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Echoes of Empire #2
The Tea Planter's Club
From award-winning author Ann Bennett, comes a heart-breaking story of love and loss set in World War II Burma.
In 1980, Edith Mayhew, proprietor of the Tea Planter’s Club in Calcutta, is preparing to sell up after years of decline. She thinks back to 1942 when her sister Betty vanished having fled over the mountains from Burma to Assam to escape the Japanese invasion. Whilst packing, Edith comes across some letters which may hold clues to Betty’s mysterious disappearance.
The discovery propels Edith on an epic journey to Assam, where she is forced to face devastating secrets of love and betrayal from the war years.
In 1980, Edith Mayhew, proprietor of the Tea Planter’s Club in Calcutta, is preparing to sell up after years of decline. She thinks back to 1942 when her sister Betty vanished having fled over the mountains from Burma to Assam to escape the Japanese invasion. Whilst packing, Edith comes across some letters which may hold clues to Betty’s mysterious disappearance.
The discovery propels Edith on an epic journey to Assam, where she is forced to face devastating secrets of love and betrayal from the war years.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 15, 2020
1192 people are currently reading
820 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
August 20, 2020
I enjoyed The Tea Planters Club. I especially like stories of the British Empire during colonial times in historical fiction and this book tied in some events I really knew nothing about. The attack on the countries of Burma and India by the Japanese during WW11. The plight of the people trying to escape from the approaching Japanese army, who the British Army had sadly underestimated, left the lives of their British citizens and those they oppressed in dire and tragic circumstances. It also told the stories of Burmese insurgents who wanted to free their country from British rule and first sided with the Japanese, fooled into thinking the Japanese would help to restore them to power in their country.
The story of two sisters separated during the war and one sister’s quest to find out what happened to the other, was interesting and moving. I enjoyed the writings of the one sister’s journal as she described her daily life and what lead to her daring escape with her son from Burma at the height of the war.
The story of two sisters separated during the war and one sister’s quest to find out what happened to the other, was interesting and moving. I enjoyed the writings of the one sister’s journal as she described her daily life and what lead to her daring escape with her son from Burma at the height of the war.
April 26, 2022
Mildly entertaining, but lacking in substance. The Club had little to do with the story. The likelihood of struggling through mountains with a tiny baby and malaria and still taking time to write in a journal is infinitesimal. Read it if you don’t want to think.
August 28, 2025
What a great story set in Calcutta, Assam and Rangoon (Burma) against WWII timeline and 1980. Fantastic read on the beach ⛱️ in Colombia! 🇨🇴
October 9, 2020
The Best Book I Have Read This Year.
Right from the first page, this book was captured my attention. I look for books with strong, believable, characters, but; also with strong storylines. The Tea Planter's Club certainly ticks both of these boxes. Ann Bennett did an excellent job of researching the time period in which the book is set (Second World War Burma and India) and the reader comes to understand the historical context without feeling she is reading a textbook.
An excellent read that I highly recommend.
Right from the first page, this book was captured my attention. I look for books with strong, believable, characters, but; also with strong storylines. The Tea Planter's Club certainly ticks both of these boxes. Ann Bennett did an excellent job of researching the time period in which the book is set (Second World War Burma and India) and the reader comes to understand the historical context without feeling she is reading a textbook.
An excellent read that I highly recommend.
July 13, 2020
Edith and Betty had grown up close, as their parents were too busy drinking and enjoying themselves to look after the girls, but Edith, the eldest was the sensible one, while Betty was the beauty. Arriving in Calcutta in 1938, a terrifying stabbing in the street drives them into The Tea Planters’ Club, where Gregory, the kind, courteous, British owner provides them with a suite. The two young women seek employment and reasonable accommodation, but meeting Robert Furnvall, a handsome, wealthy businessman from Rangoon, quickly changes Betty’s plans. She flirts outrageously with Robert, ignoring Edith’s feelings and within a week they have married and set out for Burma. Edith hides her sadness, working hard in a boring office but when she decides she can no longer afford to stay at the Tea Planter’ Club, Gregory asks her to marry him and help him running the hotel. Theirs is a marriage of friendship and respect but in Rangoon, Betty finds her new husband boring and the colonial life tedious.
