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Tea Town
Set in Sri Lanka, where the global love for tea has its roots, two girls find themselves thrown into despair when their naive love fantasies turn out to be not-so-glamorous.Zyva, with her head in the clouds and feet in the land of swirling mist, learns there's more to life than uniting with her beau – her initially annoying, new neighbour who loves to pull pranks on her. Hea, ambitious and short-tempered, finds her dreams of being an international badminton coach derailed, as she is burdened with the responsibility of nursing a child-like adult who has grown up in the wild.The story takes you through the empowering transformations of these two young women. Both of them find ways to create happiness, resilience and optimism as they encounter different dimensions of love, family ties, responsibilities and mental health issues amidst the backdrop of majestic mountains, lush tea plantations and azure-gold beaches.
222 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 30, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 25, 2021
A passionate debut novel from author Azraa Killru - you can feel the emotions rippling off the pages.
Disclaimer: I have traveled to Sri Lanka a couple of times and I just love the island. So a romantic fiction centering around Sri Lankan tea is something right up my alley. If you haven't been to Sri Lanka, this is a great book to get you acquainted with the culture and tea traditions of the country.
I enjoyed getting to know the characters: shy but passionate Zyva, her headtrong and brilliant sister Mausse, their protective older brother Kryad, and of course Zyva's love interest Danvern. The minor characters also have their own unique story arcs, such as their family friend Hea.
The plot mainly follows Zyva and Dan's relationship, with twists and turns along the way. I have to say they are really quite cute, and the chemistry between the two of them is sizzling. I liked their relationship and character growths.
One thing that did catch me off-guard was the shifting perspective from the main protagonist to Dan (very briefly), and to Hea (in Part 2). It's nice to have shifting narrators, however Dan's perspective didn't come back again, which I thought was too bad because I would have liked to see things from his point of view for some of the later events.
Hea's narrative came with a jolt of surprise for me, because I wasn't sure who Hea was at first and how she was connected to the main story. However, later on Hea's story arc plays a dramatic part in the main plot, so things clicked into place.
Overall, I enjoyed this romantic Kandyan tale and look forward to possible future developments - it would be a hoot to read something centering around Mausse!
Disclaimer: I have traveled to Sri Lanka a couple of times and I just love the island. So a romantic fiction centering around Sri Lankan tea is something right up my alley. If you haven't been to Sri Lanka, this is a great book to get you acquainted with the culture and tea traditions of the country.
I enjoyed getting to know the characters: shy but passionate Zyva, her headtrong and brilliant sister Mausse, their protective older brother Kryad, and of course Zyva's love interest Danvern. The minor characters also have their own unique story arcs, such as their family friend Hea.
The plot mainly follows Zyva and Dan's relationship, with twists and turns along the way. I have to say they are really quite cute, and the chemistry between the two of them is sizzling. I liked their relationship and character growths.
One thing that did catch me off-guard was the shifting perspective from the main protagonist to Dan (very briefly), and to Hea (in Part 2). It's nice to have shifting narrators, however Dan's perspective didn't come back again, which I thought was too bad because I would have liked to see things from his point of view for some of the later events.
Hea's narrative came with a jolt of surprise for me, because I wasn't sure who Hea was at first and how she was connected to the main story. However, later on Hea's story arc plays a dramatic part in the main plot, so things clicked into place.
Overall, I enjoyed this romantic Kandyan tale and look forward to possible future developments - it would be a hoot to read something centering around Mausse!
August 18, 2021
This book is amazing.
The character, the plot and everything else is brilliant. Really love the writing style too.
This also talks about current issues and I’m sure everyone can relate to them, thank you for the book.
The character, the plot and everything else is brilliant. Really love the writing style too.
This also talks about current issues and I’m sure everyone can relate to them, thank you for the book.
August 23, 2021
Tea town is a story that touches close to home. Probably because of the familiar surroundings the author has so beautifully described . It’s a story about adults finding their way through life, discovering love, horrors about the reality of estate workers and importance on mental health. Through laughter and the tears and the amazing bond between the siblings, and the misunderstandings, love somehow finds its way in the right place, and destiny triumphs!
October 21, 2021
As a girl who is born and grown up in the hill country of Sri Lanka I feel much related to this book.The alluring atmosphere,enchanting environment,culture,customs and tradition illustrated here are mind boggling.The beauty of the surrounding,the aroma of the tea,beautiful cascades,picturesque view of the surrounding through the windows,the nature of the people and their behaviours are beautifully scripted in to words.
Also this fiction portrays how Zyva,a 19 years old stunning lady manages to soar highs in her life without giving up her dreams.Zyva is born in an affluent,unorthodox family where her father owns a tea estate.Also she has a supportive and strong mother with three siblings who were always making sure about her welfare.Besides they ever stood erect for her in times of need.
