Publication
Crown (2017), Edition: Reprint, 448 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. HTML:#1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER 1920s Ceylon: A young Englishwoman marries a charming tea plantation owner and widower, only to discover he's keeping terrible secrets about his past, including what happened to his first wife, that lead to devastating consequences In this lush, atmospheric page-turner, nineteen-year-old Gwendolyn Hooper has married Laurence, the seductively mysterious owner of a vast tea empire in colonial Ceylon, after a whirlwind romance in London. When she joins him at his faraway tea plantation, she's filled with hope for their life together, eager to take on the role of mistress of the house, learn the tea business, and start a family. But life in Ceylon is not what Gwen expected. The plantation workers are resentful, the neighbors and her new sister-in-law treacherous. Gwen finds herself drawn to a local Sinhalese man of questionable intentions and worries about her new husband's connection to a brash American businesswoman. But most troubling are the unanswered questions surrounding Laurence's first marriage. Why won't anyone discuss the fate of his first wife? Who's buried in the unmarked grave in the forest? As the darkness of her husband's past emerges, Gwen is forced to make a devastating choice, one that could destroy their future and Gwen's chance at happiness. .… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member chrirob
Gwen has traveled to Ceylon to live with her widowed husband Lawrence Hooper. Ceylon is lush and mysterious, filled with spices and an exotic atmosphere unlike any she has ever known in her young life. While Gwen strives to adapt to life on their tea plantation, she is also trying to adapt to being
[The Tea Planter's Wife] was a wonderful novel! I loved the story while also learning about the unrest that occurred in Ceylon during the first part of the twentieth century. [[Dinah Jefferies]] has written a wonderful novel and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.
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a wife and managing a large household. This is not as easy as she had once thought, especially when she must also cope with a sister-in-law who is uncommonly affectionate with her brother, Lawrence's ex-lover who is now a business partner, an abrupt plantation manager, and a native population on the brink of civil war. Just when Gwen begins to settle in and enjoy her beloved future in Ceylon a terrible event occurs that places all that she loves and holds dear on the brink of disaster. [The Tea Planter's Wife] was a wonderful novel! I loved the story while also learning about the unrest that occurred in Ceylon during the first part of the twentieth century. [[Dinah Jefferies]] has written a wonderful novel and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.
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LibraryThing member DKnight0918
I really enjoyed this book. It was definitely a page turner.
LibraryThing member Bibliodiction
What a beautifully written book.
This is a story of a newly married young woman who decides to move away from England to live with her husband on a tea plantation in Ceylon. We watch as she transforms from a naïve girl to a mature strong-minded woman. Through all the trials and tribulations, she
I loved reading this book. I became utterly attached to Gwen. She is so sweet and loving. I compared myself to her throughout the read and realized I should be more openly loving. Due to this love, she felt the need to protect the image of her husband. I was sad she felt the need to keep secrets.
Laurence is a widower and quite a bit older than his young bride. However, you can see how much he loves Gwen. He is still haunted by the demons of his past, but slowly he learns how to let go. Gwen is now his wife, his love, his future.
Laurence’s sister, Verity, has demons of her own, but hasn’t been successful in conquering them. She spends most of her time dependent upon the generosity of her brother and new sister-in-law. I was angry with her throughout most of the book. “Selfish” is merely the tip of the iceberg.
At a deeper level, this story is about race and class inequality. There is much tension between the Tamil, Sinhalese, and English. Cultural differences, voting rights, and National language are but a few issues threatening the once prosperous country. Riots and protests are becoming the norm. Everyone is on edge. No place is truly safe from people fighting for their rights. The microcosm that is the plantation directly correlates with the country’s climate.
This is a story of a newly married young woman who decides to move away from England to live with her husband on a tea plantation in Ceylon. We watch as she transforms from a naïve girl to a mature strong-minded woman. Through all the trials and tribulations, she
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never loses focus of who she is; a person full of love and desire to see everyone treated fairly.I loved reading this book. I became utterly attached to Gwen. She is so sweet and loving. I compared myself to her throughout the read and realized I should be more openly loving. Due to this love, she felt the need to protect the image of her husband. I was sad she felt the need to keep secrets.