Both women are aware that war is approaching the East as the Japanese army invade Malaya. Both Gregory and Robert join the forces but while Edith maintains the Club for army officers, Betty is conducting an illicit affair. Soon Betty has to flee Rangoon as a refugee and her experiences change her character dramatically. Edith anxiously awaited her sister’s arrival in Calcutta but now in 1980 she still wonders what happened to Betty. As she begins to pack up the hotel, she finds a hidden letter which might help her find out more. She travels up to Assam to a tea plantation where refugees were seen in 1942, hoping for news.
It was difficult to put this gripping story down, as Edith wins our sympathy immediately and yet gradually we find qualities in Betty which even she was unaware of. The story describes the frustrating life of many of the colonial wives, seeking a purpose or idling their lives away with gossip and partying, while the native populations long for independence. As the dramatic events of World War Two destroy their way of life, relationships become the most important thing. There is suffering and sadness within this novel but also a great mystery is solved in a satisfactory way, with the promise of happiness for those who are left.
Both women are aware that war is approaching the East as the Japanese army invade Malaya. Both Gregory and Robert join the forces but while Edith maintains the Club for army officers, Betty is conducting an illicit affair. Soon Betty has to flee Rangoon as a refugee and her experiences change her character dramatically. Edith anxiously awaited her sister’s arrival in Calcutta but now in 1980 she still wonders what happened to Betty. As she begins to pack up the hotel, she finds a hidden letter which might help her find out more. She travels up to Assam to a tea plantation where refugees were seen in 1942, hoping for news.
It was difficult to put this gripping story down, as Edith wins our sympathy immediately and yet gradually we find qualities in Betty which even she was unaware of. The story describes the frustrating life of many of the colonial wives, seeking a purpose or idling their lives away with gossip and partying, while the native populations long for independence. As the dramatic events of World War Two destroy their way of life, relationships become the most important thing. There is suffering and sadness within this novel but also a great mystery is solved in a satisfactory way, with the promise of happiness for those who are left.
April 6, 2021
A wonderfully descriptive book. Emotionally draining to read the sacrifices Edith and Robert made to only discover 40 years later they were for nothing.
At first I was confused as to why Olive and Henry were part of the book, I liked the way she changed and helped people until her maternal needs took over, it was very upsetting 😢 to hear she wasn't a good mother in the end.
I loved the development of Betty and her emotional realisation throughout the journal, I was so upset that she knew what she should have been given to help her malaria but was too ill to ask.....
The ending was beautiful with so much positive hope for Robert and Edith.
At first I was confused as to why Olive and Henry were part of the book, I liked the way she changed and helped people until her maternal needs took over, it was very upsetting 😢 to hear she wasn't a good mother in the end.
I loved the development of Betty and her emotional realisation throughout the journal, I was so upset that she knew what she should have been given to help her malaria but was too ill to ask.....
The ending was beautiful with so much positive hope for Robert and Edith.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2020
As I enjoyed Ann Bennett's Malaysia book - The Planter's Wife - recently, I thought I would give this one a read.
Recommended. This is another well-crafted story with many authentic evocations of the war years (WWII) in India and Burma. With the spine of the story on the relationship between two sisters from England, I found some of my interest flagging slightly with the younger sister's diary (no spoilers). I felt there was some risk of unbalancing the narrative flow. Tempted to give 3.5 stars (which is above my 3 star rating for a solidly crafted story); however, the attempt to show how the younger spoilt sister changes through various hardships lifts this novel onto much higher ground.
I will read more of this author's work for sure.
Recommended. This is another well-crafted story with many authentic evocations of the war years (WWII) in India and Burma. With the spine of the story on the relationship between two sisters from England, I found some of my interest flagging slightly with the younger sister's diary (no spoilers). I felt there was some risk of unbalancing the narrative flow. Tempted to give 3.5 stars (which is above my 3 star rating for a solidly crafted story); however, the attempt to show how the younger spoilt sister changes through various hardships lifts this novel onto much higher ground.
I will read more of this author's work for sure.
August 2, 2020
Enthralling- I could not put it down !
What an incredible writer - I felt like I was either in the most glorious setting or one that was almost hell. Ann’s writing is so descriptive that you honestly feel alive at the time the book is set. Well done! I can’t wait to read more of her stories,
What an incredible writer - I felt like I was either in the most glorious setting or one that was almost hell. Ann’s writing is so descriptive that you honestly feel alive at the time the book is set. Well done! I can’t wait to read more of her stories,
August 16, 2020
This was such an amazing read. Could not put it down. I had to know what next was going
to happen.