The story develops as this young lady falls in love with a guy, shortly called as Dan who comes to visit his Aunty, who is Zyva's neighbour in other means.In the long run she falls prey to a mental trauma as Dan's mother wanted Dan to marry a city girl who would have ambitions in her life rather than choosing a country, silly girl who has everything in her life without facing any hardships.Since Zyva and her own sister Mausse hear this Zyva works even harder to pursue her dreams.Zyva is shown as a radiant and vibrant girl very enthusiastic and passionate about her life.She has a huge and love filled heart too.We understand that obviously at a point where she cares about the labours who are working in the estate.She provokes to provide all the privileges to the labours.Also the most interesting part in this book is the set of words used by the writer to trigger all 5 senses of the reader.The gooey milkrice with lunu miris,roast paan with pol sambol or seeni sambol,hot plain tea with the aroma of fresh tea leaves in a misty morning are mouth watering for any Sri Lankan.If you're a Sri Lankan or someone who loves Lankan cuisines you will definitely need a help to cater your hunger.
Furthermore the book comprises 3 parts falling under 49 chapters and the 50th is an epilogue.
I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to smell the aroma of Sri Lanka to get drenched in its beauty and landscape for some time.
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Musliha Musthafa ❤
20/10/21
23:07
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September 7, 2021
The book is amazing and beautifully written. The plot is different than the other stories. I like the books written by Sri Lankan authors because the places which are mentioned in the book have some sort of connection with us (Sri Lankans) and also we are familiar with the places mentioned in the book.
This is one of the main reasons why I loved this book.
The next is the plot of the story I like the way how the author explained the tea making process step by step moreover I like the part where she explained the problems and hardships of the estate workers and how the way zyva acted, felt bad for them. she tried to something for them and finally she was able to do that.
And the characters were special and different. But I liked Dan, Zyva, and Hea because after facing all the difficulties and hardships somehow they found their happiness. While reading I was so scared when Hea became close with kyrad somewhere I wished Hea to end up with vidhol. Finally, it happened.
When talking about Dan and Zyva everything was good except Dan’s mother’s behavior towards zyva. I loved the way how vidhol acted when kyrad became close with Hea. Especially his possessiveness towards Hea. Even though he can't explain his feelings verbally to Hea somehow he tried to show that through his possessiveness. I loved Hea so much even though she didn't like vidhol in the beginning she wanted to help him to cure his disease.
Overall I liked the book and I had a nice time reading this book.
Thanks to the author ☺️
I loved your book ❤️.
Salma Sajahan
This is one of the main reasons why I loved this book.
The next is the plot of the story I like the way how the author explained the tea making process step by step moreover I like the part where she explained the problems and hardships of the estate workers and how the way zyva acted, felt bad for them. she tried to something for them and finally she was able to do that.
And the characters were special and different. But I liked Dan, Zyva, and Hea because after facing all the difficulties and hardships somehow they found their happiness. While reading I was so scared when Hea became close with kyrad somewhere I wished Hea to end up with vidhol. Finally, it happened.
When talking about Dan and Zyva everything was good except Dan’s mother’s behavior towards zyva. I loved the way how vidhol acted when kyrad became close with Hea. Especially his possessiveness towards Hea. Even though he can't explain his feelings verbally to Hea somehow he tried to show that through his possessiveness. I loved Hea so much even though she didn't like vidhol in the beginning she wanted to help him to cure his disease.
Overall I liked the book and I had a nice time reading this book.
Thanks to the author ☺️
I loved your book ❤️.
Salma Sajahan
October 1, 2021
The novel is a quietly very sweet and emotional story rooted in a firm sense of hope. The main characters Zyva and Hea who populate the book have different struggles and goals, and they slowly unspool and then web themselves together to come into a solid ending. I loved the softness of it.and really loved the protagonist Zyva and her stubborn spark and insistence on pursuing her passion. I absolutely loved how functional both Zyva and Dan were. It was refreshing to read about two completely level-headed, if wildly different, people falling in love. There was a maturity to this story I really appreciated and how the author handled many issues with nuanced, quiet, but sharp attention. Between the lines of this book,author highlights about repression, women’s interiority, the desire for freedom from gendered expectations and mental health. Good balance of angsty romance and family connections. In fact, it actually had a very family-centric storyline and that was a huge reason why I enjoyed it so much.
I loved seeing their atypical family form bonds and heal. I also really loved that at the end of the day, everyone really was trying to do the right thing and that all decisions, right or wrong, came from a place of love and good intentions.