Laurence is a widower and quite a bit older than his young bride. However, you can see how much he loves Gwen. He is still haunted by the demons of his past, but slowly he learns how to let go. Gwen is now his wife, his love, his future.
Laurence’s sister, Verity, has demons of her own, but hasn’t been successful in conquering them. She spends most of her time dependent upon the generosity of her brother and new sister-in-law. I was angry with her throughout most of the book. “Selfish” is merely the tip of the iceberg.
At a deeper level, this story is about race and class inequality. There is much tension between the Tamil, Sinhalese, and English. Cultural differences, voting rights, and National language are but a few issues threatening the once prosperous country. Riots and protests are becoming the norm. Everyone is on edge. No place is truly safe from people fighting for their rights. The microcosm that is the plantation directly correlates with the country’s climate.
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LibraryThing member mpmills
Young Gwen marries an older widowed man and moves from England to Ceylon to live on his tea plantation. There are questions about how the first wife died, and Gwen carries secrets through most of the novel. The resulting mysteries were quite predictable, but I still enjoyed the story I loved the
Good Book!
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beautiful setting in colonial Ceylon during the 1920s and 30s.Good Book!
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LibraryThing member gmathis
I was initially attracted to this story by the title, as I'm a tea-ophile. Location and time--mid 1920's Ceylon--scratched the Downton itch a little, too. Story in brief: a rambunctious British bride joins her new husband, at his tea plantation, and all is not well under the surface. As the bride
The story held my interest, but I missed the depth of description that makes me totally lose myself in a book. Had a little trouble finding a character to identify with, too--they all seem a little prickly. Content is PG-13, if that's an important filter for you. However, those are matters of personal taste and conviction. If you need a decent period piece for a summer vacation read, this'll do.
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discovers his secrets, she has a whopper of her own to cover up and intrigue ensues.The story held my interest, but I missed the depth of description that makes me totally lose myself in a book. Had a little trouble finding a character to identify with, too--they all seem a little prickly. Content is PG-13, if that's an important filter for you. However, those are matters of personal taste and conviction. If you need a decent period piece for a summer vacation read, this'll do.
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LibraryThing member Renz0808
I received a copy of the Tea Planter’s Wife by Dinah Jefferies as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program. This novel is set in 1920s Ceylon and is about a young Englishwoman who marries a charming tea plantation owner and widower. She discovers soon after their marriage that he has been
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keeping secrets about the death of his first wife that will have horrible consequences for the rest of their life together. I was very interested in reading this novel mostly for the setting. I love reading about the 1920s and I thought Ceylon would be such a unique perspective and setting for a novel in this time period. I was right about this part. The novel is full of lush detail about the setting. I really felt like I could visualize the world the author was creating. I also really enjoyed reading about the tea plantation and how the whole process was done. The plot itself is a bit easy to figure out. There were also points in the novel that I felt started to drag. Despite this I really did enjoy this novel for the setting and details of the time period. I thought the author was very true to these points. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in this time period or the history of tea plantations. Show Less
LibraryThing member delphimo
Hooray for Dinah Jefferies and The Tea Planter's Wife. The book truly forces the reader to continue reading in a frenzied pace to discover what will happen with Gwen. The book's prologue presents a woman preparing to leave, but the reader will not discover the true nature of the prologue until
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later in the book. The story begins with Gwen arriving in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) as a new and young bride of an older and widowed tea planter. The story races up and down through Gwen and Laurence's triumphs and tribulations during a decade of change in Ceylon. Jefferies describes rich and colorful scenery and characters. Like the South dependent on slavery for hard labor, Ceylon entraps the darker people of India and Ceylon as their slaves. Gwen presents the view that the farm workers are individuals who deserve health and educational benefits. Jefferies also slips into the book a little social unrest in the British Colonies, the American Stock Market crash, the rise of advertising, and genetics. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to read this book and discover a new author. Show Less
