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The Sapphire Widow
A sweeping, breath-taking story of love and betrayal from the Number One Sunday Times bestselling author of The Tea Planter's Wife.
Ceylon, 1935. Louisa Reeve, the daughter of a successful British gem trader, and her husband Elliot, a charming, thrill-seeking businessman, seem like the couple who have it all. Except what they long for more than anything: a child.
While Louisa struggles with miscarriages, Elliot is increasingly absent, spending much of his time at a nearby cinnamon plantation, overlooking the Indian ocean. After his sudden death, Louisa is left alone to solve the mystery he left behind. Revisiting the plantation at Cinnamon Hills, she finds herself unexpectedly drawn towards the owner Leo, a rugged outdoors man with a chequered past. The plantation casts a spell, but all is not as it seems. And when Elliot's shocking betrayal is revealed, Louisa has only Leo to turn to...
Ceylon, 1935. Louisa Reeve, the daughter of a successful British gem trader, and her husband Elliot, a charming, thrill-seeking businessman, seem like the couple who have it all. Except what they long for more than anything: a child.
While Louisa struggles with miscarriages, Elliot is increasingly absent, spending much of his time at a nearby cinnamon plantation, overlooking the Indian ocean. After his sudden death, Louisa is left alone to solve the mystery he left behind. Revisiting the plantation at Cinnamon Hills, she finds herself unexpectedly drawn towards the owner Leo, a rugged outdoors man with a chequered past. The plantation casts a spell, but all is not as it seems. And when Elliot's shocking betrayal is revealed, Louisa has only Leo to turn to...
365 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 22, 2018
738 people are currently reading
6006 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 535 reviews
July 9, 2018
The best thing about this latest book by Jefferies is the time and setting: 1935 Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). The author does a very good job of describing the country's flora and fauna, weather, geography, food, etc., so you can almost picture the place in your mind. In addition, we have the opportunity here to meet up again with Gwen and Laurence Hooper, main characters of THE TEA PLANTER'S WIFE, who make cameo appearances here. Gwen, actually, makes extensive cameos, enough to be considered a secondary character in this book.
However, neither characters nor plot nor dialogue interested me much. There's such a lack of depth to the people and the story, and I found the dialogue often to be awkwardly written. Even when the author is trying to have the characters interact meaningfully, mostly what they do is spout platitudes to each other, superficial psychobabble, or just boring vapidity. It was hard to like anyone or care about their fates since they were about as dimensional as paper dolls.
As for the plot, it centers around Louisa Reeve, the "Sapphire Widow" of the book's title. In 1935 she has been married for more than a decade to dashing, charming, handsome Elliot. They have tried for a family for years with tragic results: miscarriages and a stillbirth. Elliot has become a sometimes distant, often absent husband and Louisa enables him by not calling him on his behavior, and, in addition, continuing to supply him with funds, since she and her father, with their gem-cutting business, hold the purse strings.
When Elliot dies unexpectedly, his secret life is revealed, both of a financial nature with gambling debts and shady business dealings, and of a personal with the ultimate betrayal of a secret mistress and child. So the story finds Louisa trying to cope with all this. There is an inadequately-developed mystery of missing funds and some shady characters running around, popping up now and again to do shady things, in addition to Louisa's dealings with in-laws, Elliot's mistress and child, and Leo, owner of the nearby cinnamon plantation which Elliot often visited and who is the mistress's cousin.
But here's the problem. I didn't care. About anything. Or anyone. Well, I disliked Elliot because he was a horrid husband, but I couldn't really sympathize with Louisa because she was such a dishrag of a woman. As for the other characters, the mother-in-law was a caricature-ish witch, Louisa's father and father-in-law were nonentities, the sister-in-law was just Louisa's clone, the mistress was a weak-willed, self-absorbed puzzle, and Louisa's new love was a boring do-nothing who (SPOILERISH comments to follow) didn't even take appropriate action when his cousin (the mistress) needed medical attention and emotional support. Instead, his inaction led to her unnecessary death. And then what does he do but delegate much of the care of Elliot's illegitimate child to Louisa because he's so busy with his cinnamon. (End of SPOILERISH comments.)
The descriptive passages about the country were good, but the story itself was sketchily developed, almost like a rough draft. The mystery about Elliot fell flat because of this. Even the newly developing love connection for Louisa felt contrived and unconvincing. I was disappointed by this new book by Jefferies. It's not even half as good as THE TEA PLANTER'S WIFE. This is a weak entry in women's fiction. The cover, however, is lovely, and if you count colonial Ceylon as a character, the story has one good one.
However, neither characters nor plot nor dialogue interested me much. There's such a lack of depth to the people and the story, and I found the dialogue often to be awkwardly written. Even when the author is trying to have the characters interact meaningfully, mostly what they do is spout platitudes to each other, superficial psychobabble, or just boring vapidity. It was hard to like anyone or care about their fates since they were about as dimensional as paper dolls.
As for the plot, it centers around Louisa Reeve, the "Sapphire Widow" of the book's title. In 1935 she has been married for more than a decade to dashing, charming, handsome Elliot. They have tried for a family for years with tragic results: miscarriages and a stillbirth. Elliot has become a sometimes distant, often absent husband and Louisa enables him by not calling him on his behavior, and, in addition, continuing to supply him with funds, since she and her father, with their gem-cutting business, hold the purse strings.
When Elliot dies unexpectedly, his secret life is revealed, both of a financial nature with gambling debts and shady business dealings, and of a personal with the ultimate betrayal of a secret mistress and child. So the story finds Louisa trying to cope with all this. There is an inadequately-developed mystery of missing funds and some shady characters running around, popping up now and again to do shady things, in addition to Louisa's dealings with in-laws, Elliot's mistress and child, and Leo, owner of the nearby cinnamon plantation which Elliot often visited and who is the mistress's cousin.
But here's the problem. I didn't care. About anything. Or anyone. Well, I disliked Elliot because he was a horrid husband, but I couldn't really sympathize with Louisa because she was such a dishrag of a woman. As for the other characters, the mother-in-law was a caricature-ish witch, Louisa's father and father-in-law were nonentities, the sister-in-law was just Louisa's clone, the mistress was a weak-willed, self-absorbed puzzle, and Louisa's new love was a boring do-nothing who (SPOILERISH comments to follow) didn't even take appropriate action when his cousin (the mistress) needed medical attention and emotional support. Instead, his inaction led to her unnecessary death. And then what does he do but delegate much of the care of Elliot's illegitimate child to Louisa because he's so busy with his cinnamon. (End of SPOILERISH comments.)
The descriptive passages about the country were good, but the story itself was sketchily developed, almost like a rough draft. The mystery about Elliot fell flat because of this. Even the newly developing love connection for Louisa felt contrived and unconvincing. I was disappointed by this new book by Jefferies. It's not even half as good as THE TEA PLANTER'S WIFE. This is a weak entry in women's fiction. The cover, however, is lovely, and if you count colonial Ceylon as a character, the story has one good one.
October 26, 2019
Louisa Reeve had been happily married to her husband Elliot for twelve years, the only problems being her miscarriages plus the stillbirth of their daughter eight years prior. Elliot was often absent from their home with business meetings in Columbo and working at the nearby cinnamon plantation where he held shares. But Louisa missed him and although she tried not to, she worried of a reoccurrence to their problems of twelve months prior.
While Elliot’s sudden and unexpected death shocked her to the core and drove her into depths of grief she’d not encountered before, it was the discoveries Louisa made about her husband’s life which tore at her. Did she even know her husband at all? Her visit to Cinnamon Hills to enquire about Elliot’s shares opened her eyes even further. Could Louisa unravel the complexity of Elliot’s lies and betrayal? Did she want to know the answers?
Beautifully written, The Sapphire Widow is another outstanding historical fiction novel set in Ceylon in 1935 by Dinah Jefferies. I thoroughly enjoy this author’s work – she is fast becoming a favourite! Complex and poignant, the artfully written words immediately transported me to the streets of Ceylon; I easily smelled the scents of cinnamon and saw the fireflies darting in the darkness. Dinah Jefferies’ colourful writing flows effortlessly – The Sapphire Widow was such a pleasure to read. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Penguin UK via NetGalley for my digital uncorrected proof ARC to read and review.
While Elliot’s sudden and unexpected death shocked her to the core and drove her into depths of grief she’d not encountered before, it was the discoveries Louisa made about her husband’s life which tore at her. Did she even know her husband at all? Her visit to Cinnamon Hills to enquire about Elliot’s shares opened her eyes even further. Could Louisa unravel the complexity of Elliot’s lies and betrayal? Did she want to know the answers?
Beautifully written, The Sapphire Widow is another outstanding historical fiction novel set in Ceylon in 1935 by Dinah Jefferies. I thoroughly enjoy this author’s work – she is fast becoming a favourite! Complex and poignant, the artfully written words immediately transported me to the streets of Ceylon; I easily smelled the scents of cinnamon and saw the fireflies darting in the darkness. Dinah Jefferies’ colourful writing flows effortlessly – The Sapphire Widow was such a pleasure to read. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Penguin UK via NetGalley for my digital uncorrected proof ARC to read and review.