I loved seeing their atypical family form bonds and heal. I also really loved that at the end of the day, everyone really was trying to do the right thing and that all decisions, right or wrong, came from a place of love and good intentions.
August 29, 2021
TW: depression CW: death, mentions of domestic abuse
"Isn't our mind as important as, or to be frank, more important than our body?"
Review:
I always get excited when I get to read books based in Sri Lanka. I mean I can easily imagine the places, the food, the people. Representation matters, doesnt it.
The story is about two women, Zyva and Hea, and focuses on love, loss and their future. Zyva was a daydreamer, looking to apply for college when she meets her new neighbour, who we all know she will have a crush on. I thought her story was very simple and romantic and didnt have much interest for her story until the latter half. However, her story also brought about the labour issues regarding the tea estate workers, their struggle with poverty and also the misuse of power by the authorities. It's really important to be aware of these issues and I am glad that Azraa decided to include this arc in her book.
Hea's story was my favourite. She had returned home after many years expecting an arranged marriage with someone she liked instead was shocked to find out that he had not grown . It was upto her to take care of him and help him navigate his way through life. I wished there was more to read about, I felt like we got very little of the story of Hea and Vidhol. I loved how the author brought up the stigma around going for therapy and seeking professional help, and also brought about the awareness of special education.
I do wish there was more to Hea's and Vidhol's story though, I was really invested in them. And one other thing I disliked (🙈) was the information dump that happened occasionally. I personally prefer gradually getting to know about the people or the things through conversations and happenings, but maybe that's just me.
Overall, this book had a good story about love, family ties and raises awareness on important topics. Definitely recommend this lovely contemporary read, especially to Sri Lankans! You have no idea the joy it brought me when I read about the characters having a cup of tea with roast paan! Am not even kidding 😂
"Isn't our mind as important as, or to be frank, more important than our body?"
Review:
I always get excited when I get to read books based in Sri Lanka. I mean I can easily imagine the places, the food, the people. Representation matters, doesnt it.
The story is about two women, Zyva and Hea, and focuses on love, loss and their future. Zyva was a daydreamer, looking to apply for college when she meets her new neighbour, who we all know she will have a crush on. I thought her story was very simple and romantic and didnt have much interest for her story until the latter half. However, her story also brought about the labour issues regarding the tea estate workers, their struggle with poverty and also the misuse of power by the authorities. It's really important to be aware of these issues and I am glad that Azraa decided to include this arc in her book.
Hea's story was my favourite. She had returned home after many years expecting an arranged marriage with someone she liked instead was shocked to find out that he had not grown . It was upto her to take care of him and help him navigate his way through life. I wished there was more to read about, I felt like we got very little of the story of Hea and Vidhol. I loved how the author brought up the stigma around going for therapy and seeking professional help, and also brought about the awareness of special education.
I do wish there was more to Hea's and Vidhol's story though, I was really invested in them. And one other thing I disliked (🙈) was the information dump that happened occasionally. I personally prefer gradually getting to know about the people or the things through conversations and happenings, but maybe that's just me.
Overall, this book had a good story about love, family ties and raises awareness on important topics. Definitely recommend this lovely contemporary read, especially to Sri Lankans! You have no idea the joy it brought me when I read about the characters having a cup of tea with roast paan! Am not even kidding 😂
September 13, 2021
What can i say? I am absolutely in love with it!! I could read it another 100 times more without getting bored, definitely a page turner! The setting, the characters and the messages you have brought to life is incredible and it made me wander my memories back in Kandy. The message for under privileged people, mental health taboos, family responsibilities are on point and it kept on getting better and better.
Also, I love the character mausse Azraa has created. Her guts, positivity and aura full of life brought me memories of someone close to my heart. The start was full of beauty and romance and the end was left with a VERY good and strong message about relationships and one's own self growth. This will definitely be one of my favourite reads and Thanking her for creating such an amazing story that will live in most of our hearts. The effort and the passion she have put is undeniable. All the best Azraa ! With so much Love! ❤💯🌸
Also, I love the character mausse Azraa has created. Her guts, positivity and aura full of life brought me memories of someone close to my heart. The start was full of beauty and romance and the end was left with a VERY good and strong message about relationships and one's own self growth. This will definitely be one of my favourite reads and Thanking her for creating such an amazing story that will live in most of our hearts. The effort and the passion she have put is undeniable. All the best Azraa ! With so much Love! ❤💯🌸
September 5, 2021
Tea Town is a recommended read for anyone who enjoys South Asian novels. The references to local places and culture throughout the book is a real treat. The story is not only about love, family and friendship but also looks at the bigger picture - mental health, estate workers and dealing with your own dreams and emotions. All the Best to the author Azraa and expecting many more from her!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews