will say it is another very, very sad story in the book.
When Laurence and Gwen do get to their home, Laurence starts acting all weird. He pretty much acts bizarre through the whole book.
And, OMG, his freaking sister, Verity! I wanted to drop-kick her off the roof! She was a horrible person. She was constantly up in their faces and in their home. Even when she found home for herself with her husband, she was still up in their business all of the time. But, Laurence didn't do much about it even when Gwen complained. Verity also wanted Laurence to keep giving her money. It isn't any wonder Laurence was bizarre about things. But, he actually did have some things in the past that haunted him, more so on the plantation. His late wife died there, but I'm not going to tell you what all happened there but it's a lot of sadness.
I liked Gwen's cousin Fran and Mr. Ravasinghe. They were very nice people and ended up getting married even though it was frowned upon because she was English and he was Sinhalese. But they didn't care and I don't care so there.
Like I said before, I thought the book was good, but nothing really special. I do think a lot more people will like the book more than me and that's great. I will tell you that it made me want to drink some tea!
*I would like to thank Blogging For Books for a print copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
There is a little prologue in the front of the book that had me wondering for a good while. But there comes a time when secrets come out that I finally figured out who the person was and what it was about. It was actually sad.
This story is about 19 year-old Gwendolyn (Gwen) and she marries a wonderful tea planter named Laurence. They meet in London but she soon marries him and moves to Ceylon to his tea plantation. He ends up with two of them and a third on the way.
Laurence has a ton of workers and people that help with the house. It takes a little bit for Gwen to get used to everything. One of the servants named Naveena was very good to her and I liked that character. It turns out there are some secrets about her too.
Let me just go ahead and say there are about a ton of secrets in this book. It's like a mystery trying to figure everything out. I had a big idea of one thing when Gwen has her twins about a year later. I won't go into that though. I will say it is another very, very sad story in the book.
When Laurence and Gwen do get to their home, Laurence starts acting all weird. He pretty much acts bizarre through the whole book.
And, OMG, his freaking sister, Verity! I wanted to drop-kick her off the roof! She was a horrible person. She was constantly up in their faces and in their home. Even when she found home for herself with her husband, she was still up in their business all of the time. But, Laurence didn't do much about it even when Gwen complained. Verity also wanted Laurence to keep giving her money. It isn't any wonder Laurence was bizarre about things. But, he actually did have some things in the past that haunted him, more so on the plantation. His late wife died there, but I'm not going to tell you what all happened there but it's a lot of sadness.
I liked Gwen's cousin Fran and Mr. Ravasinghe. They were very nice people and ended up getting married even though it was frowned upon because she was English and he was Sinhalese. But they didn't care and I don't care so there.
Like I said before, I thought the book was good, but nothing really special. I do think a lot more people will like the book more than me and that's great. I will tell you that it made me want to drink some tea!
*I would like to thank Blogging For Books for a print copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
August 11, 2016
The Tea Planter’s Wife by Dinah Jeffries is a 2015 Penguin publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and the LIbraryThing early reviewer program.
The Tea Planter’s Wife is an exemplary novel, written with a lush literary prose, which pulls me deep into the landscape and historical setting of colonial Ceylan.
Gwen, only nineteen, marries Laurence, a widower, after a whirlwind romance. Laurence is a tea planter running a successful plantation, and Gwen is determined to learn the business and be a good asset to her husband.
However, almost from the beginning, Gwen finds her husband is still haunted by the death of his first wife, the staff behaves oddly, and then Gwen finds she must cope with her sister-in-law, Verity, who wishes to keep Laurence all to herself, as well as watching another woman try to steal away her new husband.
If this were not bad enough, Gwen will soon face a crisis that will tear her heart to pieces while the atmosphere around her becomes almost oppressive.
This story is so absorbing and haunting, I couldn’t bear to continue reading it, but couldn’t stop turning pages. This book taps every emotion imaginable, as Gwen tries to navigate her new surroundings and faces one wall of opposition after another, one trial after another, while carrying a heavy burden on her heart.
I became frustrated with all the characters at one point or another, and Verity is most certainly a poisonous character, but I often found myself irritated with Laurence, who constantly turned a blind eye to those issues plaguing Gwen and the people causing her such great heartache.
This couple will encounter incredible adversity, survive hardships, and endure much heartache, make mistakes and harbor dark secrets in their souls. Naturally, the racial divide is one which causes so many misunderstandings, and it is so very sad to think how this situation could have turned out differently if not for that prejudice.
But, ultimately this is a love story, one that proves love’s power to overcome vindictiveness, jealously, grief and pain, and can give the heart the fortitude to forgive, accept, change, and move on with renewed hope.
This is a well written novel, with very interesting historical details, set in a magical location, and is packed with riveting dramas that kept me engaged and very invested in the characters on an emotional level.
I loved the atmosphere in this one, the slight Gothic tones, and the tantalizing pace that swept me away to another time and place.
The Tea Planter’s Wife is an exemplary novel, written with a lush literary prose, which pulls me deep into the landscape and historical setting of colonial Ceylan.
Gwen, only nineteen, marries Laurence, a widower, after a whirlwind romance. Laurence is a tea planter running a successful plantation, and Gwen is determined to learn the business and be a good asset to her husband.
However, almost from the beginning, Gwen finds her husband is still haunted by the death of his first wife, the staff behaves oddly, and then Gwen finds she must cope with her sister-in-law, Verity, who wishes to keep Laurence all to herself, as well as watching another woman try to steal away her new husband.
If this were not bad enough, Gwen will soon face a crisis that will tear her heart to pieces while the atmosphere around her becomes almost oppressive.
This story is so absorbing and haunting, I couldn’t bear to continue reading it, but couldn’t stop turning pages. This book taps every emotion imaginable, as Gwen tries to navigate her new surroundings and faces one wall of opposition after another, one trial after another, while carrying a heavy burden on her heart.
I became frustrated with all the characters at one point or another, and Verity is most certainly a poisonous character, but I often found myself irritated with Laurence, who constantly turned a blind eye to those issues plaguing Gwen and the people causing her such great heartache.
This couple will encounter incredible adversity, survive hardships, and endure much heartache, make mistakes and harbor dark secrets in their souls. Naturally, the racial divide is one which causes so many misunderstandings, and it is so very sad to think how this situation could have turned out differently if not for that prejudice.
But, ultimately this is a love story, one that proves love’s power to overcome vindictiveness, jealously, grief and pain, and can give the heart the fortitude to forgive, accept, change, and move on with renewed hope.
This is a well written novel, with very interesting historical details, set in a magical location, and is packed with riveting dramas that kept me engaged and very invested in the characters on an emotional level.
I loved the atmosphere in this one, the slight Gothic tones, and the tantalizing pace that swept me away to another time and place.
December 9, 2019
Secrets
The Tea Planter's Wife is a very intriguing story, of secrets that are harboured within a relationship and are destined to be revealed, but at what cost. Gwen is 19 years old and marries Laurence, a widower and tea plantation owner. The background to Laurence and what happened to his first wife is held in secret but he is not alone because Gwen had an encounter with another man and now she's pregnant - but who is the father. The story builds to an ironic twist and is an enthralling read through all the deception.
It is also a story of racial prejudices, nationalism and alliances. Dinah Jefferies set this story, as some of her others, against a political movement for independence in a British colonial state. The story takes place in Ceylon from 1925 to 1934 amongst the tea plantations where British, Sinhalese and Tamil workers, are all thrown together in a mix of social class, inequitable treatment and building resentment.
History has a habit of repeating itself and there is also a secret from the husband's side that he is reluctant to reveal. Will his secret out-shock his wife's? Is there any recovery amongst these undisclosed lies and are we looking at a tarnished, doomed marriage.
The story and characters offer complexity and fascination with a plot that has many twists and turns. This along with the political uncertainties, racial differences, and workers' treatment, ensures the book is a non-stop, enthralling read. I would recommend this book.
The Tea Planter's Wife is a very intriguing story, of secrets that are harboured within a relationship and are destined to be revealed, but at what cost. Gwen is 19 years old and marries Laurence, a widower and tea plantation owner. The background to Laurence and what happened to his first wife is held in secret but he is not alone because Gwen had an encounter with another man and now she's pregnant - but who is the father. The story builds to an ironic twist and is an enthralling read through all the deception.
It is also a story of racial prejudices, nationalism and alliances. Dinah Jefferies set this story, as some of her others, against a political movement for independence in a British colonial state. The story takes place in Ceylon from 1925 to 1934 amongst the tea plantations where British, Sinhalese and Tamil workers, are all thrown together in a mix of social class, inequitable treatment and building resentment.
History has a habit of repeating itself and there is also a secret from the husband's side that he is reluctant to reveal. Will his secret out-shock his wife's? Is there any recovery amongst these undisclosed lies and are we looking at a tarnished, doomed marriage.
The story and characters offer complexity and fascination with a plot that has many twists and turns. This along with the political uncertainties, racial differences, and workers' treatment, ensures the book is a non-stop, enthralling read. I would recommend this book.
August 31, 2016
2.75★
Thank you to NetGalley & Crown publishing for an advance copy of this book.
I liked the setting of early 1900s Ceylon, the descriptions of the land, people, and tea of course.
It starts with a mystery and jumps ahead 12 years later. A young naive bride has arrived to begin life with her widowed husband on his tea plantation. Things get off to a rocky start. Secrets, a questionable sister-in-law, then more secrets are lurking, and new acquaintances with their own agendas are untrustworthy. A bit of a romantic melodrama from my point of view.
I think if this is the type of story one is drawn to there would not be much to criticize. Unfortunately, it’s not my preference in reading these days. In my 20s or 30s I might have enjoyed it more. There wasn’t much grabbing my attention. The main plot reveal was no surprise to me and that was the entire story. Often a reader can figure things out ahead of time but the story line and characters can be so interesting that it doesn’t matter. That was not the case with this one, for me at least. So a rather ho-hum read but I can certainly see the potential for appeal to other readers.
Thank you to NetGalley & Crown publishing for an advance copy of this book.
I liked the setting of early 1900s Ceylon, the descriptions of the land, people, and tea of course.
It starts with a mystery and jumps ahead 12 years later. A young naive bride has arrived to begin life with her widowed husband on his tea plantation. Things get off to a rocky start. Secrets, a questionable sister-in-law, then more secrets are lurking, and new acquaintances with their own agendas are untrustworthy. A bit of a romantic melodrama from my point of view.
I think if this is the type of story one is drawn to there would not be much to criticize. Unfortunately, it’s not my preference in reading these days. In my 20s or 30s I might have enjoyed it more. There wasn’t much grabbing my attention. The main plot reveal was no surprise to me and that was the entire story. Often a reader can figure things out ahead of time but the story line and characters can be so interesting that it doesn’t matter. That was not the case with this one, for me at least. So a rather ho-hum read but I can certainly see the potential for appeal to other readers.
February 27, 2017
Too long. Too many insipid and under IQ'd people. Beautiful place, lush descriptions, time period that jazzed and yet with all 3 of those elements, the characters were mere outlines.
Ceylon and the tea lines, the "pluckers", the severe cultural and racial divides, the horticulture possibilities! With all of that in such high tide levels, you'd think she could have gotten the protagonists and especially some of the under characters to seem actual, real. For me, not at all.
This might have been written for a much younger audience that is enthralled by the physical and sexual variables of the romance in the new marriage, or the possible love affairs in the romance genre sense? Ok, then- but it still seems more weird than scorched.
Slight spoiler ahead- do not read further if plot particulars distress you.
The husband not telling the wife of the first marriage and birth circumstances? Gwen reacting to the second twin's birth in the way she did? Her ayah's alliance to that furtive plan? Just too many factors which didn't add up. How could Gwen be that dumb? Of course, it is possible- but huh!
Until the point where everyone left her there to give birth- I could swallow the grains of salt. But after that, although I read it? I continued because I was incredulous as much as I was entertained.
This is not historical fiction, IMHO. Nor is it a book that reads like its trailer. It's more towards the far-fetched romance. Jefferies could have done so much more with that fauna and made some of the characters like Fran and Verity seem real. They were closer to a stereotype. The American woman WAS a stereotype. And Savi himself, the most foggy facade of all. No more for me from this source.
Ceylon and the tea lines, the "pluckers", the severe cultural and racial divides, the horticulture possibilities! With all of that in such high tide levels, you'd think she could have gotten the protagonists and especially some of the under characters to seem actual, real. For me, not at all.
This might have been written for a much younger audience that is enthralled by the physical and sexual variables of the romance in the new marriage, or the possible love affairs in the romance genre sense? Ok, then- but it still seems more weird than scorched.
Slight spoiler ahead- do not read further if plot particulars distress you.
The husband not telling the wife of the first marriage and birth circumstances? Gwen reacting to the second twin's birth in the way she did? Her ayah's alliance to that furtive plan? Just too many factors which didn't add up. How could Gwen be that dumb? Of course, it is possible- but huh!
Until the point where everyone left her there to give birth- I could swallow the grains of salt. But after that, although I read it? I continued because I was incredulous as much as I was entertained.
This is not historical fiction, IMHO. Nor is it a book that reads like its trailer. It's more towards the far-fetched romance. Jefferies could have done so much more with that fauna and made some of the characters like Fran and Verity seem real. They were closer to a stereotype. The American woman WAS a stereotype. And Savi himself, the most foggy facade of all. No more for me from this source.
December 20, 2019
This was such a lovely book, I’ve never read of Dinah Jeffries before but, I will be looking for more of hers in the future.
The book was set in 1920’s and continues on until 1934. It was very descriptive and so beautifully written that I could actually smell the exotic flowers of Ceylon and hear the birds in the trees. It gave you an insight into the tea plantations at that time. I recommend this book for anyone who loves a gentle story.
The book was set in 1920’s and continues on until 1934. It was very descriptive and so beautifully written that I could actually smell the exotic flowers of Ceylon and hear the birds in the trees. It gave you an insight into the tea plantations at that time. I recommend this book for anyone who loves a gentle story.
August 20, 2015
4.5★s
At nineteen years of age Gwendolyn Hooper was young to be leaving home and venturing half way across the world to live in a new country. But her recent marriage to Laurence meant leaving her home in London and joining him in Ceylon where he owned a large and prosperous tea plantation. Her journey by sea was long and tiresome but her excitement was great. Her arrival though was fraught with worry and concern when Laurence wasn’t there to meet the ship. When a young coloured man by the name of Savi Ravasinghe came to her aid, leading her to a hotel to wait in the cool interior, she was grateful. But little did she realize that Savi would feature in her life in the future...
Slowly Gwen learned about life on a tea plantation – the servants in the house, the coloured workers in the grounds outside. But Laurence’s sister Verity was constantly at their side. Gwen couldn’t seem to warm to Verity, while Verity had an almost clinging nature with her brother. And some other strange things were happening – a grave which was buried in bushes and seemingly abandoned, found near the house; a beautiful lake plus a nearby waterfall that she wasn’t allowed to go near – and a trunk filled with musty old clothing. But the worst was that Laurence wouldn’t discuss his previous wife, Caroline – what was it about the past that Laurence wanted to keep hidden from Gwen?
Life continued with Gwen loving Ceylon and her marriage to Laurence – the occasional problems were fairly easily sorted out and with Gwen in charge of the house, she enjoyed running things as she saw fit; it was Laurence’s way of showing his trust in her. But would their happiness remain? The speed that the unexpected disaster hit had her reeling; but there was no way Gwen could divulge the truth – her sanity depended on it. What would happen to Gwen? Could she keep the secret that she knew would mean the end of everything she had worked so hard for?
I thoroughly enjoyed The Tea Planter’s Wife by author Dinah Jefferies. My first by this author, I found the story filled with intrigue and interesting anecdotes which took place in the early 1900s. The hustle and bustle of Ceylon; the racism which was deep and ingrained in the minds of most of the white people – the build-up of resentment and volatility by the coloured people toward the whites; the lack of amenities – all blended together with a mostly fast moving plot and a main character who had me wondering how much more she could take! I have no hesitation in highly recommending The Tea Planter’s Wife.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
At nineteen years of age Gwendolyn Hooper was young to be leaving home and venturing half way across the world to live in a new country. But her recent marriage to Laurence meant leaving her home in London and joining him in Ceylon where he owned a large and prosperous tea plantation. Her journey by sea was long and tiresome but her excitement was great. Her arrival though was fraught with worry and concern when Laurence wasn’t there to meet the ship. When a young coloured man by the name of Savi Ravasinghe came to her aid, leading her to a hotel to wait in the cool interior, she was grateful. But little did she realize that Savi would feature in her life in the future...
Slowly Gwen learned about life on a tea plantation – the servants in the house, the coloured workers in the grounds outside. But Laurence’s sister Verity was constantly at their side. Gwen couldn’t seem to warm to Verity, while Verity had an almost clinging nature with her brother. And some other strange things were happening – a grave which was buried in bushes and seemingly abandoned, found near the house; a beautiful lake plus a nearby waterfall that she wasn’t allowed to go near – and a trunk filled with musty old clothing. But the worst was that Laurence wouldn’t discuss his previous wife, Caroline – what was it about the past that Laurence wanted to keep hidden from Gwen?