June 27, 2018
Oh my, the story cover says a story of love and betrayal included and my word, both were heavily included! What an action-packed historical fiction novel that completely surprised me and exceeded my expectations. At my local library, I was one of the first in line to borrow a copy since I followed the book club run by Richard and Judy. Set in the year 1935 in Ceylon, young woman Louisa Reeve lives with her husband Elliot and is the daughter of a gem trader with multiple successes. There is just one downside to her world: Not having a child. After another miscarriage, Louisa notices that her husband is spending less time with her and heading to a plantation next to the Indian Ocean. Suddenly, Elliot dies in an accident but leaves more questions than answers. Over the course of the novel, Louisa is left to pick up the pieces but in doing so, ends up unlocking more hidden secrets that shattered everything she thought that she knew about her husband.
I really liked the plotline and the amount of both love and betrayal that played a huge role. It kept me reading on to the conclusion which I liked. Trigger warning for an animal death about 3/4 of the way in. The pacing did move a little slow for me personally and at times, I did struggle visually with the surroundings. There is something about Dinah's writing that really captivated me even with the slow pacing. I look forward to reading more novels about this author. I would actually recommend this book to new readers of historical fiction as well as those who love their novels set in great locations and with a hint of mystery. There was one chapter in particular that gave me Agatha Christie Poirot vibes and those novels are some of my personal favourites to read!
I really liked the plotline and the amount of both love and betrayal that played a huge role. It kept me reading on to the conclusion which I liked. Trigger warning for an animal death about 3/4 of the way in. The pacing did move a little slow for me personally and at times, I did struggle visually with the surroundings. There is something about Dinah's writing that really captivated me even with the slow pacing. I look forward to reading more novels about this author. I would actually recommend this book to new readers of historical fiction as well as those who love their novels set in great locations and with a hint of mystery. There was one chapter in particular that gave me Agatha Christie Poirot vibes and those novels are some of my personal favourites to read!
August 26, 2018
The year is 1935, Ceylon, which is what it was known as before their independence. It is now known as the island nation of Sri Lanka. There is ceylon tea grown in this lush,tropical area. The rain falls abundantly there and it's perfect for growing cinnamon there. Louisa Reeve and her husband have struggled for years to have a child. Miscarriages and a still birth have left her devastated and have taken a real toll on her marriage. Elliot her husband , has been increasingly absent from home. His wife's sadness has taken a toll on him as well and he spends much time at a nearby plantation ,he's invested in, Cinnamon Hills. On the night a large party is thrown at their house he is very late and a police officer brings the devastating news her husband has been in a fatal car accident. Louisa's life is left in ruins when she discovers he has ruined them financially after borrowing a large sum of money from her and she has no idea where it's gone. When other devastating secrets are revealed she discovers the man she married has been a true stranger to her and not who she thought he was at all. The scent of cinnamon in the humid air along with the lush foliage will draw you into this hauntingly beautiful book as you try to solve who Luisa's husband really is and it will keep you reading. Wonderful,wonderful historical book. I absolutely can not wait to read more by this author. This is a real winner!
Pub Date 14 Aug 2018
I was given a complimentary copy of this book from Crown Publishing though NetGalley. Thank you. All opinions expressed are my own.
Pub Date 14 Aug 2018
I was given a complimentary copy of this book from Crown Publishing though NetGalley. Thank you. All opinions expressed are my own.
June 26, 2020
O carte drăguță, simpla, scrisă frumos, ce m-a atras din primele clipe, în primul rând prin coperta simpatică, apoi prin povestea ei. Am descoperit viata Louisei, o femeie tânără, ce locuiește în Ceylon si care se trezeste într-o zi pusă în față unor lucruri care ii vor schimba toata existenta, dar carora reușește să le facă față cu brio. Lucrurile prin care trece sunt dificile, însă da dovadă de multă tărie de caracter, iar asta pot să spun că m-a făcut să o admir. Nu știu dacă aș fi fost capabilă să fac ceea ce ea a ales să facă.
Cred că personajele sunt destul de binisor conturate, pentru că dacă închid ochii mi le imaginez pe toate, în detaliu și parcă sunt acolo lângă ele.
Îmi place cum scrie această autoare. Dă suficiente detalii, încât sa-ti poți face o idee despre tot, dar nu atat de multe încât să obosească sau să plictisească.
Cartea este despre oameni, despre alegeri si poate chiar o lecție de bunătate. Nu stiu de ce am tot amânat să citesc cartea, o am de mult timp în bibliotecă, dar ma bucur ca i-a venit rândul. Mi-a plăcut. Ii dau 4 stele și o recomand.
Cred că personajele sunt destul de binisor conturate, pentru că dacă închid ochii mi le imaginez pe toate, în detaliu și parcă sunt acolo lângă ele.
Îmi place cum scrie această autoare. Dă suficiente detalii, încât sa-ti poți face o idee despre tot, dar nu atat de multe încât să obosească sau să plictisească.
Cartea este despre oameni, despre alegeri si poate chiar o lecție de bunătate. Nu stiu de ce am tot amânat să citesc cartea, o am de mult timp în bibliotecă, dar ma bucur ca i-a venit rândul. Mi-a plăcut. Ii dau 4 stele și o recomand.
March 31, 2018
I never thought that (with a few classic exceptions) I would read historical fiction willingly. That was until I saw the beautiful cover of this book and wanted to know more! I read the excerpt and wanted to read the book.
Dinah Jefferies’ writing completely transported my imagination to Ceylon in 1935!
The book tells the story of Louisa Reeve, the daughter of a British gem trader, and her husband Elliot, a charming businessman. her relationship with her husband appears perfect but as we all know, looks can be deceiving and so can husbands!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I completely left my comfort zone and feel that I was rewarded with finding such a well written tale.
I was given a copy of this book by the Publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Dinah Jefferies’ writing completely transported my imagination to Ceylon in 1935!
The book tells the story of Louisa Reeve, the daughter of a British gem trader, and her husband Elliot, a charming businessman. her relationship with her husband appears perfect but as we all know, looks can be deceiving and so can husbands!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I completely left my comfort zone and feel that I was rewarded with finding such a well written tale.
I was given a copy of this book by the Publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
November 27, 2020
I loved this author's story, "The Tea Planter's Wife". However, if you have read that story, this story is very similar. I found the writing occasionally clunky and at times I wasn't sure who was speaking even when only two characters were interacting. Every twist and turn, I saw coming a mile away (and there were quite a few). Am I that good of a detective? Hardly.. The story was just so predictable that even a young teen could see these twists coming (I mean no disrespect to young readers).
There were some things that were positive and that is why I stayed throughout the entire story. First, I liked the characters and though they responded in fairly consistent ways and were true to life. Since I could definitely see myself and others I know doing the same in their shoes. They approached things rationally for the most part but also emotionally; hence, it is chick lit. That said, the character's were mostly one dimensional. The exception being the main character, who rapidly recovers from all pain caused by her deceased husband's secrets. This seemed very implausible to me, I guess that is why it is fiction. While the author lays out the reasons why she was able to look past his deceit, I wasn't able to buy what she was selling.
I loved the author's ability to create the scene with such interesting details of the locale, which was set in the 1930's Ceylon/Sri Lanka. This was a key focus that kept my reading interest when another twist showed up. I love tales set in the East especially India, Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Ceylon, etc. The author was born in the region, so she was able to create an authentic environment.
This may have been more intriguing if this wasn't so similar to her other book. Although there were sex scenes (which did nothing to add to the story, in my opinion). It was pretty typical to a PG13 movie rating. It seemed unnecessary but probably considered necessary to sell more books? I also want to offer a trigger warning to those who have issues with violence to pets.
My walk away thoughts are that this wasn't as strong as it could have been. I loved the setting (5 stars) but the story wasn't unique because to many obvious foreshadowing hints were placed for the reader making it lack the suspense of the main mystery. I'm not sure I will read another book by Jefferies if she doesn't break out of her formula storytelling. Don't get me wrong, I liked the story, I just didn't feel invested in the outcome, you may have a totally different experience.
There were some things that were positive and that is why I stayed throughout the entire story. First, I liked the characters and though they responded in fairly consistent ways and were true to life. Since I could definitely see myself and others I know doing the same in their shoes. They approached things rationally for the most part but also emotionally; hence, it is chick lit. That said, the character's were mostly one dimensional. The exception being the main character, who rapidly recovers from all pain caused by her deceased husband's secrets. This seemed very implausible to me, I guess that is why it is fiction. While the author lays out the reasons why she was able to look past his deceit, I wasn't able to buy what she was selling.
I loved the author's ability to create the scene with such interesting details of the locale, which was set in the 1930's Ceylon/Sri Lanka. This was a key focus that kept my reading interest when another twist showed up. I love tales set in the East especially India, Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Ceylon, etc. The author was born in the region, so she was able to create an authentic environment.
This may have been more intriguing if this wasn't so similar to her other book. Although there were sex scenes (which did nothing to add to the story, in my opinion). It was pretty typical to a PG13 movie rating. It seemed unnecessary but probably considered necessary to sell more books? I also want to offer a trigger warning to those who have issues with violence to pets.
My walk away thoughts are that this wasn't as strong as it could have been. I loved the setting (5 stars) but the story wasn't unique because to many obvious foreshadowing hints were placed for the reader making it lack the suspense of the main mystery. I'm not sure I will read another book by Jefferies if she doesn't break out of her formula storytelling. Don't get me wrong, I liked the story, I just didn't feel invested in the outcome, you may have a totally different experience.
February 23, 2019
Mi-am placut mult The sapphire widow, la fel de mult ca Sotia plantatorului de ceai. Au fost destul de asemanatoare ca atmosfera, iar actiunea a avut acelasi decor. Sa nu mai spun de cireasa de pe tort: i-am reintalnit pe Gwen si Laurence, personajele din Sotia plantatorului de ceai. <3 Initial nu am crezut ca e vorba despre aceeasi persoana si nu mi-a venit sa cred cand am realizat ca prietena si confidenta lui Louise de la plantatia de ceai e nimeni alta decat Gwen, acum cu o familie fericita si unita, care a avut parte de finalul ei fericit. Mi s-a parut foarte buna ideea de a integra personajele vechi intr-o noua poveste, nu am mai intalnit-o pana acum si m-am bucurat de aceasta revedere.
Ca in toate romanele lui Jefferies, accentul se pune pe atmosfera, pe o parte a lumii exotica si pe alocuri greu de inteles, insa absolut superba, plina de arome, de apusuri spectaculoase, de liniste, de frumusete si eleganta. Cu asta ma cucereste de fiecare data autoarea, chiar daca nu exceleaza la capitolul actiune. Nu exceleaza in sensul ca finalurile ei sunt previzibile, nu exista multe intorsaturi de situatie, iar intriga e destul de banala, insa clar romanele ei au ceva special, abilitatea aceasta de a te purta departe si de a intra intr-o comunitate care te primeste cu bratele deschise, de a te simti ca acasa in celalalt capat al lumii, de a cunoaste niste povesti de viata cu care sa poti rezona si de a te atasa de niste eroine cu caracter frumos, de la care ai ce invata. E vorba despre frumusete in cartile ei, in toate felurile posibile.
Louise este o tanara bogata, cu o pozitie inalta in societate, apreciata de cei din jur, mereu eleganta si demna, care insa e nefericita, pentru ca din casnicia ei cu Eliott, barbatul iubit, lipseste un copil. Dupa cateva avorturi, cei doi incearca sa se regaseasca, sa isi pastreze vie relatia si speranta, chiar daca ceva s-a rupt. Louise insa il iubeste cu tot sufletul pe sotul ei si are incredere in el si in promisiunile lui. Totul insa se darama in jur cand acesta moare intr-un accident, iar Louise ramane cu minciunile si infruntarea adevarului. Cine era Eliott de fapt? Va putea Louise sa o ia de la capat si sa accepte lucrurile pe care i le-a lasat sotul ei?
E o poveste de viata realista, dar plina de speranta, cu mesajul clasic ca, pana la urma, iubirea invinge tot si merita sa ai curajul de a face schimbarile care duc la vindecare. Mi-a placut, a fost o lectura relaxanta, perfecta pentru a iesi din cotidian. :)
Ca in toate romanele lui Jefferies, accentul se pune pe atmosfera, pe o parte a lumii exotica si pe alocuri greu de inteles, insa absolut superba, plina de arome, de apusuri spectaculoase, de liniste, de frumusete si eleganta. Cu asta ma cucereste de fiecare data autoarea, chiar daca nu exceleaza la capitolul actiune. Nu exceleaza in sensul ca finalurile ei sunt previzibile, nu exista multe intorsaturi de situatie, iar intriga e destul de banala, insa clar romanele ei au ceva special, abilitatea aceasta de a te purta departe si de a intra intr-o comunitate care te primeste cu bratele deschise, de a te simti ca acasa in celalalt capat al lumii, de a cunoaste niste povesti de viata cu care sa poti rezona si de a te atasa de niste eroine cu caracter frumos, de la care ai ce invata. E vorba despre frumusete in cartile ei, in toate felurile posibile.
Louise este o tanara bogata, cu o pozitie inalta in societate, apreciata de cei din jur, mereu eleganta si demna, care insa e nefericita, pentru ca din casnicia ei cu Eliott, barbatul iubit, lipseste un copil. Dupa cateva avorturi, cei doi incearca sa se regaseasca, sa isi pastreze vie relatia si speranta, chiar daca ceva s-a rupt. Louise insa il iubeste cu tot sufletul pe sotul ei si are incredere in el si in promisiunile lui. Totul insa se darama in jur cand acesta moare intr-un accident, iar Louise ramane cu minciunile si infruntarea adevarului. Cine era Eliott de fapt? Va putea Louise sa o ia de la capat si sa accepte lucrurile pe care i le-a lasat sotul ei?
E o poveste de viata realista, dar plina de speranta, cu mesajul clasic ca, pana la urma, iubirea invinge tot si merita sa ai curajul de a face schimbarile care duc la vindecare. Mi-a placut, a fost o lectura relaxanta, perfecta pentru a iesi din cotidian. :)
February 21, 2019
Veiksmas vyksta 1935-aisiais Ceilone. Vieno iš brangakmenių prekeivių dukra - Luiza Riv, ir jos žavingasis vyras Eliotas, atrodo, gyvena svajonių gyvenimą.. Tačiau jiems trūksta vieno esminio dalyko - kūdikio.
Luiza kuo toliau, tuo labiau niekaip negali susitaikyti su tuo, jog jai nebus lemta tapti motina..
Kuomet netikėtai ją pasiekia žinia, jog Eliotas žuvo automobilio avarijoje.. Tuo metu jai atrodo, jog žemė išslydo tiesiai jai iš po kojų.
Norėdama išsiaiškinti, kas iš tikrųjų nutiko, jos vyrui ir kodėl jis važiavo visiškai kitur, nei, kad buvo jai sakęs, Luiza nuvyksta į cinamono plantaciją, kurioje jos vyras praleisdavo vis daugiau laiko.
Ten nuvykus yra atskleidžiami keletas dalykų, tuomet ir paaiškėja, jog Eliotas nebuvo toks žmogus, kokiu visą laiką dėjosi esąs.
Knyga labai lengvai skaitosi, bei įtraukia savo pasakojimu bei įspūdingais gamtos aprašymais.
Yra paliečiama daug jautrių temų : kaip negalėjimas susilaukti vaikų, mylimojo išdavystė. Man norėjosi, jog autorė šiek tiek plačiau panagrinėtų šias temas.
Vietomis šiek tiek glumino pagrindinės veikėjos naivumas, bei priimami kai kurie sprendimai.
Nepaisant to knyga labai jautri ir įtraukianti.
Puikiai tiks laisvalaikiui, kuomet norisi atsipalaiduoti ir tiesiog pasinerti į istoriją.
Luiza kuo toliau, tuo labiau niekaip negali susitaikyti su tuo, jog jai nebus lemta tapti motina..
Kuomet netikėtai ją pasiekia žinia, jog Eliotas žuvo automobilio avarijoje.. Tuo metu jai atrodo, jog žemė išslydo tiesiai jai iš po kojų.
Norėdama išsiaiškinti, kas iš tikrųjų nutiko, jos vyrui ir kodėl jis važiavo visiškai kitur, nei, kad buvo jai sakęs, Luiza nuvyksta į cinamono plantaciją, kurioje jos vyras praleisdavo vis daugiau laiko.
Ten nuvykus yra atskleidžiami keletas dalykų, tuomet ir paaiškėja, jog Eliotas nebuvo toks žmogus, kokiu visą laiką dėjosi esąs.
Knyga labai lengvai skaitosi, bei įtraukia savo pasakojimu bei įspūdingais gamtos aprašymais.
Yra paliečiama daug jautrių temų : kaip negalėjimas susilaukti vaikų, mylimojo išdavystė. Man norėjosi, jog autorė šiek tiek plačiau panagrinėtų šias temas.
Vietomis šiek tiek glumino pagrindinės veikėjos naivumas, bei priimami kai kurie sprendimai.
Nepaisant to knyga labai jautri ir įtraukianti.
Puikiai tiks laisvalaikiui, kuomet norisi atsipalaiduoti ir tiesiog pasinerti į istoriją.
June 9, 2018
3.5/5. She has a style that is distinctive. Usually well to do family in an exotic location and usually set in he mid last century. I enjoy her writing but would like it from maybe a servants point of view or maybe a poor person.
This one has hints of modern times as dealt with divorce and illegitimate child and adultery.
This one has hints of modern times as dealt with divorce and illegitimate child and adultery.
February 23, 2018
I only received a proof of this today but luckily it's been one of those days where I've been travelling and waiting around a bit so plenty of time for reading!
I've just had the most productive day ever thanks to Dinah Jefferies - solved a mystery, been transported to Ceylon, discovered the world of the plantations, the difficulties of the gem and sapphire industry, a troubled marriage...this novel is packed to the rafters! It doesn't read as being too full though as it flows as neatly as the rivers through those plantations.
It's not out until April, but this has to be on your list as Dinah really is one of the best authors out there for her vivid, colourful and evocative descriptions.
Simply gorgeous with a mysterious and revealing plot that shakes out one surprise after another. Heartfelt emotions and well developed characters. A gem of a read
I've just had the most productive day ever thanks to Dinah Jefferies - solved a mystery, been transported to Ceylon, discovered the world of the plantations, the difficulties of the gem and sapphire industry, a troubled marriage...this novel is packed to the rafters! It doesn't read as being too full though as it flows as neatly as the rivers through those plantations.
It's not out until April, but this has to be on your list as Dinah really is one of the best authors out there for her vivid, colourful and evocative descriptions.
Simply gorgeous with a mysterious and revealing plot that shakes out one surprise after another. Heartfelt emotions and well developed characters. A gem of a read
June 25, 2022
O carte frumoasa, dar usoara si previzibila. Per total o carte placuta, de weekend, relaxanta.
June 2, 2019
Hey ForeverBookers,
I’ve just finished perhaps my favourite standalone novel EVER!!! I don’t love standalone novels because I often think they’re over too quickly but this one, although it did still leave me wanting more, it had a great and packed story. I often think that standalones are a waste of time because I’m only just getting invested when I’ve finished. However, that wasn’t the case with “The Sapphire Widow.” by Dinah Jeffries. It’s also published as “The Tea Planter’s Secret” by the same author and is sooooooo good!!!! It’s an adult historical fiction set in 1935. While the novel did go FAR beyond my expectations there were still a couple of things that I would have liked added to the plot.
5 STARS!!!!!
I read “The Sapphire Widow” for many readathons again...
* Reading Rivalry - Book featuring a taboo subject - Betrayal and lying.
* Fiction Feud Society - for the game of Clue - Knife - thriller/mystery. It’s a mystery in that we get a big reveal and are trying to work out how that happened.
* Litwits - Forbidden Love - I’d say that there are two forbidden loves.
* Literary Love Affair - Trees On The Cover - On all versions of this book I believe there are trees on the cover, according to Goodreads anyway.
* mARCh-a-thon - This is my own little readathon where I’m trying to get through as many arcs as I can in the month of March. This is my second, and it’s still only 8th March! I hope to read at least 5 arcs! Wish me luck!
There are SO many areas to the plot so if I don’t summarise them all, sorry. Just know that it’s still an amazing story that I think anyone can find something in, whether it’s purely for enjoyment, another book to add to your Goodreads Read stack, or hope!
I however, wouldn’t advise this for anyone struggling through the loss of a baby, or maybe even wanting a baby soooo much, as that’s what our main character Louisa struggles with throughout. She’s had many failed pregnancies and a daughter that dies after child birth before the story begins.
Louisa lives in historical Galle, Ceylon in Sri Lanka. She’s a well-off English immigrant. She lives out there with her husband, Elliot and her father, Christopher. These characters play big enough roles in the story but it’s mainly focused on Louisa. The novel is written in third person narrative, which I didn’t mind so much this time. I think it’s because we can see into the eyes of other characters, which in other third person novels that I’ve read, we don’t need to see. Here, we do to really get a grip of the events.
“The Sapphire Widow” is really about accepting that with support you can overcome anything just by changing the way you view the world and people around you, and that nothing should stop you from trying to do what you want.
NOTE: This is an adult novel as it explores the stigma surrounding women who can’t have children for one reason or another. There are love scenes too that are spread out over the novel. There is a story that's to do with death of a loved one as well as racism too. The novel is historical so that is to be expected.
Spoilers below...
“Even after twelve years of marriage, she still thought him a truly handsome man.”
This is what Louisa thinks of her husband, Elliot at the beginning of “The Sapphire Widow.” What she doesn’t realise at this point is the giant secret he’s been keeping for years.
“When had she died? Before or during the birth itself? To be born without life. What did it mean? These were the questions still haunting her.”
Here, Louisa is recollecting the birth of her and Elliot’s daughter, Julia and her quick death after birth. She doesn’t think it’s fair, which of course, it isn’t. All Louisa wants is a baby of her own. After this and her other miscarriages is this really too much to ask, she questions. This is why what Elliot has done hurts so much too! As to what he’s done, he’s already got a seven year old son, Conor! When Louisa finds this out she’s shocked beyond all belief! How dare he have a child with someone else, she thinks!
“Maybe next time I’ll come with you. A trip away; just the two of us.”
He didn’t reply.”
Elliot doesn’t want her to come with him because she’ll discover his secret. Elliot knew about Conor, it’s revealed in the second half of “The Sapphire Widow.” He writes a letter to Zinnia, Conor’s mother, that he never sent, which Louisa discovers after his death. It explains his love for her and that he wants to be with her, instead of Louisa. When Louisa is told by Leo, our other main character, that he knew about Conor because he’s Zinnia’s cousin, she’s shocked.
“But danger was Elliot’s addiction,” alludes to how nothing scares Elliot. He dies quite early on in the novel. I believe that he is the Sapphire Trader in one of the titles, as it’s him that has the huge secret. He dies in a car accident we learn in the first half of the story. We don’t ever uncover why he died though. That doesn’t really matter to the overall plot but it would have been nice to know. Was it his debts? Was it his other relationships, that are also hinted at? We just don’t know. Maybe we’re to come to our own conclusion.
I believe that “The Sapphire Widow” t is a book about moving on and about finding love again. The romantic elements were my favourite parts of the plot. I loved Leo, Louisa’s partner after the death of Elliot.
“Something about the intense darkness of his eyes unsettled her.”
When Leo is introduced he’s a bit of a recluse because he lives at a tea plantation and doesn’t see many people day in, day out. This is what Louisa is referring to when she says his eyes unsettle her, I believe. He’s just not used to people. This is when Elliot is showing Louisa the plantation. The only people that Leo sees are Zinnia and Conor, his family, both of whom I mentioned above, but he doesn’t spend a lot of time with them at first. It’s Leo that tells Louisa of Elliot’s affair, after his death, as he thinks she deserves to know the truth. He knows because his sister told him. Of course she’s angry to begin with, who wouldn’t be? If I found out my husband had had a secret affair and a child as a result, I’d be livid! Louisa doesn’t think she’ll be able to see or be around Conor. He’s what she always wanted with Elliot. He should be her son, she thinks. But as the story progresses we see that Louisa accepts and learns to love Conor for who he is, and doesn’t care about who made him.
“They had come a long way since those early days and, she had to admit, she really was beginning to think of the child as hers.”
I found this line sweet because it shows that Louisa has come to accept Conor as her own child. Zinnia dies during the novel leaving Conor motherless. All he’s got is Leo after her death. Does this bond between him and Louisa continue to grow or does it all come to a bad end? I desperately wanted Louisa to fall pregnant with Leo’s baby. Does this happen? You’ll have to read to find out. We never find out why Louisa couldn’t have children with Elliot. It obviously wasn’t because of him, as he has Conor. This isn’t expanded on, I think because at the time this is set, 1935 women just didn’t know why they couldn’t have babies. They just had to accept it and move on. Now, with all the technological advances we do have more of an idea as to why some women struggle to have children.
Of course, there’s a romance in “The Sapphire Widow.” There are actually two for our main character but only one is focused on, which is good. When I read the blurb I thought that Louisa would have both men on the go at once but this is not the case, thank goodness! The main romance is between Louisa and Leo. It was slowburn, which I’m not normally a fan of but this one came with a LOT of chemistry. I don’t normally like slowburn romance because I think they’re quite boring but because of the chemistry Louisa and Leo had together, I was all for this one. We could clearly see Louisa as she realised her feelings for Leo, as well as Leo’s feelings for her.
“...but I also wanted to hear your voice.”
She smiled, happy. “It’s lovely to hear you too.”
“I...Well, what I mean is, that I’m looking forward to seeing you too. That’s all.”
“She felt the warmth curling inside her chest, and sensed that something that might change everything was on the verge of happening.”
Of course it’s their love that might or might not happen. Does it??? You’ll have to read to find out!
Another big part of “The Sapphire Widow” is Irene, Elliot’s mother. She’s not always on the page but is there throughout, a bit like Margo, Elliot’s sister. Margo is always on Louisa’s side, more like her sister than Elliot’s, but Irene is a horrible woman. She’s always trying to put Louisa down and tell her she’s wrong, which isn’t true. Louisa is more right than Irene.
“When a husband strays, I blame the wife,”
“And by that you mean?”
“If you’d only had children...”
Louisa felt stunned. “So you blame me for his extramarital affair. And what about his debts? Were they my doing too.”
Irene shrugged.”
To be completely honest, I thought Irene was a vile woman and absolutely hated her! She’s the worst (as in most evil) antagonist I’ve come across in a non fantasy novel! The way she says “If you’d only had children...” leaving it open ended really made me angry. It’s like she wanted to rile Louisa! She’s just not a nice woman, and when she threatens to adopt Conor because he’s her grandson, Louisa feels it’s up to her to make sure that doesn’t happen! Where does Conor end up??? You’ll have to read to find out.
There are other elements, like Elliot’s gambling debts and the building of an emporium to see the jewellery, which I wasn’t all that interested in. Luckily those bits were scattered in the main plot so it wasn’t all in one place.
What did I like about “The Sapphire Widow?”
I LOVED the romance. I don’t normally like slowburn romance because I think it’s too slow but I don’t think instalove would have really worked because we needed to see Louisa get to know and trust Leo first before anything could happen between them. It would have been nice to have seen a little more but I’m happy with what we got.
I loved the characters, even Irene (or how she was written anyway). They all had something different about them to make them stand out. The very minor characters weren’t focused on very much. I appreciated this.