This is an historical/fiction of two sisters Betty and Edith and what they faced during the
Burma-India fighting for their freedom during WW2. How life was and the chooses these
sister made.
You feel like you are right there with these people and how they felt.
Really enjoyed this book.
to happen.
This is an historical/fiction of two sisters Betty and Edith and what they faced during the
Burma-India fighting for their freedom during WW2. How life was and the chooses these
sister made.
You feel like you are right there with these people and how they felt.
Really enjoyed this book.
August 17, 2020
Loved this book!
The story of two very different sisters is set during WW2 when the Japanese were invading Burma. It was very traumatic for the native people, as they had to flee for their lives. Years later Edith travels from Calcutta to Burma, determined to uncover the secrets her sister Betty had hidden. The details are shocking. The story came alive for me and I couldn’t put this book down!
The story of two very different sisters is set during WW2 when the Japanese were invading Burma. It was very traumatic for the native people, as they had to flee for their lives. Years later Edith travels from Calcutta to Burma, determined to uncover the secrets her sister Betty had hidden. The details are shocking. The story came alive for me and I couldn’t put this book down!
October 9, 2020
Great story!
I absolutely loved this book. Has everything you need in a story. A love triangle. A strained sibling relationship. Heartbreak. Adventure. Ect... Shows how a selfish person can change into one of the most giving. It's going to be hard to find a book that measures up to this one.
I absolutely loved this book. Has everything you need in a story. A love triangle. A strained sibling relationship. Heartbreak. Adventure. Ect... Shows how a selfish person can change into one of the most giving. It's going to be hard to find a book that measures up to this one.
October 4, 2020
Loved this book. So well written. It had me hooked immediately. I could not put it down but also did not want it to end.
May 17, 2022
A heart-breaking story of love and loss set in WWII Burma. In 1980, Edith Mayhew, proprietor of the Tea Planter's Club in Calcutta, is preparing to sell up after years of decline. She thinks back to 1942 when her sister Betty vanished having fled over the mountains from Burma to Assam to escape the Japanese invasion. Whilst paccking, Edith comes across some letters which may hold clues to Betty's disappearance. The discovery propels Edith on an epic journey to Assam, where she is forced to face devastating secrets of love and betrayal from the war years.
Chowringhee (also spelt Chourangi) is a neighbourhood of Central Kolkata, in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Chowringhee Road (officially Jawaharlal Nehru Road) runs on its western side. A neighbourhood steeped in history, it is a business district, as well as a shopper's destination and entertainment-hotel centre. Khidirpur or Kidderpore is a neighborhood of metropolitan Kolkata (Calcutta), in Kolkata district, West Bengal, India. The name is a corruption of Khidrpur or Khizarpur, Khizr/Khidr being the guardian saint of the seas to the fishing communities of Bengal. Another theory points out that the port probably got its name from James Kyd, a 19th-century engineer who designed and supervised the building of the lock gate that connects the nearby port to the Hooghly River. In the early years of British rule, Kolkata port was a river anchorage where sailing ships would load and unload in mid-stream. The shore-based Calcutta jetties, with cranes and sheds, came into operation in 1869. In 1884, Kidderpore was selected as the site for the wet docks of the Port of Kolkata, and it was ready in 1892. King George (later renamed Netaji Subhas) Dock was added in 1928. Haldia Dock System is part of Kolkata port. Its first unit, Haldia oil jetty, was commissioned in 1969. Kolkata port was the premier port of India till the early 1950s. The Writers' Buildings, often shortened to just Writers', is the official secretariat building of the state government of West Bengal in Kolkata, India. The building covers the entire northern stretch of the iconic Lal Dighi pond at the centre of historic B.B.D. Bagh, long considered as the administrative and business hub of the city. It originally served as the principal administrative office for writers (junior clerks) of the British East India Company (EIC). It also marked the centre of the 'White Town', populated primarily by English merchants, officers and EIC functionaries which was kept separate from the 'Black Town' populated primarily by the native landowners and businessmen.
Fort William is a fort in Hastings, Calcutta (Kolkata). It was built during the early years of the Bengal Presidency of British India. It sits on the eastern banks of the Hooghly River, the major distributary of the River Ganges. One of Kolkata's most enduring Raj-era edifices.
Myitkyina is the capital city of Kachin State in Myanmar (Burma) from Yangon, and from Mandalay. In Burmese it means "near the big river". Japanese forces captured the town and nearby airbase during World War II in 1942. In August 1944, Myitkyina was recaptured by the Allied forces under General Joseph Stilwell after a prolonged siege and heavy fighting between Nationalist Chinese divisions, the Chindits, and Merrill's Marauders of the Northern Combat Area Command and the besieged elements of the 33rd Imperial Japanese Army under General Masaki Honda. The town was strategically important not only because of its rail and water links to the rest of Burma, but also because it was on the planned route of the Ledo Road. The Ledo Road (from Ledo, Assam, India to Kunming, Yunnan, China) was an overland connection between India and China, built during World War II to enable the Western Allies to deliver supplies to China and aid the war effort against Japan. After the Japanese cut off the Burma Road in 1942 an alternative was required, hence the construction of the Ledo Road.
While experimenting to introduce tea in India, British colonists noticed that tea plants with thicker leaves also grew in Assam, and these, when planted in India, responded very well. The major tea-producing states in India are: Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Sikkim, Nagaland, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Bihar, Orissa. Much of the world's tea is harvested on plantations called "estates" or "gardens."
Gyles Mackrell DFC GM (9 October 1888 – 20 February 1959) was a British tea planter known for organising a rescue of refugees retreating from the advancing Japanese across the Burma-India border during World War II. Mackrell was a shikari in Shillong, Assam with his own elephant transport business and also acted as an agent for the tea agents Octavius Steel & Co.[4] On 4 June 1942, some refugees managed to cross the Dapha River, which had been swollen by monsoon rains, by forming a human chain and told Mackrell about the great difficulty others were experiencing trying to cross the Chaukan Pass at the Burma-India border. When the monsoon winds and river calmed he decided to use his elephants to help. "These elephants are quite capable of such a daunting task," he said and by September had rescued about 200 people, mainly British and Indian soldiers, feeding and caring for them until help arrived, despite falling severely ill with fever himself for some time.
The Japanese occupation of Burma was the period between 1942 and 1945 during World War II, when Burma was occupied by the Empire of Japan. The Japanese had assisted formation of the Burma Independence Army, and trained the Thirty Comrades, who were the founders of the modern Armed Forces (Tatmadaw). The Burmese hoped to gain support of the Japanese in expelling the British, so that Burma could become independent. In 1942, Japan invaded Burma and nominally declared the colony independent as the State of Burma on 17 May 1942. A puppet government led by Ba Maw was installed. However, many Burmese began to believe the Japanese had no intention of giving them real independence. Aung San, father of future opposition leader and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, and other nationalist leaders formed the Anti-Fascist Organisation in August 1944, which asked the United Kingdom to form a coalition with the other Allies against the Japanese. By April 1945, the Allies had driven out the Japanese. Subsequently, negotiations began between the Burmese and the British for independence.
Chowringhee (also spelt Chourangi) is a neighbourhood of Central Kolkata, in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Chowringhee Road (officially Jawaharlal Nehru Road) runs on its western side. A neighbourhood steeped in history, it is a business district, as well as a shopper's destination and entertainment-hotel centre. Khidirpur or Kidderpore is a neighborhood of metropolitan Kolkata (Calcutta), in Kolkata district, West Bengal, India. The name is a corruption of Khidrpur or Khizarpur, Khizr/Khidr being the guardian saint of the seas to the fishing communities of Bengal. Another theory points out that the port probably got its name from James Kyd, a 19th-century engineer who designed and supervised the building of the lock gate that connects the nearby port to the Hooghly River. In the early years of British rule, Kolkata port was a river anchorage where sailing ships would load and unload in mid-stream. The shore-based Calcutta jetties, with cranes and sheds, came into operation in 1869. In 1884, Kidderpore was selected as the site for the wet docks of the Port of Kolkata, and it was ready in 1892. King George (later renamed Netaji Subhas) Dock was added in 1928. Haldia Dock System is part of Kolkata port. Its first unit, Haldia oil jetty, was commissioned in 1969. Kolkata port was the premier port of India till the early 1950s. The Writers' Buildings, often shortened to just Writers', is the official secretariat building of the state government of West Bengal in Kolkata, India. The building covers the entire northern stretch of the iconic Lal Dighi pond at the centre of historic B.B.D. Bagh, long considered as the administrative and business hub of the city. It originally served as the principal administrative office for writers (junior clerks) of the British East India Company (EIC). It also marked the centre of the 'White Town', populated primarily by English merchants, officers and EIC functionaries which was kept separate from the 'Black Town' populated primarily by the native landowners and businessmen.