Life continued with Gwen loving Ceylon and her marriage to Laurence – the occasional problems were fairly easily sorted out and with Gwen in charge of the house, she enjoyed running things as she saw fit; it was Laurence’s way of showing his trust in her. But would their happiness remain? The speed that the unexpected disaster hit had her reeling; but there was no way Gwen could divulge the truth – her sanity depended on it. What would happen to Gwen? Could she keep the secret that she knew would mean the end of everything she had worked so hard for?
I thoroughly enjoyed The Tea Planter’s Wife by author Dinah Jefferies. My first by this author, I found the story filled with intrigue and interesting anecdotes which took place in the early 1900s. The hustle and bustle of Ceylon; the racism which was deep and ingrained in the minds of most of the white people – the build-up of resentment and volatility by the coloured people toward the whites; the lack of amenities – all blended together with a mostly fast moving plot and a main character who had me wondering how much more she could take! I have no hesitation in highly recommending The Tea Planter’s Wife.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
September 8, 2018
I’m late to the table again with this one.
I’ve chosen my aim all year to read at least one book that’s been on my shelf for a long time. This fits that!
This is ultimately a romance story but with a clear reality, mystery and struggle thrown in.
What if you met your future husband who was all sweetness and light, treated you really well then you marry and he’s indifferent, distant and totally not like the person you thought you were going to spend the rest of your life with?
She’s 19, married to a man that spends most of his time at the tea plantation. She has time to explore alone.
He’s haunted by his first wife.
Mystery and intrigue is all around her.
This was a well written easy book to digest and connect with. The emotional feelings and heartbreak were really something that I felt so strongly emulating from the pages.
And BTW I adore the cover.
Thanks to Penguin books for my copy via Net galley
I’ve chosen my aim all year to read at least one book that’s been on my shelf for a long time. This fits that!
This is ultimately a romance story but with a clear reality, mystery and struggle thrown in.
What if you met your future husband who was all sweetness and light, treated you really well then you marry and he’s indifferent, distant and totally not like the person you thought you were going to spend the rest of your life with?
She’s 19, married to a man that spends most of his time at the tea plantation. She has time to explore alone.
He’s haunted by his first wife.
Mystery and intrigue is all around her.
This was a well written easy book to digest and connect with. The emotional feelings and heartbreak were really something that I felt so strongly emulating from the pages.
And BTW I adore the cover.
Thanks to Penguin books for my copy via Net galley
October 7, 2015
Lots of things about this book bothered me. Firstly the heroine is the one magical white woman who isn't awful to the native workers on her husband's tea plantation. Rather than actually explore the lives of those workers in any meaningful way, the author chose to focus on the super messed up rich family who owns the plantation. The way the workers are exploited is discussed but in a fairly superficial way. Had the book been set in the Southern U.S. on a slave plantation this would clearly be interpreted as tone deaf, but apparently it's okay in Ceylon.
The final message--that Gwen would not have had to give up her daughter has she only trusted her husband--is so incredibly awful and heartbreaking that it made me want to chuck the book. Honestly none of the main characters were likeable except for Naveena, and I spent most of my time feeling sad for her. Overall a troubling, depressing read.
The final message--that Gwen would not have had to give up her daughter has she only trusted her husband--is so incredibly awful and heartbreaking that it made me want to chuck the book. Honestly none of the main characters were likeable except for Naveena, and I spent most of my time feeling sad for her. Overall a troubling, depressing read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2018
In the 1920's a 19 year old Englishwoman, Gwen(Gwendolyn) arrives in Ceylon(Sri Lanka) to join her older husband, Lawrence at his tea plantation after a whirlwind romance. Gwen struggles to adjust to her new role as a wife and mistress of a very large plantation. The atmosphere is a little reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, as secrets still hide the true demise of Lawrence's first wife, Caroline, and their infant son, Thomas. In addition, Lawrence is reluctant to share with his youthful wife, the day to day business of running a plantation. Soon family secrets, emotional heartbreak, and troublesome sister-in-laws threaten to bring down the house of cards.
I have to be honest and admit that I probably read this book too close to other similar type stories, such as, The Girl and the Sunbird: A beautiful, epic story of love, loss and hope, The Tea Planter's Daughter, and the The Planter's Bride to really appreciate the true gem that this story conveys. Although I felt invested enough in the story that I wanted to follow the characters to the end, I did also feel that the story was predictable in many places.
Thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I have to be honest and admit that I probably read this book too close to other similar type stories, such as, The Girl and the Sunbird: A beautiful, epic story of love, loss and hope, The Tea Planter's Daughter, and the The Planter's Bride to really appreciate the true gem that this story conveys. Although I felt invested enough in the story that I wanted to follow the characters to the end, I did also feel that the story was predictable in many places.
Thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 31, 2016
I buddy read this book with Erin, Stephanie, and Heather!
The Tea Planter's Wife is about a young woman named Gwen who arrives in Ceylon to start her new life as a married woman to a tea planter named Laurence who is a widower. But, before we get to met Gwen is there a prolog about a woman with a small child and I wondered what the woman would have for connections to the story.
Gwen meets on the ship Savi Ravisinghe and I was worried for a while that this would turn out to be a love-triangle, but the story thankfully never turned in that directions. However, Savi will have a role to play in the story.
As I stated above did I buddy read this with some friends of mine and that was an interesting experience with us discussed the chapters we had read once every week. But, somewhere along the way the story just didn't move forward at a pleasant pace and suddenly a break in reading and discussing the book happened and weeks passed and we just didn't read more. Then I decided that enough is enough, now I will finish the book.
So, I'm looking forward to seeing what my friends think about the rest of the books. For me, I was happy to get answers at last, but I still felt that the book story didn't really work for me and my biggest problem was that I never really cared for most of the characters in the book. Gwen just never become an interesting character, and I was constantly irritated by her attitude towards her sister-in-law Verity. And, at the same time, I found Verity highly annoying. So I was constantly frustrated with them both. And, then we have Laurence, Gwen's husband, and to be honest, he was quite dull and even the "mystery" with his dead wife felt a bit dull. The only characters I did like was Gwen's cousin Fran, but she was hardly in the book.
For me, this book just didn't work. It never really got surprising or engrossing enough to make me truly enjoy the book and the last part of the book I finished just because I had been reading the book so long that I wanted finally to get it off my reading list. I did like it enough to finish the book and I did enjoy part of the book. But, I think the book would have worked better if I had found the characters more likable or at least more interesting.
I want to thank The Crown Publishing Group for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss!
The Tea Planter's Wife is about a young woman named Gwen who arrives in Ceylon to start her new life as a married woman to a tea planter named Laurence who is a widower. But, before we get to met Gwen is there a prolog about a woman with a small child and I wondered what the woman would have for connections to the story.
Gwen meets on the ship Savi Ravisinghe and I was worried for a while that this would turn out to be a love-triangle, but the story thankfully never turned in that directions. However, Savi will have a role to play in the story.
As I stated above did I buddy read this with some friends of mine and that was an interesting experience with us discussed the chapters we had read once every week. But, somewhere along the way the story just didn't move forward at a pleasant pace and suddenly a break in reading and discussing the book happened and weeks passed and we just didn't read more. Then I decided that enough is enough, now I will finish the book.
So, I'm looking forward to seeing what my friends think about the rest of the books. For me, I was happy to get answers at last, but I still felt that the book story didn't really work for me and my biggest problem was that I never really cared for most of the characters in the book. Gwen just never become an interesting character, and I was constantly irritated by her attitude towards her sister-in-law Verity. And, at the same time, I found Verity highly annoying. So I was constantly frustrated with them both. And, then we have Laurence, Gwen's husband, and to be honest, he was quite dull and even the "mystery" with his dead wife felt a bit dull. The only characters I did like was Gwen's cousin Fran, but she was hardly in the book.
For me, this book just didn't work. It never really got surprising or engrossing enough to make me truly enjoy the book and the last part of the book I finished just because I had been reading the book so long that I wanted finally to get it off my reading list. I did like it enough to finish the book and I did enjoy part of the book. But, I think the book would have worked better if I had found the characters more likable or at least more interesting.
I want to thank The Crown Publishing Group for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss!
September 8, 2017
This book, by Dinah Jefferies, tells the story of a young, newly-married Gwen sailing from England to settle into her new home in British Colonial Ceylon. The story is so well told that its very easy to feel one is there within the story. Every sound, color, smell so vividly heard, seen, and tasted.
The Tea Planter's Wife is definitely a strong recommend from this reader.
The Tea Planter's Wife is definitely a strong recommend from this reader.