I felt very much on Louisa’s wavelength. I thought that I would have made the exact decisions that she did, throughout. I felt as if I was Louisa apart from how we look different!
I loved the setting. It was great to read about a place that I didn’t know. I’ve never read about or studied Sri Lanka, so I wasn’t aware how different it was to the country where I live. The setting wasn’t largely focused on but what was there was interesting, like the plantation and beach scenes! Where I live the weather isn’t nice enough to have plantations or to go to the beach every other day.
I liked how I felt about EVERY emotion while reading. I felt love, anger, resentment, hate, excitement, surprise and more. That’s really what we all want in a good novel, I think. I put the heart emoji next to the scenes that I considered love scenes, and I must have had over 50 by the end of the novel. The author was able to write all these emotions, while still keeping a flowing story.
What didn’t I like about “The Sapphire Widow?”
There wasn’t really anything that I didn’t like, apart from something that I don’t want to spoil. The novel would have been perfect if this event had of happened but I understand why it didn’t because life is never perfect...even for book characters! That was the only thing that would have made this a beyond amazing book for me. It was amazing as it was.
Therefore, I ADORED “The Sapphire Widow.” I highly recommend it if you love slowburn romance, books set in way off places (if you don’t already live in Sri Lanka), historical fiction that feels like it’s today you’re reading about, and just sweet stories that tug at your heartstrings. As I said above warning for talk of miscarriage and loss of children, however.
Stand by for my next review, coming soon...
I’ve just finished perhaps my favourite standalone novel EVER!!! I don’t love standalone novels because I often think they’re over too quickly but this one, although it did still leave me wanting more, it had a great and packed story. I often think that standalones are a waste of time because I’m only just getting invested when I’ve finished. However, that wasn’t the case with “The Sapphire Widow.” by Dinah Jeffries. It’s also published as “The Tea Planter’s Secret” by the same author and is sooooooo good!!!! It’s an adult historical fiction set in 1935. While the novel did go FAR beyond my expectations there were still a couple of things that I would have liked added to the plot.
5 STARS!!!!!
I read “The Sapphire Widow” for many readathons again...
* Reading Rivalry - Book featuring a taboo subject - Betrayal and lying.
* Fiction Feud Society - for the game of Clue - Knife - thriller/mystery. It’s a mystery in that we get a big reveal and are trying to work out how that happened.
* Litwits - Forbidden Love - I’d say that there are two forbidden loves.
* Literary Love Affair - Trees On The Cover - On all versions of this book I believe there are trees on the cover, according to Goodreads anyway.
* mARCh-a-thon - This is my own little readathon where I’m trying to get through as many arcs as I can in the month of March. This is my second, and it’s still only 8th March! I hope to read at least 5 arcs! Wish me luck!
There are SO many areas to the plot so if I don’t summarise them all, sorry. Just know that it’s still an amazing story that I think anyone can find something in, whether it’s purely for enjoyment, another book to add to your Goodreads Read stack, or hope!
I however, wouldn’t advise this for anyone struggling through the loss of a baby, or maybe even wanting a baby soooo much, as that’s what our main character Louisa struggles with throughout. She’s had many failed pregnancies and a daughter that dies after child birth before the story begins.
Louisa lives in historical Galle, Ceylon in Sri Lanka. She’s a well-off English immigrant. She lives out there with her husband, Elliot and her father, Christopher. These characters play big enough roles in the story but it’s mainly focused on Louisa. The novel is written in third person narrative, which I didn’t mind so much this time. I think it’s because we can see into the eyes of other characters, which in other third person novels that I’ve read, we don’t need to see. Here, we do to really get a grip of the events.
“The Sapphire Widow” is really about accepting that with support you can overcome anything just by changing the way you view the world and people around you, and that nothing should stop you from trying to do what you want.
NOTE: This is an adult novel as it explores the stigma surrounding women who can’t have children for one reason or another. There are love scenes too that are spread out over the novel. There is a story that's to do with death of a loved one as well as racism too. The novel is historical so that is to be expected.
Spoilers below...
“Even after twelve years of marriage, she still thought him a truly handsome man.”
This is what Louisa thinks of her husband, Elliot at the beginning of “The Sapphire Widow.” What she doesn’t realise at this point is the giant secret he’s been keeping for years.
“When had she died? Before or during the birth itself? To be born without life. What did it mean? These were the questions still haunting her.”
Here, Louisa is recollecting the birth of her and Elliot’s daughter, Julia and her quick death after birth. She doesn’t think it’s fair, which of course, it isn’t. All Louisa wants is a baby of her own. After this and her other miscarriages is this really too much to ask, she questions. This is why what Elliot has done hurts so much too! As to what he’s done, he’s already got a seven year old son, Conor! When Louisa finds this out she’s shocked beyond all belief! How dare he have a child with someone else, she thinks!
“Maybe next time I’ll come with you. A trip away; just the two of us.”
He didn’t reply.”
Elliot doesn’t want her to come with him because she’ll discover his secret. Elliot knew about Conor, it’s revealed in the second half of “The Sapphire Widow.” He writes a letter to Zinnia, Conor’s mother, that he never sent, which Louisa discovers after his death. It explains his love for her and that he wants to be with her, instead of Louisa. When Louisa is told by Leo, our other main character, that he knew about Conor because he’s Zinnia’s cousin, she’s shocked.
“But danger was Elliot’s addiction,” alludes to how nothing scares Elliot. He dies quite early on in the novel. I believe that he is the Sapphire Trader in one of the titles, as it’s him that has the huge secret. He dies in a car accident we learn in the first half of the story. We don’t ever uncover why he died though. That doesn’t really matter to the overall plot but it would have been nice to know. Was it his debts? Was it his other relationships, that are also hinted at? We just don’t know. Maybe we’re to come to our own conclusion.
I believe that “The Sapphire Widow” t is a book about moving on and about finding love again. The romantic elements were my favourite parts of the plot. I loved Leo, Louisa’s partner after the death of Elliot.
“Something about the intense darkness of his eyes unsettled her.”
When Leo is introduced he’s a bit of a recluse because he lives at a tea plantation and doesn’t see many people day in, day out. This is what Louisa is referring to when she says his eyes unsettle her, I believe. He’s just not used to people. This is when Elliot is showing Louisa the plantation. The only people that Leo sees are Zinnia and Conor, his family, both of whom I mentioned above, but he doesn’t spend a lot of time with them at first. It’s Leo that tells Louisa of Elliot’s affair, after his death, as he thinks she deserves to know the truth. He knows because his sister told him. Of course she’s angry to begin with, who wouldn’t be? If I found out my husband had had a secret affair and a child as a result, I’d be livid! Louisa doesn’t think she’ll be able to see or be around Conor. He’s what she always wanted with Elliot. He should be her son, she thinks. But as the story progresses we see that Louisa accepts and learns to love Conor for who he is, and doesn’t care about who made him.
“They had come a long way since those early days and, she had to admit, she really was beginning to think of the child as hers.”
I found this line sweet because it shows that Louisa has come to accept Conor as her own child. Zinnia dies during the novel leaving Conor motherless. All he’s got is Leo after her death. Does this bond between him and Louisa continue to grow or does it all come to a bad end? I desperately wanted Louisa to fall pregnant with Leo’s baby. Does this happen? You’ll have to read to find out. We never find out why Louisa couldn’t have children with Elliot. It obviously wasn’t because of him, as he has Conor. This isn’t expanded on, I think because at the time this is set, 1935 women just didn’t know why they couldn’t have babies. They just had to accept it and move on. Now, with all the technological advances we do have more of an idea as to why some women struggle to have children.
Of course, there’s a romance in “The Sapphire Widow.” There are actually two for our main character but only one is focused on, which is good. When I read the blurb I thought that Louisa would have both men on the go at once but this is not the case, thank goodness! The main romance is between Louisa and Leo. It was slowburn, which I’m not normally a fan of but this one came with a LOT of chemistry. I don’t normally like slowburn romance because I think they’re quite boring but because of the chemistry Louisa and Leo had together, I was all for this one. We could clearly see Louisa as she realised her feelings for Leo, as well as Leo’s feelings for her.
“...but I also wanted to hear your voice.”
She smiled, happy. “It’s lovely to hear you too.”
“I...Well, what I mean is, that I’m looking forward to seeing you too. That’s all.”
“She felt the warmth curling inside her chest, and sensed that something that might change everything was on the verge of happening.”
Of course it’s their love that might or might not happen. Does it??? You’ll have to read to find out!
Another big part of “The Sapphire Widow” is Irene, Elliot’s mother. She’s not always on the page but is there throughout, a bit like Margo, Elliot’s sister. Margo is always on Louisa’s side, more like her sister than Elliot’s, but Irene is a horrible woman. She’s always trying to put Louisa down and tell her she’s wrong, which isn’t true. Louisa is more right than Irene.
“When a husband strays, I blame the wife,”
“And by that you mean?”
“If you’d only had children...”
Louisa felt stunned. “So you blame me for his extramarital affair. And what about his debts? Were they my doing too.”
Irene shrugged.”