Fort William is a fort in Hastings, Calcutta (Kolkata). It was built during the early years of the Bengal Presidency of British India. It sits on the eastern banks of the Hooghly River, the major distributary of the River Ganges. One of Kolkata's most enduring Raj-era edifices.
Myitkyina is the capital city of Kachin State in Myanmar (Burma) from Yangon, and from Mandalay. In Burmese it means "near the big river". Japanese forces captured the town and nearby airbase during World War II in 1942. In August 1944, Myitkyina was recaptured by the Allied forces under General Joseph Stilwell after a prolonged siege and heavy fighting between Nationalist Chinese divisions, the Chindits, and Merrill's Marauders of the Northern Combat Area Command and the besieged elements of the 33rd Imperial Japanese Army under General Masaki Honda. The town was strategically important not only because of its rail and water links to the rest of Burma, but also because it was on the planned route of the Ledo Road. The Ledo Road (from Ledo, Assam, India to Kunming, Yunnan, China) was an overland connection between India and China, built during World War II to enable the Western Allies to deliver supplies to China and aid the war effort against Japan. After the Japanese cut off the Burma Road in 1942 an alternative was required, hence the construction of the Ledo Road.
While experimenting to introduce tea in India, British colonists noticed that tea plants with thicker leaves also grew in Assam, and these, when planted in India, responded very well. The major tea-producing states in India are: Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Sikkim, Nagaland, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Bihar, Orissa. Much of the world's tea is harvested on plantations called "estates" or "gardens."
Gyles Mackrell DFC GM (9 October 1888 – 20 February 1959) was a British tea planter known for organising a rescue of refugees retreating from the advancing Japanese across the Burma-India border during World War II. Mackrell was a shikari in Shillong, Assam with his own elephant transport business and also acted as an agent for the tea agents Octavius Steel & Co.[4] On 4 June 1942, some refugees managed to cross the Dapha River, which had been swollen by monsoon rains, by forming a human chain and told Mackrell about the great difficulty others were experiencing trying to cross the Chaukan Pass at the Burma-India border. When the monsoon winds and river calmed he decided to use his elephants to help. "These elephants are quite capable of such a daunting task," he said and by September had rescued about 200 people, mainly British and Indian soldiers, feeding and caring for them until help arrived, despite falling severely ill with fever himself for some time.
The Japanese occupation of Burma was the period between 1942 and 1945 during World War II, when Burma was occupied by the Empire of Japan. The Japanese had assisted formation of the Burma Independence Army, and trained the Thirty Comrades, who were the founders of the modern Armed Forces (Tatmadaw). The Burmese hoped to gain support of the Japanese in expelling the British, so that Burma could become independent. In 1942, Japan invaded Burma and nominally declared the colony independent as the State of Burma on 17 May 1942. A puppet government led by Ba Maw was installed. However, many Burmese began to believe the Japanese had no intention of giving them real independence. Aung San, father of future opposition leader and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, and other nationalist leaders formed the Anti-Fascist Organisation in August 1944, which asked the United Kingdom to form a coalition with the other Allies against the Japanese. By April 1945, the Allies had driven out the Japanese. Subsequently, negotiations began between the Burmese and the British for independence.
September 29, 2020
I enjoyed this story and seeing this side of the war. The train rides and the landscape was described beautifully.
June 22, 2021
Edith Mayhew, owner of the Tea Planter's Club in Calcutta, is preparing the property for sale when she finds a journal written by her estranged sister Betty. The journal reveals that in 1942, ahead of the Japanese invasion of Burma, Betty was forced to leave her privileged life, and the man she unwisely loved, and set out on foot over the mountains from Burma to Assam, India. Reading about Betty's harrowing journey, Edith begins to realize how different her sister had become, and how they both had to deal with betrayal and misplaced loyalty, as well as redemption and healing.
September 21, 2020
Wow. Really good
I really enjoyed this book. It stared off a tad slow but picked up and I couldn’t put it down.
I really enjoyed this book. It stared off a tad slow but picked up and I couldn’t put it down.
August 19, 2020
Exceptional although parts were quite long and melodramatic. Then again wartime was an awful experience if you were an expat in a foreign country.