July 3, 2023
Gwen is the new bride of Laurence Hooper, the widowed owner of several tea plantations in Ceylon. He's very secretive about the death of his first wife, and Gwen is not allowed to talk with the workers in the tea fields. Gwen is also confused about Laurence's relationship with a beautiful American businesswoman. His devious, emotionally needy sister is not trustworthy. Eventually it is Gwen herself who is keeping information from Laurence that could possibly destroy their marriage.
The novel has lovely descriptions of Ceylon, and the processing of tea. The women's fashions help give an authentic feel to the 1925-1934 time period of the book. The story explores serious themes of racism, British colonialism, and working conditions woven into the main story line. There is friction between the native Sinhalese and the Tamil who were brought from India by the British to work on the plantations. While it's a light read on the surface, "The Tea Planter's Wife" also contains plenty of issues from colonial history. 3.5 stars.
The novel has lovely descriptions of Ceylon, and the processing of tea. The women's fashions help give an authentic feel to the 1925-1934 time period of the book. The story explores serious themes of racism, British colonialism, and working conditions woven into the main story line. There is friction between the native Sinhalese and the Tamil who were brought from India by the British to work on the plantations. While it's a light read on the surface, "The Tea Planter's Wife" also contains plenty of issues from colonial history. 3.5 stars.
August 29, 2015
When 19 year old newly wed Gwendolyn arrives in 1920's Ceylon to join her much older husband Laurence, the owner of a tea plantation, she is excited and looking forward to her new life. However, the reality is far from what she expected. Laurence seems to have changed towards her, he is no longer as loving and seems to be withdrawing from her; her youth and inexperience make her ill equipped to cope with him and the household responsibilities she is now expected to take on. She is unaccustomed to the people and their cultures and her natural sense of fairness brings her into conflict with others. The arrival of Laurence’s spoilt and spiteful sister, Verity, does not help matters and Gwen’s feelings of isolation are keenly felt.
This was such an evocative and atmospheric novel that I was captivated from the beginning and it really was a book that I didn't want to put down. The Ceylon landscape, the hustle and bustle of the city, its colours and its people are all vividly described and I really felt as if I were there, watching the story unfold. The different cultures and resentments, the political unrest, the racial prejudices – these all add an element of unease and danger to the story.
This is a beautifully written drama of jealousy, deception, devastating decisions and guilt that will impact on the lives of Gwen and Laurence and others around them, some parts were just heartbreaking. All the characters were so expertly drawn, especially Gwen, who had to quickly mature and find an inner strength. Other characters that stood out for me, were the mysterious but charming artist Savi Ravasinghe, the brash American banker Christina, and Verity – Laurence’s sister who refuses to relinquish her hold on her brother. I'm deliberately trying not to give away much of the story as it really is one that you need to read and enjoy for yourselves.
I really enjoyed Dinah's debut novel last year, 'The Separation'. I was very much looking forward to The Tea Planter's Wife, and I wasn't disappointed. When I finished the book, I had a distinct feeling of loss, which is quite unusual for me - I had been so caught up with the lives of these characters. I absolutely loved it and am certain it will be one of my top books of this year.
This was such an evocative and atmospheric novel that I was captivated from the beginning and it really was a book that I didn't want to put down. The Ceylon landscape, the hustle and bustle of the city, its colours and its people are all vividly described and I really felt as if I were there, watching the story unfold. The different cultures and resentments, the political unrest, the racial prejudices – these all add an element of unease and danger to the story.
This is a beautifully written drama of jealousy, deception, devastating decisions and guilt that will impact on the lives of Gwen and Laurence and others around them, some parts were just heartbreaking. All the characters were so expertly drawn, especially Gwen, who had to quickly mature and find an inner strength. Other characters that stood out for me, were the mysterious but charming artist Savi Ravasinghe, the brash American banker Christina, and Verity – Laurence’s sister who refuses to relinquish her hold on her brother. I'm deliberately trying not to give away much of the story as it really is one that you need to read and enjoy for yourselves.
I really enjoyed Dinah's debut novel last year, 'The Separation'. I was very much looking forward to The Tea Planter's Wife, and I wasn't disappointed. When I finished the book, I had a distinct feeling of loss, which is quite unusual for me - I had been so caught up with the lives of these characters. I absolutely loved it and am certain it will be one of my top books of this year.
March 31, 2019
Dinah Jefferies is a fab writer and I love the way she mixes historical events with relationships that don't go according to plan.
This one had me seriously wondering what could have happened for Gwen to have birthed the twins she did. It was heart-breaking on her mental anguish and the children, plus I haven't really got over the awful experience one of the children had.
I thought this book was an easy read with a very interesting plot and I was totally engrossed in the story from beginning to end.
This one had me seriously wondering what could have happened for Gwen to have birthed the twins she did. It was heart-breaking on her mental anguish and the children, plus I haven't really got over the awful experience one of the children had.
I thought this book was an easy read with a very interesting plot and I was totally engrossed in the story from beginning to end.
September 18, 2023
Foi uma boa surpresa, mais ainda porque o escolhi só pelo título sem saber nada da história ou da autora.
Sem ser nada de muito original, tendo mesmo alguns acontecimentos previsíveis, até para mim que sou lerda nessas coisas, a história foi bem composta e as pontas bem amarradinhas.
Daria um bom filme de sábado à tarde no inverno, com mantinha e gato. E chá, claro. 🫖
Sem ser nada de muito original, tendo mesmo alguns acontecimentos previsíveis, até para mim que sou lerda nessas coisas, a história foi bem composta e as pontas bem amarradinhas.
Daria um bom filme de sábado à tarde no inverno, com mantinha e gato. E chá, claro. 🫖
March 15, 2017
Realno brižnih 2.5
Dosadno.. :-/ Kao da gledam niskobudžetni tv film, ili neku od onih turskih serija. Joj! :-(
Dosadno.. :-/ Kao da gledam niskobudžetni tv film, ili neku od onih turskih serija. Joj! :-(
September 20, 2017
Bez obzira na onu staru mudrost da se „knjiga ne sudi po koricama“ u slučaju „Supruge vlasnika plantaže čaja“ upravo je naslovnica bila ta koja mi je „zapela za oko“ kada sam prvi puta vidjela najavu za ovu knjigu.. Onda sam brzo išla provjeriti što piše u sadržaju, čisto da budem sigurna da se ne radi o nekom tipičnom „ne podnosimo se, a onda shvatimo da se ludo volimo“ ljubiću koje ja baš i ne ljubim,🙈 iako sam nekako od prve imala osjećaj da je ova knjiga (puno) više od toga. I osjećaj me nije prevario…Ipak su tu godine čitalačkog iskustva pa se razvije onaj „osjećaj za filing“ kojim, vjerujem, svatko od nas može prilično brzo procijeniti da li se radi o knjizi koju želi čitati ili ne.
I tako da sam ja zaključila da želim pročitati ovu knjigu. Jako. Odmah sam vidjela da je u njoj sadržano puno toga što ja volim: volim kad me knjiga odvede u neku daleku, egzotičnu zemlju (u ovom slučaju, Ceylon) volim povijesne romane (a ovdje je, štoviše, bilo obuhvaćeno jedno od mojih omiljenih povijesnih razdoblja,'20-30'god. XX st.), volim čitati o ženskim sudbinama (što je, u stvari okosnica romana), a volim i obiteljske tajne (kojih ovdje ne nedostaje).
A kada mi je knjiga dospjela u ruke, prvo me privukla slika autorice, Dinah Jefferies, na koricama pa sam malo „bacila oko“ na, ono što smo nekad zvali- „bilješku o piscu“ (možda to još uvijek tako zovemo, ali više nije tako naslovljen taj dio, kako pamtim da je bio u mnogim knjigama moga djetinjstva). Kroz tih par rečenica odmah mi je bilo jasno da je Dinah osoba koja bi mi se svidjela; rođena je u Maleziji koju je napustila još kao mala, da bi kasnije, jedno vrijeme živjela u Toscani (bila je baby sitter kod talijanske grofice), a jedno je vrijeme, tijekom kojeg se bavila slikarstvom, provela s rock bendom u hippie komuni u Suffolku. Nažalost, kao i većini nas, i njezin je život obilježila tragedija; smrt četrnaestogodišnjeg sina za koju kaže da joj je promijenila sve u životu, ali je i ojačala te da upravo te emocije ljubavi i gubitka čest prenosi i u svoja djela. Danas, sa suprugom i psom, živi u idiličnom Glouchestershireu.