LibraryThing member delphimo
Hooray for Dinah Jefferies and The Tea Planter's Wife. The book truly forces the reader to continue reading in a frenzied pace to discover what will happen with Gwen. The book's prologue presents a woman preparing to leave, but the reader will not discover the true nature of the prologue until
Show More
later in the book. The story begins with Gwen arriving in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) as a new and young bride of an older and widowed tea planter. The story races up and down through Gwen and Laurence's triumphs and tribulations during a decade of change in Ceylon. Jefferies describes rich and colorful scenery and characters. Like the South dependent on slavery for hard labor, Ceylon entraps the darker people of India and Ceylon as their slaves. Gwen presents the view that the farm workers are individuals who deserve health and educational benefits. Jefferies also slips into the book a little social unrest in the British Colonies, the American Stock Market crash, the rise of advertising, and genetics. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to read this book and discover a new author. Show Less
LibraryThing member astridnr
I am so happy to have won this book as an early reviewer's edition. The Tea Planter's Wife is a wonderful novel set in the early part of the 20th century in Ceylon. It is a novel that paints such a vivid picture of time and place. The characters are very sympathetic. The heroine, Gwen arrives in
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Ceylon as a young bride. Her husband, who is considerably older than her, is a widower. It takes some time for her to adjust to married life and her responsibilities running the household while her husband manages his tea plantations. A meddling sister-in-law and a former girlfriend create problems for her. She harbors a secret, but then again, so does her husband. A great US debut novel. Looking forward to reading more by Dinah Jeffries. U Show Less
LibraryThing member sunqueen
This is an engaging read with historical interest. Several of the major plot points were a bit easy to predict, and a few of the authors transitions were a bit off, but may be beccause my copy was an uncorrected proof. Good summer beach read, not to deep.
LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35
*I received this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.*
Set in the 1920s and 30s in Ceylon, this novel highlights the lush atmosphere of colonial India while also bringing racial and economic injustices to the fore. Struggling to find her footing on her husband's tea plantation, Gwendolyn
Set in the 1920s and 30s in Ceylon, this novel highlights the lush atmosphere of colonial India while also bringing racial and economic injustices to the fore. Struggling to find her footing on her husband's tea plantation, Gwendolyn
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Hooper discovers more than she bargained for with not only difficult plantation workers, but a resentful sister-in-law and a mystery surrounding the death of her husband's first wife and child. While the conclusion was predictable, this novel does make for good reading for those interested in colonial India. Show Less
LibraryThing member CarmenMilligan
I was riveted by this story. I read several books at a time, and I found myself thinking about this book as I was reading another. I can think of no higher compliment to this author.
Gwen is a lovely protagonist. We are cheering for her, shouting advice, and mourning when she is bereft. I love how
The tumult of Ceylon under British rule plays out on the outskirts, but touches the family throughout the story. A bit of an epic, we see the Stock Market crash in New York, prohibition, changes in fashion, and mixed-race marriages. There are so many wonderful nuances to the story, and it is wholly satisfying in the end.
I recommend this and look forward to reading more by Jefferies.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Gwen is a lovely protagonist. We are cheering for her, shouting advice, and mourning when she is bereft. I love how
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she develops and grows in the story, and the perfect combination of backbone and forgiveness she extends. Her husband, Laurence, is an affable character, and deals well with her as a new, young bride compared with also being his second wife. Periphery characters add additional spice to the story, and are completely believable and enjoyable. The tumult of Ceylon under British rule plays out on the outskirts, but touches the family throughout the story. A bit of an epic, we see the Stock Market crash in New York, prohibition, changes in fashion, and mixed-race marriages. There are so many wonderful nuances to the story, and it is wholly satisfying in the end.