August 30, 2020
Kept me turning pages and losing sleep. Great Read!
October 30, 2020
Pretty good story. Pretty shallow and not particularly well written. Quick read. Engaging.
August 28, 2021
Parts of the book were very interesting but towards the end it got very repetitious and disappointing.
October 3, 2021
3.5 stars. A quick and easy read. Slightly campy but still an enjoyable story.
July 13, 2022
Not much depth. The Tea Planter's Club had little to do with the story. The odds of making the journey in the story were not believable. Very disappointing.
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May 22, 2021The first World War 2 story i read - that touched my heart is "The Winter Garden".. From that point, i have read so many of those stories. At some point, I vowed not to read a story which is based on the concentration camps. i decided not to read the accounts of Russians who died by starving.. but- i keep going back to those war days, reading the accounts from various survivor's eyes
And here I am reading about the WWII story of my own country - India.
Hidden in the Assamese mountains, is the Chaukan Pass.. This story is fully based on Calcutta, Rangoon and the inbetween pathway - Chaukan Pass.
When Betty writes her journals - I do feel bad about how she is betraying her husband, her marriage and her country to be exact. How heartless YeWan is to not love a girl but use her to get what he wants.. In any of the Freedom Fighter story in India - you would not find such thing. For some reason - Indian stories dont want to go against the society norms and marriage rules to just get information... There is almost a lot of Karma in the story by Ann Bennett..
Betty leaves her sister stranded in Calcutta almost stealing her lover and going to Rangoon.. அங்கும் போய் செல்வமும் செல்வாக்கும் போதும் என்று நில்லாமல், ராபர்ட்டை ஏமாற்றுகிறாள். எப்படியும் ராபர்டும் அதற்கு முன் , திருமணமான பெண்ணான ப்ளோரன்ஸுடன் கள்ளத் தொடர்பு வைத்திருந்த கதையைச் சொல்லும்போது, ராபர்ட்டுக்கும் இது வேண்டும் என்று தோன்றுகிறது..
அலெக்ஸ் எல்லாம் தெரியவரும்போது, கொஞ்சம் கூட தன் அம்மாவின் ஏமாற்றுதல், கள்ளத்தனம் எல்லாம் பற்றி எண்ணாமல், பர்மாவின் சுதந்திரப் போராட்ட வீரனின் மகன் என்பதில் அதிக மகிழ்ச்சி அடைகிறான்.. Even if i think this is too much - I do have to agree that this is all fair in war.. they have had a big war before that.. People who have lived through WWII will ofcourse think of all these as fair..
One thing Ann has definitely missed is the famine of Bengal in the 1942.. With all these information - there must have been some scenes from the famine which is missed. However, She does succeed in getting us through the eyes of the refugees who had to walk through the Chaukan Pass during the worldwar. It really gives you the creeps and makes you walk along with Betty and Rashid..
I am reminded of my Husband's grandmother, who had made a similar difficult journey back to India in 1942 from Rangoon. She was little and had the advantage of making the passage along with family and also did it on-time in the ships provided for the same purpose.. Still shows you how difficult it is..
And here I am reading about the WWII story of my own country - India.
Hidden in the Assamese mountains, is the Chaukan Pass.. This story is fully based on Calcutta, Rangoon and the inbetween pathway - Chaukan Pass.
When Betty writes her journals - I do feel bad about how she is betraying her husband, her marriage and her country to be exact. How heartless YeWan is to not love a girl but use her to get what he wants.. In any of the Freedom Fighter story in India - you would not find such thing. For some reason - Indian stories dont want to go against the society norms and marriage rules to just get information... There is almost a lot of Karma in the story by Ann Bennett..
Betty leaves her sister stranded in Calcutta almost stealing her lover and going to Rangoon.. அங்கும் போய் செல்வமும் செல்வாக்கும் போதும் என்று நில்லாமல், ராபர்ட்டை ஏமாற்றுகிறாள். எப்படியும் ராபர்டும் அதற்கு முன் , திருமணமான பெண்ணான ப்ளோரன்ஸுடன் கள்ளத் தொடர்பு வைத்திருந்த கதையைச் சொல்லும்போது, ராபர்ட்டுக்கும் இது வேண்டும் என்று தோன்றுகிறது..