Nekako mi se ovaj uvod odužio pa bi bilo vrijeme da se ja „osvrnem“ na knjigu. „Supruga vlasnika plantaže čaja“, po meni ima jedna značaj „prijelaz“ tijekom radnje tj. čitanja. U prvom dijelu priča me podsjećala na kultni roman „Rebecca“, Daphne du Maurier prema kojemu je Hitchcock, 1940.g. snimio istoimeni film koje je te godine dobio Oscara za najbolji film i najbolju fotografiju ( i bio nominiran u još „brdo“ drugih, važnih, kategorija).
I u ovoj knjizi, kao i u Rebecci, imamo devetnaestogodišnju Gwendolyn (za prijateje- Gwen 😁 ), „drugu“ suprugu koja dolazi u kućanstvo supruga, tj. u ovom slučaju, na prekrasnu plantažu čaja na Ceylonu gdje je očekuje, ne baš ugodna, atmosfera; tu je njezina šogorica Verity, previše vezana uz svog brata i izrazito nesklona njegovoj novoj supruzi; posluga, uglavnom sastavljena od lokalnog stanovništva; stara domaćica/dadilja Navenna koja zna puno obiteljskih tajni, ali ništa ne otkriva te, naravno, aura misterije koja obavija smrt prve supruge. Uz sve nabrojano, još se i novopečeni suprug, dotad nježan i pažljiv, jako promijenio i udaljio od Gwen čim su se vratili na plantažu.
To bi bile poveznice s kultnom knjigom Daphne du Maurier jer ubrzo se događa onaj „prijelaz“ koji sam spomenula pri početku, a sastoji se u tome što, tijekom svog truda da se pokuša uklopiti u novu sredinu i, usput, saznati što više o svojoj prethodnici i njezinoj smrti, Gwen se i sama nađe sa svojom vlastitom tajnom zbog koje se mora nezamislivo žrtvovati i koju mora čuvati pod svaku cijenu; skoro i vlastitog života, u trenucima kada joj se stanje psihe odrazi i na zdravlje.
U doba u kojem se odvija radnja, Ceylon (današnja Šri Lanka) bio je kolonija Velike Britanije u kojoj je „šačica“ britanske elite, uglavnom plantažera, uživala u luksuzu i raskoši svojih imanja, dok je lokalno stanovništvo jedva preživljavalo radeći na plantažama (u jako lošim uvjetima, uz okrutne kazne, često bez ikakve medicinske pomoći) ili kao kućna posluga. Pravila su strogo određena; nema kontakata s mještanima, oni znaju „gdje im je mjesto“ iako, već '40.god. sve je više nemira, rasplamsava se borba za neovisnost te Englezi počinju shvaćati da se stvari mijenjaju i da dolazi novo doba kojemu se moraju (čim prije) početi prilagođavati.
Uz ovu „glavnu priču“ o Gwen i njezinom životu na Ceylonu, Dinah Jefferies provlači i dio povijesti te zemlje; prikazuje nam tadašnju svakodnevicu, djelomično i političku situaciju, početke rasnih nemira između lokanog stanovništva, kao i sve veći otpor prema kolonizatorima, a sve to skupa daje jednu ozbiljniju, sociološko- kulturnu notu cijeloj priči pa je zato sve skupa još zanimljivije.
No, bez obzira na priču (o kojoj sad, nadam se, imate ideju) ja sam najviše uživala u atmosferi '20-'30god; bilo je to doba, tkvz. „flapper time“ koje se opisuje u dijelovima romana; pojava džeza, čarlstona, brzih ritmova, „hrabrijih“, slobodnijih žena koje plešu u svojim kratkim haljinama s resama što je bilo prilično šokantno za tradicionalne stavove i ljude navikle na točno određene „uloge“ žena. Napredak tog vremena osjeća se i u promjenama u radu kolonijalnih plantaža, sve je to autorica „provukla“ kroz priču tako da vam je ovo jedno opuštajuće, a ujedno i štivo koje vas možda, može, nečemu i poučiti.
Mogu zaključiti da sam od ove knjige dobila čak i više od očekivanoga, možda ćete i vi… Naravno, ako se odlučiti na čitanje. A ne bi vam bilo loše malo „boraviti“ na egzotičnom Ceylonu dok je oko nas ovako sivo i kišno. 😉
I tako da sam ja zaključila da želim pročitati ovu knjigu. Jako. Odmah sam vidjela da je u njoj sadržano puno toga što ja volim: volim kad me knjiga odvede u neku daleku, egzotičnu zemlju (u ovom slučaju, Ceylon) volim povijesne romane (a ovdje je, štoviše, bilo obuhvaćeno jedno od mojih omiljenih povijesnih razdoblja,'20-30'god. XX st.), volim čitati o ženskim sudbinama (što je, u stvari okosnica romana), a volim i obiteljske tajne (kojih ovdje ne nedostaje).
A kada mi je knjiga dospjela u ruke, prvo me privukla slika autorice, Dinah Jefferies, na koricama pa sam malo „bacila oko“ na, ono što smo nekad zvali- „bilješku o piscu“ (možda to još uvijek tako zovemo, ali više nije tako naslovljen taj dio, kako pamtim da je bio u mnogim knjigama moga djetinjstva). Kroz tih par rečenica odmah mi je bilo jasno da je Dinah osoba koja bi mi se svidjela; rođena je u Maleziji koju je napustila još kao mala, da bi kasnije, jedno vrijeme živjela u Toscani (bila je baby sitter kod talijanske grofice), a jedno je vrijeme, tijekom kojeg se bavila slikarstvom, provela s rock bendom u hippie komuni u Suffolku. Nažalost, kao i većini nas, i njezin je život obilježila tragedija; smrt četrnaestogodišnjeg sina za koju kaže da joj je promijenila sve u životu, ali je i ojačala te da upravo te emocije ljubavi i gubitka čest prenosi i u svoja djela. Danas, sa suprugom i psom, živi u idiličnom Glouchestershireu.
Nekako mi se ovaj uvod odužio pa bi bilo vrijeme da se ja „osvrnem“ na knjigu. „Supruga vlasnika plantaže čaja“, po meni ima jedna značaj „prijelaz“ tijekom radnje tj. čitanja. U prvom dijelu priča me podsjećala na kultni roman „Rebecca“, Daphne du Maurier prema kojemu je Hitchcock, 1940.g. snimio istoimeni film koje je te godine dobio Oscara za najbolji film i najbolju fotografiju ( i bio nominiran u još „brdo“ drugih, važnih, kategorija).
I u ovoj knjizi, kao i u Rebecci, imamo devetnaestogodišnju Gwendolyn (za prijateje- Gwen 😁 ), „drugu“ suprugu koja dolazi u kućanstvo supruga, tj. u ovom slučaju, na prekrasnu plantažu čaja na Ceylonu gdje je očekuje, ne baš ugodna, atmosfera; tu je njezina šogorica Verity, previše vezana uz svog brata i izrazito nesklona njegovoj novoj supruzi; posluga, uglavnom sastavljena od lokalnog stanovništva; stara domaćica/dadilja Navenna koja zna puno obiteljskih tajni, ali ništa ne otkriva te, naravno, aura misterije koja obavija smrt prve supruge. Uz sve nabrojano, još se i novopečeni suprug, dotad nježan i pažljiv, jako promijenio i udaljio od Gwen čim su se vratili na plantažu.
To bi bile poveznice s kultnom knjigom Daphne du Maurier jer ubrzo se događa onaj „prijelaz“ koji sam spomenula pri početku, a sastoji se u tome što, tijekom svog truda da se pokuša uklopiti u novu sredinu i, usput, saznati što više o svojoj prethodnici i njezinoj smrti, Gwen se i sama nađe sa svojom vlastitom tajnom zbog koje se mora nezamislivo žrtvovati i koju mora čuvati pod svaku cijenu; skoro i vlastitog života, u trenucima kada joj se stanje psihe odrazi i na zdravlje.
U doba u kojem se odvija radnja, Ceylon (današnja Šri Lanka) bio je kolonija Velike Britanije u kojoj je „šačica“ britanske elite, uglavnom plantažera, uživala u luksuzu i raskoši svojih imanja, dok je lokalno stanovništvo jedva preživljavalo radeći na plantažama (u jako lošim uvjetima, uz okrutne kazne, često bez ikakve medicinske pomoći) ili kao kućna posluga. Pravila su strogo određena; nema kontakata s mještanima, oni znaju „gdje im je mjesto“ iako, već '40.god. sve je više nemira, rasplamsava se borba za neovisnost te Englezi počinju shvaćati da se stvari mijenjaju i da dolazi novo doba kojemu se moraju (čim prije) početi prilagođavati.