To be completely honest, I thought Irene was a vile woman and absolutely hated her! She’s the worst (as in most evil) antagonist I’ve come across in a non fantasy novel! The way she says “If you’d only had children...” leaving it open ended really made me angry. It’s like she wanted to rile Louisa! She’s just not a nice woman, and when she threatens to adopt Conor because he’s her grandson, Louisa feels it’s up to her to make sure that doesn’t happen! Where does Conor end up??? You’ll have to read to find out.
There are other elements, like Elliot’s gambling debts and the building of an emporium to see the jewellery, which I wasn’t all that interested in. Luckily those bits were scattered in the main plot so it wasn’t all in one place.
What did I like about “The Sapphire Widow?”
I LOVED the romance. I don’t normally like slowburn romance because I think it’s too slow but I don’t think instalove would have really worked because we needed to see Louisa get to know and trust Leo first before anything could happen between them. It would have been nice to have seen a little more but I’m happy with what we got.
I loved the characters, even Irene (or how she was written anyway). They all had something different about them to make them stand out. The very minor characters weren’t focused on very much. I appreciated this.
I felt very much on Louisa’s wavelength. I thought that I would have made the exact decisions that she did, throughout. I felt as if I was Louisa apart from how we look different!
I loved the setting. It was great to read about a place that I didn’t know. I’ve never read about or studied Sri Lanka, so I wasn’t aware how different it was to the country where I live. The setting wasn’t largely focused on but what was there was interesting, like the plantation and beach scenes! Where I live the weather isn’t nice enough to have plantations or to go to the beach every other day.
I liked how I felt about EVERY emotion while reading. I felt love, anger, resentment, hate, excitement, surprise and more. That’s really what we all want in a good novel, I think. I put the heart emoji next to the scenes that I considered love scenes, and I must have had over 50 by the end of the novel. The author was able to write all these emotions, while still keeping a flowing story.
What didn’t I like about “The Sapphire Widow?”
There wasn’t really anything that I didn’t like, apart from something that I don’t want to spoil. The novel would have been perfect if this event had of happened but I understand why it didn’t because life is never perfect...even for book characters! That was the only thing that would have made this a beyond amazing book for me. It was amazing as it was.
Therefore, I ADORED “The Sapphire Widow.” I highly recommend it if you love slowburn romance, books set in way off places (if you don’t already live in Sri Lanka), historical fiction that feels like it’s today you’re reading about, and just sweet stories that tug at your heartstrings. As I said above warning for talk of miscarriage and loss of children, however.
Stand by for my next review, coming soon...
May 5, 2025
Not my favourite genre to read, and the story didn't have much depth, but it was quite good and kept me reading until the end. Similar to another of her books, The Tea Planters Wife.
April 14, 2018
The Sapphire Widow is another mesmerising story from Dinah Jefferies. Set in Ceylon in 1935, it’s a beautifully written and evocative story of love, betrayal and hope. For those that have read The Tea Planter’s Wife some familiar faces return. I was delighted to meet up again with Laurence and Gwen Hooper.
Louisa Reeve has a privileged life, living in a grand colonial house with servants to look after the household. Her charming and handsome businessman husband of 12 years, Elliott, is a loving husband, albeit away from home a lot. There is however something missing from Louisa’s life, a child. She is still mourning the loss of her stillborn baby as well as recovering from previous miscarriages.
When tragedy strikes Louisa is left to pick up the pieces of her life and what she discovers makes her wonder whether she ever knew her husband at all. Whilst trying to cope with devastating events, and with the support of her father and sister in law, she tries to make a new start and puts her energies into a new venture involving the renovation of an imposing, but derelict building for the sale of jewellery, silks and high quality goods. This is not without its own problems and added to her other woes, I wouldn’t have blamed her if she had buried herself under the duvet (or the 1930’s equivalent!) and stayed there. Of course Louisa is not that sort of person; despite her vulnerability, she has an inner strength which she will need to draw upon, especially in her dealings with Irene, the mother-in-law from hell.
Dinah Jefferies has a great talent for bringing locations and landscapes to life with her vivid and lavish descriptions. I could easily visualise the setting of the Cinnamon Hills plantation in Colombo, or the ramparts of Galle overlooking the sea.
As for characters, there were some that I loved and others that made me want to poke them in the eye. Louisa of course was engaging and I was on her side from the beginning, she certainly had more patience than me, especially where certain people were concerned. Margo, her supportive sister in law who had her own problems to deal with. Jonathan, Louisa’s father who really stepped up to the plate when it mattered and then there’s Leo, owner of the cinnamon plantation. An unconventional, self contained man but with a heart of gold.
I adore Dinah’s books, I can vicariously travel to exotic locations, experience different cultures and be thoroughly entertained. The amount of research that must have been undertaken and the intricate level of detail involved is incredible and adds to the authenticity. There is a little of everything in The Sapphire Widow. Drama, secrets and betrayals, romance – all sitting against a mysterious and sinister backdrop.
I really enjoyed it. It was a book that kept me so completely engrossed and I was quite sad when I’d finished. And finally, a big bravo to the designers, yet another stunning cover!
Louisa Reeve has a privileged life, living in a grand colonial house with servants to look after the household. Her charming and handsome businessman husband of 12 years, Elliott, is a loving husband, albeit away from home a lot. There is however something missing from Louisa’s life, a child. She is still mourning the loss of her stillborn baby as well as recovering from previous miscarriages.
When tragedy strikes Louisa is left to pick up the pieces of her life and what she discovers makes her wonder whether she ever knew her husband at all. Whilst trying to cope with devastating events, and with the support of her father and sister in law, she tries to make a new start and puts her energies into a new venture involving the renovation of an imposing, but derelict building for the sale of jewellery, silks and high quality goods. This is not without its own problems and added to her other woes, I wouldn’t have blamed her if she had buried herself under the duvet (or the 1930’s equivalent!) and stayed there. Of course Louisa is not that sort of person; despite her vulnerability, she has an inner strength which she will need to draw upon, especially in her dealings with Irene, the mother-in-law from hell.
Dinah Jefferies has a great talent for bringing locations and landscapes to life with her vivid and lavish descriptions. I could easily visualise the setting of the Cinnamon Hills plantation in Colombo, or the ramparts of Galle overlooking the sea.
As for characters, there were some that I loved and others that made me want to poke them in the eye. Louisa of course was engaging and I was on her side from the beginning, she certainly had more patience than me, especially where certain people were concerned. Margo, her supportive sister in law who had her own problems to deal with. Jonathan, Louisa’s father who really stepped up to the plate when it mattered and then there’s Leo, owner of the cinnamon plantation. An unconventional, self contained man but with a heart of gold.
I adore Dinah’s books, I can vicariously travel to exotic locations, experience different cultures and be thoroughly entertained. The amount of research that must have been undertaken and the intricate level of detail involved is incredible and adds to the authenticity. There is a little of everything in The Sapphire Widow. Drama, secrets and betrayals, romance – all sitting against a mysterious and sinister backdrop.
I really enjoyed it. It was a book that kept me so completely engrossed and I was quite sad when I’d finished. And finally, a big bravo to the designers, yet another stunning cover!
August 12, 2019
Îmi place stilul autoarei, o scriitură fluidă, elegantă, descriptivă, ușor distantă. Se citește ușor, e o lectură confortabilă și încântătoare și, chiar dacă surprinde povești de viață cu bune și rele, cu drame familiale, cu bucurii, dar și cu suferință, nu se joacă prea mult cu emoțiile noastre, nu e extrem de intensă.
După cum am remarcat de la prima carte a autoarei pe care am citit-o, crearea de atmosferă este unul din ingredientele forte ale poveștilor ei, iar locurile alese ca decor al acțiunii sunt exotice, pitorești, ușor misterioase. Chiar își poartă cititorii în locul și timpul acțiunii, iar lectura devine o experiență în sine, o călătorie, un răsfăț al simțurilor. De această dată, suntem invitați să descoperim Insula Ceylon (actuala Sri Lanka) și povestea Louisei Reeve, fiica unui negustor de bijuterii britanic și soția unui om de afaceri șarmant și aventuros, după cum este descris perfect în sinopsis, iar pașii ne vor purta, urmărind povestea, în Galle, orașul fortificat cu o vechime de 300 de ani, dar și într-o plantație de scorțisoară. https://www.delicateseliterare.ro/vad...
După cum am remarcat de la prima carte a autoarei pe care am citit-o, crearea de atmosferă este unul din ingredientele forte ale poveștilor ei, iar locurile alese ca decor al acțiunii sunt exotice, pitorești, ușor misterioase. Chiar își poartă cititorii în locul și timpul acțiunii, iar lectura devine o experiență în sine, o călătorie, un răsfăț al simțurilor. De această dată, suntem invitați să descoperim Insula Ceylon (actuala Sri Lanka) și povestea Louisei Reeve, fiica unui negustor de bijuterii britanic și soția unui om de afaceri șarmant și aventuros, după cum este descris perfect în sinopsis, iar pașii ne vor purta, urmărind povestea, în Galle, orașul fortificat cu o vechime de 300 de ani, dar și într-o plantație de scorțisoară. https://www.delicateseliterare.ro/vad...
April 27, 2018
http://www.jerasjamboree.co.uk/2018/0...
Elliot is such a charmer and always living for that adrenalin rush. I really felt for his sister Margo, always living in his shadow and trying to get noticed. His secrets bring nothing but heartache for not only Louisa but both of their families.