அலெக்ஸ் எல்லாம் தெரியவரும்போது, கொஞ்சம் கூட தன் அம்மாவின் ஏமாற்றுதல், கள்ளத்தனம் எல்லாம் பற்றி எண்ணாமல், பர்மாவின் சுதந்திரப் போராட்ட வீரனின் மகன் என்பதில் அதிக மகிழ்ச்சி அடைகிறான்.. Even if i think this is too much - I do have to agree that this is all fair in war.. they have had a big war before that.. People who have lived through WWII will ofcourse think of all these as fair..
One thing Ann has definitely missed is the famine of Bengal in the 1942.. With all these information - there must have been some scenes from the famine which is missed. However, She does succeed in getting us through the eyes of the refugees who had to walk through the Chaukan Pass during the worldwar. It really gives you the creeps and makes you walk along with Betty and Rashid..
I am reminded of my Husband's grandmother, who had made a similar difficult journey back to India in 1942 from Rangoon. She was little and had the advantage of making the passage along with family and also did it on-time in the ships provided for the same purpose.. Still shows you how difficult it is..
August 15, 2021
The Tea Planters Club
This book is a refreshing difference. It is about sisters who leave England for a better life in Calcutta prior to WWII. Their uncle in the UK was able to procure a secretarial position for them, as with their negligent parents they felt forced to leave England. The youngest sister immediately caught the eye of a very wealthy man, Robert, who owns a steamship company in Burma (Myanmar). Edith the elder sister, was the responsible daughter who ensured her sister Betty was taken care of, and she did without to ensure she got what she wanted. Betty wanted Robert, even though she knew Edith cared for him. When Betty married Robert, Edith’s heart was broken. Betty finds herself entranced with a Burmese lawyer, Ye Win, when she relocates to Rangoon with her new husband Robert. With Ye Wins hypnotic ways, he lures her to be with him, for information that she can obtain from Robert. This book goes into detail about how the British Empire ruled Burma, and how the ex.pats operate, how the Burmese felt with their occupation. It shares a lot of human emotion, underlying feelings, and basic human rights. War in Europe felt so far away, it was hard to imagine anything transpiring in Burma. Things took a turn for the worse, Betty ends up having to leave Burma after the Japanese attack. She follows the rest of the evacuees through the mountains and the terrors of the jungle to get to India. What happens to her is revealed in a diary that described horrific things as Betty escaped, totally alone and defenceless, exhausted, and dread of what was coming, especially as she was making such a dangerous trek over the mountains. It describes the brutal life of the colonials who lived in Burma if they didn’t get out in time. It is a book that is hard to stop reading and is a compelling heartfelt story, very painfully descriptive, but so educational to those who love history. This book is Highly recommended. Definitely a must read. Well done Ann Bennett.
This book is a refreshing difference. It is about sisters who leave England for a better life in Calcutta prior to WWII. Their uncle in the UK was able to procure a secretarial position for them, as with their negligent parents they felt forced to leave England. The youngest sister immediately caught the eye of a very wealthy man, Robert, who owns a steamship company in Burma (Myanmar). Edith the elder sister, was the responsible daughter who ensured her sister Betty was taken care of, and she did without to ensure she got what she wanted. Betty wanted Robert, even though she knew Edith cared for him. When Betty married Robert, Edith’s heart was broken. Betty finds herself entranced with a Burmese lawyer, Ye Win, when she relocates to Rangoon with her new husband Robert. With Ye Wins hypnotic ways, he lures her to be with him, for information that she can obtain from Robert. This book goes into detail about how the British Empire ruled Burma, and how the ex.pats operate, how the Burmese felt with their occupation. It shares a lot of human emotion, underlying feelings, and basic human rights. War in Europe felt so far away, it was hard to imagine anything transpiring in Burma. Things took a turn for the worse, Betty ends up having to leave Burma after the Japanese attack. She follows the rest of the evacuees through the mountains and the terrors of the jungle to get to India. What happens to her is revealed in a diary that described horrific things as Betty escaped, totally alone and defenceless, exhausted, and dread of what was coming, especially as she was making such a dangerous trek over the mountains. It describes the brutal life of the colonials who lived in Burma if they didn’t get out in time. It is a book that is hard to stop reading and is a compelling heartfelt story, very painfully descriptive, but so educational to those who love history. This book is Highly recommended. Definitely a must read. Well done Ann Bennett.