Uz ovu „glavnu priču“ o Gwen i njezinom životu na Ceylonu, Dinah Jefferies provlači i dio povijesti te zemlje; prikazuje nam tadašnju svakodnevicu, djelomično i političku situaciju, početke rasnih nemira između lokanog stanovništva, kao i sve veći otpor prema kolonizatorima, a sve to skupa daje jednu ozbiljniju, sociološko- kulturnu notu cijeloj priči pa je zato sve skupa još zanimljivije.
No, bez obzira na priču (o kojoj sad, nadam se, imate ideju) ja sam najviše uživala u atmosferi '20-'30god; bilo je to doba, tkvz. „flapper time“ koje se opisuje u dijelovima romana; pojava džeza, čarlstona, brzih ritmova, „hrabrijih“, slobodnijih žena koje plešu u svojim kratkim haljinama s resama što je bilo prilično šokantno za tradicionalne stavove i ljude navikle na točno određene „uloge“ žena. Napredak tog vremena osjeća se i u promjenama u radu kolonijalnih plantaža, sve je to autorica „provukla“ kroz priču tako da vam je ovo jedno opuštajuće, a ujedno i štivo koje vas možda, može, nečemu i poučiti.
Mogu zaključiti da sam od ove knjige dobila čak i više od očekivanoga, možda ćete i vi… Naravno, ako se odlučiti na čitanje. A ne bi vam bilo loše malo „boraviti“ na egzotičnom Ceylonu dok je oko nas ovako sivo i kišno. 😉
July 13, 2016
*Thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley, for the advance copy of The Tea Planter's Wife. It's expected publication date is September 12, 2016 in North America. Reserve your copy!
Dinah Jeffries takes us on a journey to Ceylon, once a British Protectorate and home to the English who travelled the seas to find their fortune on large tea plantations, coddled by Indian waitstaff in luxurious surroundings, served by a huge cheap labour force in their fields and drying rooms but often caught precariously isolated in the beautiful rural surroundings with few other Europeans for support.
It is into this highly atmospheric setting that the newly wedded naïve, gorgeous violet-eyed Gwen Hooper joins her handsome husband Laurence, giddy with love and aching to bed the man whose body gave her so much pleasure during their short wedded month in England. The customs followed by her husband and his sister Verity and intractable rules of Nick MacGregor, the plantation manager are puzzling, but with no context to go on Gwen tries to quietly adjust her sometimes perceived interfering behaviour. In 1925, ladylike decorum is expected of a good wife and that includes not questioning her husband's decisions.
Befriending Laurence's former ayeh is not to be considered. Gwen begins to realize that there is a strict racial divide between the British Colonists, the Indian Tamils who are indentured servants and the citizens of Ceylon, the Sinhalese. Coloured and Whites are not meant to mix; treatment available is vastly different and the ruling British population have a standard of respect which only includes themselves.
The Tea Planter's Wife has an almost gothic aura, with its secrets around the death of Laurence's first wife, the truly nasty personality of the snide Verity, the mysterious ayah Naveena, the chic but predatory ex-mistress Christina Bradshaw and the smoothly charming artist Ravi Ravasinghe. On the plantation there is a sense of perpetual foreboding, the lush property rife with snakes and entangling branches, unusual odours, restless natives, stories of political uprisings and social outings which simmer with heat, luxurious wardrobes, outrageous quantities of alchoholic beverages, and steamy flirtation. For the couple, a happy birth is expected but Gwen is forced to deliver under unusual circumstances... Will the truth ever emerge? 1929 brings the stock market crash in America, changing markets, duress.
The attitudes of the times and place are very well depicted, and are representative of a less-than-favourable period of racism in the history of British Colonialism. E. M. Forster famously wrote "A Passage to India", in 1924, which featured the dangers of innocent friendship between an Indian and Briton, which "The Tea Planter's Wife" reflects. Significant to the era, in contrast to modern times, are the lack of openness between husband and wife, the poor communication and the very fixed gender roles. These propel the story in dramatic ways, heightening the emotions and complexity of the very well-drawn characters.
Ultimately, "The Tea Planters Wife" is a love story set in an exotic place, a period piece that acknowledges the damage of racist policies in British Ceylon nearly a century ago. Importantly the novel also confirms that, as it did for our Gwen and Laurence in the end, the grace of understanding and acceptance blossom when truth and love are allowed to come first.
Dinah Jeffries takes us on a journey to Ceylon, once a British Protectorate and home to the English who travelled the seas to find their fortune on large tea plantations, coddled by Indian waitstaff in luxurious surroundings, served by a huge cheap labour force in their fields and drying rooms but often caught precariously isolated in the beautiful rural surroundings with few other Europeans for support.
It is into this highly atmospheric setting that the newly wedded naïve, gorgeous violet-eyed Gwen Hooper joins her handsome husband Laurence, giddy with love and aching to bed the man whose body gave her so much pleasure during their short wedded month in England. The customs followed by her husband and his sister Verity and intractable rules of Nick MacGregor, the plantation manager are puzzling, but with no context to go on Gwen tries to quietly adjust her sometimes perceived interfering behaviour. In 1925, ladylike decorum is expected of a good wife and that includes not questioning her husband's decisions.
Befriending Laurence's former ayeh is not to be considered. Gwen begins to realize that there is a strict racial divide between the British Colonists, the Indian Tamils who are indentured servants and the citizens of Ceylon, the Sinhalese. Coloured and Whites are not meant to mix; treatment available is vastly different and the ruling British population have a standard of respect which only includes themselves.
The Tea Planter's Wife has an almost gothic aura, with its secrets around the death of Laurence's first wife, the truly nasty personality of the snide Verity, the mysterious ayah Naveena, the chic but predatory ex-mistress Christina Bradshaw and the smoothly charming artist Ravi Ravasinghe. On the plantation there is a sense of perpetual foreboding, the lush property rife with snakes and entangling branches, unusual odours, restless natives, stories of political uprisings and social outings which simmer with heat, luxurious wardrobes, outrageous quantities of alchoholic beverages, and steamy flirtation. For the couple, a happy birth is expected but Gwen is forced to deliver under unusual circumstances... Will the truth ever emerge? 1929 brings the stock market crash in America, changing markets, duress.
The attitudes of the times and place are very well depicted, and are representative of a less-than-favourable period of racism in the history of British Colonialism. E. M. Forster famously wrote "A Passage to India", in 1924, which featured the dangers of innocent friendship between an Indian and Briton, which "The Tea Planter's Wife" reflects. Significant to the era, in contrast to modern times, are the lack of openness between husband and wife, the poor communication and the very fixed gender roles. These propel the story in dramatic ways, heightening the emotions and complexity of the very well-drawn characters.
Ultimately, "The Tea Planters Wife" is a love story set in an exotic place, a period piece that acknowledges the damage of racist policies in British Ceylon nearly a century ago. Importantly the novel also confirms that, as it did for our Gwen and Laurence in the end, the grace of understanding and acceptance blossom when truth and love are allowed to come first.
August 26, 2017
The cover drew me in. The storyline kept me reading, and the setting, made me want to pack my bags. The characters were richly described and as I said before, the setting was lush and amazing. I found the story a little long winded on occasion but then I would get caught up in the locale.
The historic value was great and it shared the story of a life I knew nothing about. I think it told a beautiful story that captured the heart of the characters and their life. Dinah Jefferies did a wonderful job of taking me from Kentucky to Sri Lanka. With so much intrigue and secrets, it was one of those books that you thought about when you weren't reading. I was provided a copy of this book from the publishers and Blogging for Books.
The historic value was great and it shared the story of a life I knew nothing about. I think it told a beautiful story that captured the heart of the characters and their life. Dinah Jefferies did a wonderful job of taking me from Kentucky to Sri Lanka. With so much intrigue and secrets, it was one of those books that you thought about when you weren't reading. I was provided a copy of this book from the publishers and Blogging for Books.
July 26, 2016
Nineteen year old Gwendoline sets out for Ceylon to meet up with her new husband. She initially finds him very different to what he had been in London. She struggles to deal with the changes, as well as the different culture and attitudes towards Sinhalese and Tamil people. Never having been to this part of the world, I particularly enjoyed the setting of Ceylon and the insights into life on a tea plantation and the making of tea. The novel also covers the difficulties and problems of different races and the treatment racist attitudes reveal.
Gwen finds herself surrounded by secrets. Ultimately she has one of her own that almost destroys her and her marriage. While I enjoyed aspects of the story I struggled to relate to Gwen and the choices she makes and I think that coloured my view of the book as a whole. Apart from feeling angry at times at the treatment meted out to some characters, for me it remained a story and one where I was not emotionally invested in the main characters. Liked it without loving it.
Gwen finds herself surrounded by secrets. Ultimately she has one of her own that almost destroys her and her marriage. While I enjoyed aspects of the story I struggled to relate to Gwen and the choices she makes and I think that coloured my view of the book as a whole. Apart from feeling angry at times at the treatment meted out to some characters, for me it remained a story and one where I was not emotionally invested in the main characters. Liked it without loving it.