I loved Louisa from the beginning. Despite living with her sadness shadowing her life she is optimistic and open to change. Always there to support Elliot, she has to re-think many things after his death. Shock after shock had me tense and anxious, waiting for a resolution. Twisting my stomach and making me want to hit out in frustration. Especially at Louisa’s mother-in-law Irene. Seething is an understatement … and nothing changed my mind about her.
I was overjoyed to find out that Gwen is Louisa’s friend and that Louisa gets to spend a healing time on the tea plantation with her. I think of Gwen as ‘mine’ … what a testament that a story read over two years ago can still be recalled readily to mind along with the same emotions!
I felt Louisa and Leo were very similar with their outlook on life despite the outward appearances. The attraction felt very natural. Their growing friendship has lots of fun moments as well as the turmoil. Oh I felt that exhilaration on the back of the motorbike just as much as Louisa did 🙂 The moments that drew them together showed their true characters and even though it would have been easy for Louisa to just fall into his strength, she still maintains independence with everything having its right time. I think Leo’s understanding of Elliot is spot on! and this only made me warm to him even more.
Once again I experienced the exotic locations ‘first hand.’ Galle, Columbia and Cinnamon Hills – city and country, similar yet different. The smells, the monsoon, the food and the people are all colourful and full of life. I love being able to visit different cultures vicariously!
There are moments of grief in The Sapphire Widow but also moments of pure joy. The scenes that not only brought me the most sadness but also the most happiness are ones I can’t share (no spoilers!). I can say that I was invested emotionally in each and every one. Yes, this is a story of secrets and heartache but ultimately I found it uplifting. One not to miss.
Elliot is such a charmer and always living for that adrenalin rush. I really felt for his sister Margo, always living in his shadow and trying to get noticed. His secrets bring nothing but heartache for not only Louisa but both of their families.
I loved Louisa from the beginning. Despite living with her sadness shadowing her life she is optimistic and open to change. Always there to support Elliot, she has to re-think many things after his death. Shock after shock had me tense and anxious, waiting for a resolution. Twisting my stomach and making me want to hit out in frustration. Especially at Louisa’s mother-in-law Irene. Seething is an understatement … and nothing changed my mind about her.
I was overjoyed to find out that Gwen is Louisa’s friend and that Louisa gets to spend a healing time on the tea plantation with her. I think of Gwen as ‘mine’ … what a testament that a story read over two years ago can still be recalled readily to mind along with the same emotions!
I felt Louisa and Leo were very similar with their outlook on life despite the outward appearances. The attraction felt very natural. Their growing friendship has lots of fun moments as well as the turmoil. Oh I felt that exhilaration on the back of the motorbike just as much as Louisa did 🙂 The moments that drew them together showed their true characters and even though it would have been easy for Louisa to just fall into his strength, she still maintains independence with everything having its right time. I think Leo’s understanding of Elliot is spot on! and this only made me warm to him even more.
Once again I experienced the exotic locations ‘first hand.’ Galle, Columbia and Cinnamon Hills – city and country, similar yet different. The smells, the monsoon, the food and the people are all colourful and full of life. I love being able to visit different cultures vicariously!
There are moments of grief in The Sapphire Widow but also moments of pure joy. The scenes that not only brought me the most sadness but also the most happiness are ones I can’t share (no spoilers!). I can say that I was invested emotionally in each and every one. Yes, this is a story of secrets and heartache but ultimately I found it uplifting. One not to miss.
April 17, 2024
For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...
This was an enjoyable and well-written story from Jefferies. However, whilst the first half of the novel grabbed my attention, I thought the pace then slowed and not much happened. I was expecting more explosive revelations that never materialised.
This was an enjoyable and well-written story from Jefferies. However, whilst the first half of the novel grabbed my attention, I thought the pace then slowed and not much happened. I was expecting more explosive revelations that never materialised.
April 5, 2018
This was such a captivating story by Dinah Jefferies who has once again taken the reader to another culture and another time. This story takes us travelling back in time to 1935 and the city of Galle, Ceylon, south-west Sri Lanka. With Dinah Jefferies words describing the vivid colours, sounds and aromas you can visualise the cinnamon plantations, the streets in and around Galle and the serenity of the coastal area.
Louisa and Elliot Reeve have been married for 12 years living and working in Galle with such lush surroundings. Their marriage has weathered a few storms experiencing much sadness but the prospects of starting a new joint venture of a jewellery and fine goods emporium is giving the couple a much needed boost. However, life was to throw more anguish in Louisa’s way that crushes her heart. The days following this tragedy opens up many more wounds for Louisa and she soon starts to realise did she ever know what her husband was really like?
Louisa had led a fairly charmed existence growing up in an affluent family however, sadness in her past has given her a strength and empathy to cope with what lies ahead. My heart ached for all the turmoil Louisa had accrued and I could totally understand why she didn’t know anything about the events that had unfolded. Louisa’s husband Elliot had many business interests and it was common during this era that wives were not often involved in the day to day functions of business. Louisa’s strength through adversity was admiral and seeing through the fog of turmoil she could compartmentalise her own emotions to help those in need. She didn’t let prejudices thwart her actions. Life had to go on and light would eventually shine through bringing, hope, belief and love.
A stunning, evocative story coping with grief, deceit, emotional turmoil and fresh starts.
Louisa and Elliot Reeve have been married for 12 years living and working in Galle with such lush surroundings. Their marriage has weathered a few storms experiencing much sadness but the prospects of starting a new joint venture of a jewellery and fine goods emporium is giving the couple a much needed boost. However, life was to throw more anguish in Louisa’s way that crushes her heart. The days following this tragedy opens up many more wounds for Louisa and she soon starts to realise did she ever know what her husband was really like?
Louisa had led a fairly charmed existence growing up in an affluent family however, sadness in her past has given her a strength and empathy to cope with what lies ahead. My heart ached for all the turmoil Louisa had accrued and I could totally understand why she didn’t know anything about the events that had unfolded. Louisa’s husband Elliot had many business interests and it was common during this era that wives were not often involved in the day to day functions of business. Louisa’s strength through adversity was admiral and seeing through the fog of turmoil she could compartmentalise her own emotions to help those in need. She didn’t let prejudices thwart her actions. Life had to go on and light would eventually shine through bringing, hope, belief and love.
A stunning, evocative story coping with grief, deceit, emotional turmoil and fresh starts.
September 29, 2018
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.
The story of Louisa, born and bred in Ceylon, but nevertheless firmly British, and her husband Elliot, a businessman. Elliot dies and then the secrets he has been keeping begin to emerge. The Ceylon setting was interesting, although there were places where things were very explicitly explained to the reader - e.g. she slept with the window open, but it was OK because she had a mosquito net - and other places where characters recited chunks of description to one another - e.g. "please tell me how cinnamon is processed".
I thought this was fairly well plotted, but my main issues were Louisa, whose core personality traits centred round closing her eyes to things and hoping they would go away, and the fact that I found the whole book a little dull. There was far more description than dialogue and it felt staid somehow.
I think if you like this kind of novel, this is probably a good example, but I am not really the right reader for it.
The story of Louisa, born and bred in Ceylon, but nevertheless firmly British, and her husband Elliot, a businessman. Elliot dies and then the secrets he has been keeping begin to emerge. The Ceylon setting was interesting, although there were places where things were very explicitly explained to the reader - e.g. she slept with the window open, but it was OK because she had a mosquito net - and other places where characters recited chunks of description to one another - e.g. "please tell me how cinnamon is processed".
I thought this was fairly well plotted, but my main issues were Louisa, whose core personality traits centred round closing her eyes to things and hoping they would go away, and the fact that I found the whole book a little dull. There was far more description than dialogue and it felt staid somehow.
I think if you like this kind of novel, this is probably a good example, but I am not really the right reader for it.
December 13, 2020
"Dacă nu-ți deschizi sufletul în fața cuiva și nu-ți împărtășești gândurile și sentimentele, e ca și cum tu, ca persoană, și întreaga ta viață se transformă într-un secret."
July 17, 2025
Man nav nekas pret klišejiskām un paredzamām grāmatām. Reizēm tieši paredzamība sniedz komfortu. Odziņai gan jābūt. Un kādai nelielai intrigai. Tās diemžēl te nebija. Vai arī es vienkārši esmu tāda tipa grāmatas iemācījusies “atkost” pati.
May 16, 2018
Yet another mesmerisingly vivid story from Dinah Jeffries, this time set within the British occupied Sri Lanka during the early twentieth century. As ever with this author, I loved the way she truly captures the essence of her story settings - from the way she describes the natural environment of the jungle, to the warm rainfall and the hazy dry heat, this has always been one of my favourite aspects of her books.
Louisa is the wife of a successful businessman and busy maintaining her own interests (very modern for the time in question) and creating an emporium for local salespeople to showcase their wares. When she is suddenly and catastrophically widowed, Louisa discovers her picture perfect marriage was not all it appeared to be.
I’ll admit it took me a little longer than expected to get truly invested in this story, but once I had read the first few chapters I began to enjoy it. I will most definitely continue to read and enjoy this authors books and anticipate yet another great read from her in the future.
Louisa is the wife of a successful businessman and busy maintaining her own interests (very modern for the time in question) and creating an emporium for local salespeople to showcase their wares. When she is suddenly and catastrophically widowed, Louisa discovers her picture perfect marriage was not all it appeared to be.