I recommend this and look forward to reading more by Jefferies.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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LibraryThing member arielfl
19 Year old Gwen marries Laurence in England and becomes the mistress of his tea plantation in Ceylon. I was expecting shades of Rebecca and there was some of that, older widower, hasty marriage, young heroine, and meddling characters bent on destroying the couple's happiness. From there however
I enjoy historical dramas and this was a very entertaining one. It took place during a time period which I have not read that much about although I am familiar with the English colonization of India.The story had a striking locale and enough drama to propel me to the end. I recommend it for anyone looking for a quick read that will transport them to exotic 1920's, India.
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the story diverged and became a commentary on the violence that began breaking out between the two native peoples of Northern India, the Tamils who traditionally held the better government jobs and the Sinhalese. Both groups of native people were looked down upon and treated poorly by the wealthy white land owners. Although Gwen wants to better the lives of the people on the tea plantation she is met with prejudice at every turn. Adding to her misery is a sister in law from hell, money worries, and a secret that if it got out could destroy her marriage. I enjoy historical dramas and this was a very entertaining one. It took place during a time period which I have not read that much about although I am familiar with the English colonization of India.The story had a striking locale and enough drama to propel me to the end. I recommend it for anyone looking for a quick read that will transport them to exotic 1920's, India.
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LibraryThing member nicole_a_davis
Interest in the setting and time period was the only thing keeping me going with this book, and in the end it wasn't worth it. The characters were not that complex or interesting. There were only two native characters with names and they were not well developed at all. The book was largely plot
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driven but the plot was rather simplistic and not very rewarding in the end. At first the setting and story reminded me the TV drama Indian Summers, but that show was so much better than this book and just made me think of how much this book is lacking. Show Less
LibraryThing member karensmiththomas
Excellent story. You will not be disappointed. The story winds up and then releases slowly.
Beautiful love story. Beautiful and touching about marriage and motherhood.
I truly enjoyed the book. I would recommend it to anyone looking to read a beautiful love story.
Beautiful love story. Beautiful and touching about marriage and motherhood.
I truly enjoyed the book. I would recommend it to anyone looking to read a beautiful love story.
LibraryThing member CelticLibrarian
Richly detailed historical fiction
Richly detailed historical fiction set in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) circa 1920s and 1930s when it was a British Crown colony.
Gwendolyn Hooper, 19 years old, arrives in Ceylon as a new bride. She has married Laurence, an older widower, and left England to start her new
I enjoyed this novel though I often became irritated with Gwen and her inability to communicate with Laurence. Put down to her age and immaturity, I could rationalize some of the decisions she made, but truly it got old and annoying. Much of what transpired would not have happened if she hadn't been so insecure, but again, she was away from everyone she knew and loved, homesick, in a strange land with ideas that ran contrary to established habit in the household and in the operation of the plantation.
Somewhat predictable, the conclusion was satisfactory. I did love learning more about this place during that time period and would recommend it to any fan of the novels of authors such as Deanna Raybourn.
Richly detailed historical fiction set in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) circa 1920s and 1930s when it was a British Crown colony.
Gwendolyn Hooper, 19 years old, arrives in Ceylon as a new bride. She has married Laurence, an older widower, and left England to start her new
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life there with him. The plantation and surrounding holdings are beautiful, wild, vast and profitable, and even though Laurence seems a little distant at first, Gwen settles into her new home. She soon discovers that life in Ceylon is quite different from what she has known, and finds it hard to adjust to the customs and racial issues that separate the owners from the plantation workers. When she becomes pregnant, she is more determined than ever to be a support to her husband, a gracious hostess, and a good mother. Unfortunately, trouble first arrives when Laurence's sister, Verity, comes to the island and starts to interfere. Gwen also has many questions and concerns about Laurence's previous wife. There is also the matter of her interaction with a Sinhalese artist, Savi Ravasinghe and an American businesswoman named Christina Bradshaw. Things go from uncomfortable to crisis when Gwen gives birth. That's when the drama begins.I enjoyed this novel though I often became irritated with Gwen and her inability to communicate with Laurence. Put down to her age and immaturity, I could rationalize some of the decisions she made, but truly it got old and annoying. Much of what transpired would not have happened if she hadn't been so insecure, but again, she was away from everyone she knew and loved, homesick, in a strange land with ideas that ran contrary to established habit in the household and in the operation of the plantation.
Somewhat predictable, the conclusion was satisfactory. I did love learning more about this place during that time period and would recommend it to any fan of the novels of authors such as Deanna Raybourn.
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LibraryThing member cattriona
This is a very enjoyable story, with well developed characters and lush, descriptive prose that really makes you feel like you're in the jungles of Sri Lanka. The ending is a bit rushed, and some story lines wrap up too conveniently for my tastes, but this is otherwise a good read. Recommended for
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fans of foreign travel or historical fiction. Show Less
LibraryThing member Godsgirl
I have reviewed this book two times on this website and it just disappears after pressing enter. Will try again tomorrow.
LibraryThing member dd196406
This book had beautiful descriptions and I felt like I was there in Ceylon on the tea plantation. The action was kind of slow and somewhat predictable. I was glad that the husband was a honorable man and was not clandestinely evil. On the whole, an enjoyable book and a nice summer read.
LibraryThing member Tamara_Da_Hunt
This book wasn't too bad. It was kind of slow, but I did enjoy the plot and the setting. The characters were okay, but the story was fairly predictable. This seems to be one of those books that most people either love or hate, but I am straddling the fence. I don't think I would recommend it to
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anyone. Show Less
LibraryThing member reggieboo
This was pretty predictable all the way through but did enjoy the setting of Ceylon. The characters were pretty boring and not very developed.
LibraryThing member written
I enjoyed reading this story about colonial Ceylon with it's tea plantations and beautiful landscapes. I also found myself getting frustrated with all the secrets and misunderstandings between Gwen and her husband Laurence.
The story begins with a young Gwen falling in love and marrying Laurence a
Laurence also seems unable to get over his first wife and her death. There are also racial issues between the Sinhalese and the Tamil.
So we have all the makings for a great read. New country, new marriage and all the adjustments, secrets and trust issues, troublemakers and enough ups and downs to make you want to shake a few people at times.
The story begins with a young Gwen falling in love and marrying Laurence a
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widower. She joins Laurence at his tea plantation in Ceylon. His sister Verity is living in the house and she certainly has issues and is not a very nice person making Gwen uncomfortable. Other characters in this story include Fran, Gwen's good friend, Savi a painter and Christina, an old love interest of Laurence's.Laurence also seems unable to get over his first wife and her death. There are also racial issues between the Sinhalese and the Tamil.
So we have all the makings for a great read. New country, new marriage and all the adjustments, secrets and trust issues, troublemakers and enough ups and downs to make you want to shake a few people at times.
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LibraryThing member gpangel
The Tea Planter’s Wife by Dinah Jeffries is a 2015 Penguin publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and the LIbraryThing early reviewer program.
The Tea Planter’s Wife is an exemplary novel, written with a lush literary prose, which pulls me deep into the landscape and
Gwen, only nineteen, marries Laurence, a widower, after a whirlwind romance. Laurence is a tea planter running a successful plantation, and Gwen is determined to learn the business and be a good asset to her husband.
However, almost from the beginning, Gwen finds her husband is still haunted by the death of his first wife, the staff behaves oddly, and then Gwen finds she must cope with her sister-in-law, Verity, who wishes to keep Laurence all to herself, as well as watching another woman try to steal away her new husband.
If this were not bad enough, Gwen will soon face a crisis that will tear her heart to pieces while the atmosphere around her becomes almost oppressive.
This story is so absorbing and haunting, I couldn’t bear to continue reading it, but couldn’t stop turning pages. This book taps every emotion imaginable, as Gwen tries to navigate her new surroundings and faces one wall of opposition after another, one trial after another, while carrying a heavy burden on her heart.