April 7, 2021
I really enjoyed this book, it was absorbing and fast moving. However, I felt the ending was rather rushed and incomplete. By that I mean that I did not personally feel there was proper closure to the story. Perhaps this is because I was so invested in the characters, I would have liked there to have been more about Betty's legacy e.g. did she her a proper grave in the end, what did her son feel after reading her journal and did he change his name to his birth name, Ananda? The story started and ended with Edith but I felt like it was more about Betty and I was left wondering how knowing her story has affected the lives of her son and his family, not just Edith and Robert. Another chapter with some more detail on this would have been nice I think but apart from that, it was a great book and an interesting read. I will definitely be recommending it to others.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2021
A wonderful read. Poor Betty, she tried her utmost to get to India with her baby son.
Its a heart wrenching story culminating during the invasion of Burma by the cruel Japanese. Betty had written to her sister Edith promising she would make her way to her after she lost her home. She wrote a journal as often as possible during the journey which could be read later informing of events during that horrendous time.
I found some of the descriptions in the journal a bit long considering Betty's state of health and circumstances but nevertheless it is heartbreaking and much research has gone into the situation in Burma even before invasion. Even today, the people of Myanmar are suffering oppression.
The characters were so well written and convincing of the life style of the expats who enjoyed superior privileges compared to their servants and the poor population.
Its a heart wrenching story culminating during the invasion of Burma by the cruel Japanese. Betty had written to her sister Edith promising she would make her way to her after she lost her home. She wrote a journal as often as possible during the journey which could be read later informing of events during that horrendous time.
I found some of the descriptions in the journal a bit long considering Betty's state of health and circumstances but nevertheless it is heartbreaking and much research has gone into the situation in Burma even before invasion. Even today, the people of Myanmar are suffering oppression.
The characters were so well written and convincing of the life style of the expats who enjoyed superior privileges compared to their servants and the poor population.
May 29, 2023
Well written dialogue, good characters, great story-line. That is why I kept reading. However, both this story and the previous one, "The Planter's Wife" start out just the same. Sisters that lost both parents and moved to start a new life on one of the Brit Ruled Empires of the time. In each, the older sister is responsible and dutiful and the younger is spoiled and capricious.
The author doesn't seem to care too much about using the language of this time period and doesn't seem to care if her general history of this time period is very accurate. She does write a really good story that draws you in and holds you there.
The two above mentioned stories were very similar and formulaic. I am not sure about reading a third one.
The author doesn't seem to care too much about using the language of this time period and doesn't seem to care if her general history of this time period is very accurate. She does write a really good story that draws you in and holds you there.
The two above mentioned stories were very similar and formulaic. I am not sure about reading a third one.
November 19, 2024
Edith has wondered for forty years what happened to her sister, Betty. Both girls had moved to Calcutta to start a new life for themselves. Shortly after their arrival, Betty marries a man from Burma and moves with him to Rangoon. Edith gets married as well and stays in India. During World War Two, communication was limited, and eventually stopped all together. Now, years later, Edith discovered a journal her sister wrote. It was full of dark secrets that Betty had kept hidden for years. It also revealed to Edith how much courage her younger sister had. Once I got into it, this book was almost impossible to put down. It was intense.
February 11, 2021
Loved this book about the two sisters Edith and Betty who went to Calcutta in the 1930s. The gold digging Betty is married to a rich shipping tycoon within a fortnight and moves to Burma. Edith stays in Calcutta and marries an older man. Then war breaks out the Japanese invade Malaya and bomb Burma and then the mystery unfolds. Edith has never known what happened to Betty and forty years later she finds a letter and ... ! Captivating story telling, I couldn’t put it down and now I’m going on an Ann Bennet adventure with more of her books.
May 12, 2021
Wonderful
This book is an excellent examination of India and Burma during the second World War.
If examines the lives of 2 sisters who arrive from England and marry Englishmen living in India and Burma.
The start of the war causes them to.lose contact and years later the elder sister gets clues to her sister's fate.
I found it very well written with a keen understanding of the growth of Betty, the younger sister, as she undertakes a harrowing escape.from.the Japanese army that has invaded Burma.
This book is an excellent examination of India and Burma during the second World War.
If examines the lives of 2 sisters who arrive from England and marry Englishmen living in India and Burma.
The start of the war causes them to.lose contact and years later the elder sister gets clues to her sister's fate.
I found it very well written with a keen understanding of the growth of Betty, the younger sister, as she undertakes a harrowing escape.from.the Japanese army that has invaded Burma.
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