I’ll admit it took me a little longer than expected to get truly invested in this story, but once I had read the first few chapters I began to enjoy it. I will most definitely continue to read and enjoy this authors books and anticipate yet another great read from her in the future.
August 19, 2021
Po kelių rimtų knygų ir detektyvų ir šiaip visokių švenčių ir streso darbe man labai norėjosi kažko paprasto. O Dinah Jefferies rašo būtent tokias istorijas – neįpareigojančias, apie meilę, apie santykius, apie įdomias vietas ir, sakyčiau, netgi įdomius darbus dirbančius žmones. Kai pradėjau pažintį su šią autore, skaičiau „Arbatos plantatoriaus žmoną“ – pamenu, kad knyga man labai patiko, viskas buvo taip nenuspėjamai susukta, įdomu, ir tikrai įtraukė. Skaitant šią viskas buvo kiek kitaip... bet apie viską po truputį.
Luiza gyvena idealioje santuokoje. Atrodytų, idealioje. Ji nori vaikų, tačiau jos gyvenime persileidimai ją lydi vienas po kito... vyro problemos irgi vis iškiša savo nosį ir nori pasirodyti... bet vis viena – Luiza ir jos vyras bando iš visų jėgų. Arba taip tik atrodo, nes staiga jam žuvus avarijoje, Luiza sužino, jog jie gyveno tarsi atskirus gyvenimus...
Žinot, kokia mintis man sukosi skaitant šį romaną? Santa Barbara. Taip skyrelis – serija, skyrelis – serija. Tiek dramos, tiek gerų ir blogų veikėjų, ir tie antagonistai tokie... be charakterio... aišku, dar būtų galima ilgai ginčytis kurie iš veikėjų čia buvo blogi, o kurie geri. Buvo labai įdomu skaityti vien tam, kad sužinoti kas bus toliau, nors ir buvo galima nesunkiai viską nuspėti. Autorė atsargiai (o gal ir nelabai) vis mėtė užuominas tai apie vieną, tai apie kitą dalyką – pastabesnis skaitytojas netrukus suprastų kur čia šuo pakastas (ups) ir kame visa romano esmė.
Labai paprasti dialogai. Dar vis nesuprantu, ar gerai, ar blogai. Bet kuriuo atveju – norėjau pailsėti nuo streso – pailsėjau. Norėjau lengvos knygos – gavau lengvą. Ar man šiek tiek per „skysta“? Tikrai taip. Ar būčiau daug ką keitusi, gal net mažinusi apimtį, kad tik liktų kuo mažiau beprasmių pokalbių? Garantuotai. Taip vietomis jau net atkreipdavau dėmesį į tai, kad autorė gilinasi į nereikalingas detales.
Pagalvojus, ar galėtum taip greitai žengti į priekį po vyro žūties? Kad ir vyras buvo parazitas. Ar galėtum? Tai va, tokių nemažai dalykėlių pamąstymui, nes man kažkaip atrodo, kad jei tikrai labai myli žmogų, o jo netenki (nesvarbu, miršta, šiaip išsiskiriant, ar pameta), na negali savęs taip greitai paruošti kitiems santykiams... ech... nenoriu daugiau ką sakyti, kad neatskleisti siužeto... bet vis tiek apie tai galvoju.
Lengvas romanas. Daug dialogų. Aprašoma graži gamta. Nuspėjama, bet gal tuo ir visai žavi istorija. Norite pailsinti smegenis, knyga puikiai tam tiks.
Susitikime instagrame:
www.instagram.com/gretabrigita.lt
Visas apžvalgas rasite čia:
www.gretabrigita.lt
Leidyklos dovana.
Luiza gyvena idealioje santuokoje. Atrodytų, idealioje. Ji nori vaikų, tačiau jos gyvenime persileidimai ją lydi vienas po kito... vyro problemos irgi vis iškiša savo nosį ir nori pasirodyti... bet vis viena – Luiza ir jos vyras bando iš visų jėgų. Arba taip tik atrodo, nes staiga jam žuvus avarijoje, Luiza sužino, jog jie gyveno tarsi atskirus gyvenimus...
Žinot, kokia mintis man sukosi skaitant šį romaną? Santa Barbara. Taip skyrelis – serija, skyrelis – serija. Tiek dramos, tiek gerų ir blogų veikėjų, ir tie antagonistai tokie... be charakterio... aišku, dar būtų galima ilgai ginčytis kurie iš veikėjų čia buvo blogi, o kurie geri. Buvo labai įdomu skaityti vien tam, kad sužinoti kas bus toliau, nors ir buvo galima nesunkiai viską nuspėti. Autorė atsargiai (o gal ir nelabai) vis mėtė užuominas tai apie vieną, tai apie kitą dalyką – pastabesnis skaitytojas netrukus suprastų kur čia šuo pakastas (ups) ir kame visa romano esmė.
Labai paprasti dialogai. Dar vis nesuprantu, ar gerai, ar blogai. Bet kuriuo atveju – norėjau pailsėti nuo streso – pailsėjau. Norėjau lengvos knygos – gavau lengvą. Ar man šiek tiek per „skysta“? Tikrai taip. Ar būčiau daug ką keitusi, gal net mažinusi apimtį, kad tik liktų kuo mažiau beprasmių pokalbių? Garantuotai. Taip vietomis jau net atkreipdavau dėmesį į tai, kad autorė gilinasi į nereikalingas detales.
Pagalvojus, ar galėtum taip greitai žengti į priekį po vyro žūties? Kad ir vyras buvo parazitas. Ar galėtum? Tai va, tokių nemažai dalykėlių pamąstymui, nes man kažkaip atrodo, kad jei tikrai labai myli žmogų, o jo netenki (nesvarbu, miršta, šiaip išsiskiriant, ar pameta), na negali savęs taip greitai paruošti kitiems santykiams... ech... nenoriu daugiau ką sakyti, kad neatskleisti siužeto... bet vis tiek apie tai galvoju.
Lengvas romanas. Daug dialogų. Aprašoma graži gamta. Nuspėjama, bet gal tuo ir visai žavi istorija. Norite pailsinti smegenis, knyga puikiai tam tiks.
Susitikime instagrame:
www.instagram.com/gretabrigita.lt
Visas apžvalgas rasite čia:
www.gretabrigita.lt
Leidyklos dovana.
August 30, 2020
My main complaint with this is that all the characters, but most of all the protagonist Louisa, were such annoying wetwipes that I couldn't relate to or empathise with them at all and the emotions of the book just completely washed over my head. I'm all for flawed characters but there's not really any acknowledgement that eg Louisa misses all the glaringly obvious signs her hubby is up to no good and we're expected to go along with her feelings of shock and betrayal.
My second big issue was that the plot, although good, was SO slow - and not slow because it was filled with lovely prose developing a sense of setting (which there was a lot of scope to do) but slow because of inconsequential interactions and flat dialogue between the characters.
The best part about this was that it had the same setting as, and a few cameo appearances of the characters from, The Tea Planter's Wife, which is Dinah Jefferies' far far superior book and which I would really recommend if you like historical romance.
My second big issue was that the plot, although good, was SO slow - and not slow because it was filled with lovely prose developing a sense of setting (which there was a lot of scope to do) but slow because of inconsequential interactions and flat dialogue between the characters.
The best part about this was that it had the same setting as, and a few cameo appearances of the characters from, The Tea Planter's Wife, which is Dinah Jefferies' far far superior book and which I would really recommend if you like historical romance.
May 13, 2019
The Sapphire Widow is a wonderful story by Dinah Jeffries. This is the second book from this author that I have read. I enjoyed both of them immensely. This book is set in Ceylon in the 1930’s. It is beautifully written with magnificent details of this country. This story started out slow, but captured my attention as it developed. It is the tale of Louisa Reeve who seemed to have everything, except for one thing she longed to have a child. Her husband Elliot has a tragic accident and is killed. Louisa finds out that Elliot is less than truthful and is hiding many secrets. Will Louisa find out the truth and will she find love again.
Read this fascinating novel to find out.
Read this fascinating novel to find out.
February 8, 2020
Achei a história mais leve dos livros que já li desta autora e acho que foi o que mais gostei.
Apesar de achar que o nome do livro não tem muito o ver com a história em si, apesar de o negócio da familia ser Safiras.
Opinião completa em: https://aviciadadoslivros.blogspot.co...
Apesar de achar que o nome do livro não tem muito o ver com a história em si, apesar de o negócio da familia ser Safiras.
Opinião completa em: https://aviciadadoslivros.blogspot.co...
April 19, 2020
Probably more like 4.5 but I couldn't round it down to 4! This book was perfect for me, a gripping tale of love and loss but forgiveness was a huge part of this story too. I loved it. One of my only criticisms was that it didn't read on the whole as if it was the 1930's but that didn't take anything anyway from a fantastic story.
June 6, 2025
Gaila, bet šįkart nepatiko. Pradžia atrodė daug žadanti, bet tikrai per greitai paaiškėjo visa ta prekeivio paslaptis, o toliau viskas darėsi tik vis labiau nuspėjama ir nuobodu. Nebuvo jokio cinkelio, kuris keltų susidomėjimą.
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