I became frustrated with all the characters at one point or another, and Verity is most certainly a poisonous character, but I often found myself irritated with Laurence, who constantly turned a blind eye to those issues plaguing Gwen and the people causing her such great heartache.
This couple will encounter incredible adversity, survive hardships, and endure much heartache, make mistakes and harbor dark secrets in their souls. Naturally, the racial divide is one which causes so many misunderstandings, and it is so very sad to think how this situation could have turned out differently if not for that prejudice.
But, ultimately this is a love story, one that proves love’s power to overcome vindictiveness, jealously, grief and pain, and can give the heart the fortitude to forgive, accept, change, and move on with renewed hope.
This is a well written novel, with very interesting historical details, set in a magical location, and is packed with riveting dramas that kept me engaged and very invested in the characters on an emotional level.
I loved the atmosphere in this one, the slight Gothic tones, and the tantalizing pace that swept me away to another time and place.
The Tea Planter’s Wife is an exemplary novel, written with a lush literary prose, which pulls me deep into the landscape and
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historical setting of colonial Ceylan. Gwen, only nineteen, marries Laurence, a widower, after a whirlwind romance. Laurence is a tea planter running a successful plantation, and Gwen is determined to learn the business and be a good asset to her husband.
However, almost from the beginning, Gwen finds her husband is still haunted by the death of his first wife, the staff behaves oddly, and then Gwen finds she must cope with her sister-in-law, Verity, who wishes to keep Laurence all to herself, as well as watching another woman try to steal away her new husband.
If this were not bad enough, Gwen will soon face a crisis that will tear her heart to pieces while the atmosphere around her becomes almost oppressive.
This story is so absorbing and haunting, I couldn’t bear to continue reading it, but couldn’t stop turning pages. This book taps every emotion imaginable, as Gwen tries to navigate her new surroundings and faces one wall of opposition after another, one trial after another, while carrying a heavy burden on her heart.
I became frustrated with all the characters at one point or another, and Verity is most certainly a poisonous character, but I often found myself irritated with Laurence, who constantly turned a blind eye to those issues plaguing Gwen and the people causing her such great heartache.
This couple will encounter incredible adversity, survive hardships, and endure much heartache, make mistakes and harbor dark secrets in their souls. Naturally, the racial divide is one which causes so many misunderstandings, and it is so very sad to think how this situation could have turned out differently if not for that prejudice.
But, ultimately this is a love story, one that proves love’s power to overcome vindictiveness, jealously, grief and pain, and can give the heart the fortitude to forgive, accept, change, and move on with renewed hope.
This is a well written novel, with very interesting historical details, set in a magical location, and is packed with riveting dramas that kept me engaged and very invested in the characters on an emotional level.
I loved the atmosphere in this one, the slight Gothic tones, and the tantalizing pace that swept me away to another time and place.
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LibraryThing member Quiltinfun06
I found The Tea Planter's Wife an extremely powerful novel highlighting the many social anxieties that race puts upon us all. The class system in Ceylon was responsible for the loss of several lives in this story.
The description of a beautiful Ceylon was juxtaposed to the social and racial
Jefferies descriptions are so beautiful; I could almost smell the jasmine.
The description of a beautiful Ceylon was juxtaposed to the social and racial
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turmoils of the classes that lived there. Jefferies descriptions are so beautiful; I could almost smell the jasmine.
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LibraryThing member Lisa_Wojcik49
Definitely different from anything I have read recently. A very young British woman travels to Ceylon as the new bride of a significantly older British tea planter in the mid 1920s. Wonderful descriptions of the locale and history of the tumultuous events taking place during that era. A book of
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love and loss, and the extremes that individuals will go to when facing difficult situations. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2015
Physical description
448 p.; 8 inches
ISBN
0451495985 / 9780451495983
Other editions
The Tea Planter's Wife: A Novel by Dinah Jefferies (Paperback)