November 1, 2015
Struggling to finish this trite, stereotyped book. How has it got to be a best seller!!!
January 7, 2020
Nežinau, ar būčiau skaičiusi šią knygą, jei nebūčiau mačiusi tiek daug susidomėjimo ja, apžvalgų Goodreads'e ir daug postų apie ją tarp skaitančių pažystamų. Buvo įdomu, kuo ji tokia gera? Perskaičiau. Įtraukė, nors ir nebuvo pati geriausia mano perskaityta knyga. Puikiai tinkanti tiems, kurie pasiilgo dramų, slogių istorijų, šeimos paslapčių, ar mėgstantiems knygas su vaizdingais tolimų šalių aprašymais, kai atrodo, tiesiog jauti, matai ir užuodi aprašomą gamtovaizdį.
Knyga nukelia mus į spalvingąjį Ceiloną, kur gyventi atkeliauja Gvendolina. Neseniai ištekėjusi už turtingo našlio, arbatos plantatoriaus, ji bando pradėti naują gyvenimą svetimoje šalyje. Kad nebūtų nuobodu, su nauja pradžia į jos gyvenimą atkeliauja ir nejaučianti jai palankumo vyro sesuo Veritė ir buvusi jo meilužė Kristina. Viską pataiso tik Gvendolinos nėštumas. Kai atrodo, kad viskas stoja į vėžias ir gyvens jie ilgai ir laimingai, viskas, žinoma, vėl pasikeičia.. Iš kart po gimdymo Gven turi priimti sprendimą, kuris pakeis ne tik jos, bet ir aplinkinių gyvenimus.
Daug dramos, daug paslapčių, daug pagrindinės herojės naivumo. Skaitydama nesuvokiau, kaip galima priimti tokį sprendimą, įsivaizdavau, kad man pačiai turbūt plyštų širdis. Tačiau sąlyginai laimingos pabaigos jie vistiek sulaukia.
Patiko knygoje esantys Ceilono aprašymai. Įsivaizdavau tuos žalius arbatos lapelius ir vasaros kaitrą.
Puikiai vasaros atostogoms tinkama knyga. Arba niūriems vakarams, kai norisi nubraukti vieną kitą ašarą.
Knyga nukelia mus į spalvingąjį Ceiloną, kur gyventi atkeliauja Gvendolina. Neseniai ištekėjusi už turtingo našlio, arbatos plantatoriaus, ji bando pradėti naują gyvenimą svetimoje šalyje. Kad nebūtų nuobodu, su nauja pradžia į jos gyvenimą atkeliauja ir nejaučianti jai palankumo vyro sesuo Veritė ir buvusi jo meilužė Kristina. Viską pataiso tik Gvendolinos nėštumas. Kai atrodo, kad viskas stoja į vėžias ir gyvens jie ilgai ir laimingai, viskas, žinoma, vėl pasikeičia.. Iš kart po gimdymo Gven turi priimti sprendimą, kuris pakeis ne tik jos, bet ir aplinkinių gyvenimus.
Daug dramos, daug paslapčių, daug pagrindinės herojės naivumo. Skaitydama nesuvokiau, kaip galima priimti tokį sprendimą, įsivaizdavau, kad man pačiai turbūt plyštų širdis. Tačiau sąlyginai laimingos pabaigos jie vistiek sulaukia.
Patiko knygoje esantys Ceilono aprašymai. Įsivaizdavau tuos žalius arbatos lapelius ir vasaros kaitrą.
Puikiai vasaros atostogoms tinkama knyga. Arba niūriems vakarams, kai norisi nubraukti vieną kitą ašarą.
January 16, 2024
Trebuie sa spun inca de la inceput ca aceasta poveste m-a tinut treaza toata noaptea... N-am inchis un ochi... dar a meritat 😄
Povestea este foarte frumoasa, scriitura este curata si lecturand m-am simtit ca si cand as fi trait acolo si as fi fost un spectator la toata actiunea romanului. (Am avut parte de un super film.)
Am recunoscut in acest roman cateva similitudini cu o alta carte citita, ce mi-a placut la fel de mult- "Palmeras en las nieves", doar ca acolo erau plantatii de cafea si bumbac, iar aici de ceai.
Autoarea ne conduce intr-o calatorie spre Ceylon (Sri Lanka de azi), unde cateva colonii engleze, detin plantatii mari de ceai, pe care lucreaza indieni bastinasi.
Aici tanara Gwen, descopera cum separarea rasiala dintre britanici si indieni este precum o prapastie ce nu ar avea cum sa-si uneasca marginile niciodata.
Totodata, ea realizeaza ca barbatul de care era atat de indragostita in Anglia si cu care se casatorise din dragoste, aici in Ceylon, este mai putin atent la ea si uneori chiar o persoana total diferita.
Cu el plecat toata ziua ea incearca sa inteleaga cum decurg lucrurile la ferma si de ce exista atat de multe diferente sociale. In momentul in care ramane si insarcinata, lucrurile se complica, autoarea reusind sa-mi dea palpitatii.
Sotia plantatorului de ceai este o poveste de dragoste, ce se desfasoara pe un taram exotic, dar in acelasi timp este si un manifest adus politicilor rasiste, chiar daca aceste lucruri s-au intamplat in urma cu aproape un secol.
Romanul confirma faptul ca uneori intr-o relatie, adevarul si iubirea trebuie sa fie mereu pe primul loc.
5 stele și direct în raftul de favorite ajunge 🤩
Povestea este foarte frumoasa, scriitura este curata si lecturand m-am simtit ca si cand as fi trait acolo si as fi fost un spectator la toata actiunea romanului. (Am avut parte de un super film.)
Am recunoscut in acest roman cateva similitudini cu o alta carte citita, ce mi-a placut la fel de mult- "Palmeras en las nieves", doar ca acolo erau plantatii de cafea si bumbac, iar aici de ceai.
Autoarea ne conduce intr-o calatorie spre Ceylon (Sri Lanka de azi), unde cateva colonii engleze, detin plantatii mari de ceai, pe care lucreaza indieni bastinasi.
Aici tanara Gwen, descopera cum separarea rasiala dintre britanici si indieni este precum o prapastie ce nu ar avea cum sa-si uneasca marginile niciodata.
Totodata, ea realizeaza ca barbatul de care era atat de indragostita in Anglia si cu care se casatorise din dragoste, aici in Ceylon, este mai putin atent la ea si uneori chiar o persoana total diferita.
Cu el plecat toata ziua ea incearca sa inteleaga cum decurg lucrurile la ferma si de ce exista atat de multe diferente sociale. In momentul in care ramane si insarcinata, lucrurile se complica, autoarea reusind sa-mi dea palpitatii.
Sotia plantatorului de ceai este o poveste de dragoste, ce se desfasoara pe un taram exotic, dar in acelasi timp este si un manifest adus politicilor rasiste, chiar daca aceste lucruri s-au intamplat in urma cu aproape un secol.
Romanul confirma faptul ca uneori intr-o relatie, adevarul si iubirea trebuie sa fie mereu pe primul loc.
5 stele și direct în raftul de favorite ajunge 🤩
February 4, 2016
I can see this as a BBC mini-series: a great costume drama in a sumptuous colonial setting; wealthy landowners exploiting the over-worked poor; racial tensions between the latter; a multi-way romantic plot, including wicked sister and tragic loss. But the original book will disappoint.
I found myself predicting the major plot features quite early in the book, right down to the final reveal. I even told friends "if x happens then I will throw the book away". It did, but I carried on to see just how awfully it would continue. The narrative's repeated structure of half-telling you something, then suddenly revealing the 'secret' was irritating, and some clumsy editing had you wondering where characters had appeared from (Pru at the picnic), or disappeared to (a houseful of party guests), or why it had been included (cutting out a mystery magazine article - presumably the same one referred to later as being read by others, but no confirmation it was the same one).
The use of adjectives was a little wanting eg: "a lovely shade of deep violet" (lovely?).
The author made a stab at the complex politics where, again, poor editing results in unnecessary repetition. The poverty of the local workers was just window dressing for the main character's angst to "help", which was no more than noblesse oblige trumped by old men set in their ways, colonial racism and the oppression of privileged white women who could assuage their guilt with shopping. To reflect on the lives of servants & workers & the impact of the "help" when given is the real tragedy of this book.
I found myself predicting the major plot features quite early in the book, right down to the final reveal. I even told friends "if x happens then I will throw the book away". It did, but I carried on to see just how awfully it would continue. The narrative's repeated structure of half-telling you something, then suddenly revealing the 'secret' was irritating, and some clumsy editing had you wondering where characters had appeared from (Pru at the picnic), or disappeared to (a houseful of party guests), or why it had been included (cutting out a mystery magazine article - presumably the same one referred to later as being read by others, but no confirmation it was the same one).
The use of adjectives was a little wanting eg: "a lovely shade of deep violet" (lovely?).
The author made a stab at the complex politics where, again, poor editing results in unnecessary repetition. The poverty of the local workers was just window dressing for the main character's angst to "help", which was no more than noblesse oblige trumped by old men set in their ways, colonial racism and the oppression of privileged white women who could assuage their guilt with shopping. To reflect on the lives of servants & workers & the impact of the "help" when given is the real tragedy of this book.
September 11, 2015
I really enjoyed this story and its beautiful exotic setting. I also loved having a little of the basic background behind how the tensions between the majority Sinhalese and the minority Tamils developed and later (after the book has finished) escalated into the civil war that lasted for many years. THE TEA PLANTER'S WIFE is set between the two world wars and is told from the point of view of Gwen – the tea planter’s young wife. When she arrives she is in her late teens and so in love with her husband, an older widower. However the wonderful person she married back in England is less attentive in Ceylon, almost a different person. With him gone all day Gwen has to work out the intricate social system between the white owners, the local Sinhalese and the Tamil workers. Social divisions, different customs, inexplicable expected acceptable behaviour that Gwen can’t understand means she keeps getting into trouble when she crosses them. Everyone thinks they know better than Gwen – but she reacts to what her heart is telling her – not what people tell her, determined to do what is right rather than what is expected. Then she falls pregnant and everything changes and Gwen has to fight to keep her sanity and keep her marriage together.
THE TEA PLANTER'S WIFE is a gripping story as it covers the topics of deceit, family secrets, violence to workers, grief and racism. The anguish that Gwen goes through tugs at the heartstrings but in the end it gives her the strength to do what has to be done. I did guess the family secret earlier on in the story but still enjoyed how the author worked her way to the big reveal. The different characters are well drawn and come alive on the pages – Savi a coloured artist; Gwen’s sister-in-law Verity; the other woman Christina, and the mysterious first wife Caroline who is dead but influences the story. These characters all interact to produce a story that has smouldering tension and a fast moving plot. I was sucked into the exotic world and not let go until the last page. I highly recommend this book. She has written a book previously called THE SEPARATION set in Malaysia in the 1950s which I will certainly be looking up.
April 1, 2016
Wow! This was a remarkable novel. It's only right that it holds such a high rating on GoodReads, and is a number one Sunday times bestseller. I absolutely loved it from start to finish.
Young newlywed Gwendoline is off to join her older husband, Laurence, on the plantation he runs in Sri Lanka, a country renowned for its strong teas. Having lived a life of relative comfort, Gwen is soon comfortable in the large home with servants available to care for her every need. However, she feels uneasy at her husbands reluctance to spend time with her and in particular, being observed by her eagle eyed sister in law.
Gwen soon discovers secrets hidden within the plantation grounds, but is soon distracted by her own pregnancy, which brings its own challenges. Suddenly, young Gwen is the one who has a secret to keep.
I adored the writing style and felt completely at ease with the writers descriptions of the country, the heat, the food and the culture. Jefferies paid close attention to the divide between the rich white families who ran such plantations in the twenties and thirties, and the coloured workers who served them. I feel the author covered this aspect sympathetically.
The storyline had me gripped from page one. I was actually hoping the book wouldn't end, and found myself thinking of Gwen and her troubles even when I wasn't actively reading.
A pretty much faultless novel; I look forward to reading the authors next book.
Young newlywed Gwendoline is off to join her older husband, Laurence, on the plantation he runs in Sri Lanka, a country renowned for its strong teas. Having lived a life of relative comfort, Gwen is soon comfortable in the large home with servants available to care for her every need. However, she feels uneasy at her husbands reluctance to spend time with her and in particular, being observed by her eagle eyed sister in law.
Gwen soon discovers secrets hidden within the plantation grounds, but is soon distracted by her own pregnancy, which brings its own challenges. Suddenly, young Gwen is the one who has a secret to keep.
I adored the writing style and felt completely at ease with the writers descriptions of the country, the heat, the food and the culture. Jefferies paid close attention to the divide between the rich white families who ran such plantations in the twenties and thirties, and the coloured workers who served them. I feel the author covered this aspect sympathetically.
The storyline had me gripped from page one. I was actually hoping the book wouldn't end, and found myself thinking of Gwen and her troubles even when I wasn't actively reading.
A pretty much faultless novel; I look forward to reading the authors next book.
September 1, 2016
3.5 stars
This is the story of a nineteen year old girl, Gwen, who travels to her new husband's, Laurence, tea plantation in Ceylon in 1925. She settles into a new life in a new country with only a few bumps. The setting is beautifully brought alive by the author and you can close your eyes and see the vivid landscape. The tea plantation is also brought to life and the process of making tea is actually quite fascinating.
Still Ceylon is a colony so there's conflicts with the natives and the workers. The house servants are Sinhalese, local natives. The plantations workers are Tamil, from India. They do not get along and both groups want independence from England. The tensions are high. I love that various plantation owners can not understand that since "they are taken care of". Really? Laurence does try to provide more and has even opened a school for the workers.
Laurence's sister, Verity, shows up and throws a monkey wrench into the work. She is a very unpleasant woman who does incredibly mean things. Gwen gets pregnant and it is the birth that changes their lives for ever. It is really an unique situation that I never had heard of before this.
It's a story of a marriage living in difficult times. They make it through the Depression and civil unrest. It's also a lovely story about Ceylon.
s
This is the story of a nineteen year old girl, Gwen, who travels to her new husband's, Laurence, tea plantation in Ceylon in 1925. She settles into a new life in a new country with only a few bumps. The setting is beautifully brought alive by the author and you can close your eyes and see the vivid landscape. The tea plantation is also brought to life and the process of making tea is actually quite fascinating.
Still Ceylon is a colony so there's conflicts with the natives and the workers. The house servants are Sinhalese, local natives. The plantations workers are Tamil, from India. They do not get along and both groups want independence from England. The tensions are high. I love that various plantation owners can not understand that since "they are taken care of". Really? Laurence does try to provide more and has even opened a school for the workers.
Laurence's sister, Verity, shows up and throws a monkey wrench into the work. She is a very unpleasant woman who does incredibly mean things. Gwen gets pregnant and it is the birth that changes their lives for ever. It is really an unique situation that I never had heard of before this.
It's a story of a marriage living in difficult times. They make it through the Depression and civil unrest. It's also a lovely story about Ceylon.
s
August 29, 2019
Minunată, captivantă și delicioasă!
"- Toate familiile au secrete de un fel sau altul, nu?"
"Mai sunt și alte secrete de familie? întrebă ea.
Doctorul ridică din umeri.
- Cine știe, Gwen? Mai ales când e vorba de relațiile umane."
"Nimic nu era ușor când deveneai atât de mare."
"- Nașterea le afectează pe unele femei foarte mult. Unele își revin. Altele nu."
"- Haide, lasă-l, doar e ziua lui, interveni Verity. Tuturor ar trebui să li se facă pe plac de ziua lor de naștere."
"Gwen știa foarte bine cât de rău te poate măcina vinovăția, cât de tare se lipește de tine, invizibilă la început, dar devenind tot mai puternică până când capătă o viață proprie."
"- Uneori, evenimentele scapă de sub control în feluri pe care nu le putem prevedea. Nu e cazul să dăm vina pe cineva anume, dar trebuie să înțelegem că și cea mai mică lipsă de rațiune poate determina lucruri îngrozitoare."
"- Toate familiile au secrete de un fel sau altul, nu?"
"Mai sunt și alte secrete de familie? întrebă ea.
Doctorul ridică din umeri.
- Cine știe, Gwen? Mai ales când e vorba de relațiile umane."
"Nimic nu era ușor când deveneai atât de mare."
"- Nașterea le afectează pe unele femei foarte mult. Unele își revin. Altele nu."
"- Haide, lasă-l, doar e ziua lui, interveni Verity. Tuturor ar trebui să li se facă pe plac de ziua lor de naștere."
"Gwen știa foarte bine cât de rău te poate măcina vinovăția, cât de tare se lipește de tine, invizibilă la început, dar devenind tot mai puternică până când capătă o viață proprie."
"- Uneori, evenimentele scapă de sub control în feluri pe care nu le putem prevedea. Nu e cazul să dăm vina pe cineva anume, dar trebuie să înțelegem că și cea mai mică lipsă de rațiune poate determina lucruri îngrozitoare."
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