Discuss the decision that Gwen makes immediately after childbirth. What do you think you would have done in her shoes? Sotia plantatorului de ceai este o poveste de dragoste, ce se desfasoara pe un taram exotic, dar in acelasi timp este si un manifest adus politicilor rasiste, chiar daca aceste lucruri s-au intamplat in urma cu aproape un secol.

I liked the setting of early 1900s Ceylon, the descriptions of the land, people, and tea of course. I have to say that I felt that the written style is heavy and not easy to follow. The first chapter of the book is difficult to get into, and the way the author has written it does not help. There are some scenes where people have some difficulties, and are dealing with their not insignificant problems; you are full of sympathy for the characters, but the writing does get in the way. Adding to Gwen’s fears are Laurence’s friend, Christina, a beautiful widow who owns Ceylon’s largest bank, and is far too flirtatious with Laurence, as if the two of them share a relationship Gwen knows nothing about. Another woman who demands Laurence’s attention is his sister Verity, one of the novel’s more malicious characters. And then, a shaft of sunlight in the relationship: Gwen falls pregnant. Laurence is overjoyed, especially when twins are diagnosed. Rich and incredibly evocative, The Tea Planter’s Wife is historical fiction at its very best. It’s just spellbinding.” — The Sunday Express

Find a Book

A terrific and atmospheric read, full of riveting detail, and very emotional too. I’m sure it will be a big success.’ Dinah Jeffries takes us on a journey to Ceylon, once a British Protectorate and home to the English who travelled the seas to find their fortune on large tea plantations, coddled by Indian waitstaff in luxurious surroundings, served by a huge cheap labour force in their fields and drying rooms but often caught precariously isolated in the beautiful rural surroundings with few other Europeans for support.

I liked Gwen's cousin Fran and Mr. Ravasinghe. They were very nice people and ended up getting married even though it was frowned upon because she was English and he was Sinhalese. But they didn't care and I don't care so there. U.K. honor to Jane Wyman". The Mail. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 10 May 1952. p.7 Supplement: SUNDAY MAGAZINE . Retrieved 11 July 2012. Romanul confirma faptul ca uneori intr-o relatie, adevarul si iubirea trebuie sa fie mereu pe primul loc. At nineteen years of age Gwendolyn Hooper was young to be leaving home and venturing half way across the world to live in a new country. But her recent marriage to Laurence meant leaving her home in London and joining him in Ceylon where he owned a large and prosperous tea plantation. Her journey by sea was long and tiresome but her excitement was great. Her arrival though was fraught with worry and concern when Laurence wasn’t there to meet the ship. When a young coloured man by the name of Savi Ravasinghe came to her aid, leading her to a hotel to wait in the cool interior, she was grateful. But little did she realize that Savi would feature in her life in the future... Let me just go ahead and say there are about a ton of secrets in this book. It's like a mystery trying to figure everything out. I had a big idea of one thing when Gwen has her twins about a year later. I won't go into that though. I will say it is another very, very sad story in the book.

Need Help?

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. Later that night Gwen goes into labor with only Naveena to help her. With being safely delivered of twins, a boy and a girl, Gwen must now make a horrible decision. If she wants to save her marriage and avoid shaming Laurence and well as being shunned by British society in Ceylon, she must do something she abhors, and which will leave her with guilt for the rest of her life. Gwen finds herself drawn to a Singhalese man of questionable intentions and worries about the propriety of her husband's connection to an American widow. But most troubling are the terrible secrets in Laurence's past that soon come to light and force Gwen to make a devastating choice. What happened to his first wife? And will the darkness of his past destroy their marriage and Gwen's chance at happiness? A] dramatic tale of jealousy, deceit, secrets and heartbreak. The intrigue and suspense, add a Gothic flair to Jeffries fast-moving plot and the evocative atmosphere along with the realistic characters will captivate readers.” —Romance Times Book Review I adored the writing style and felt completely at ease with the writers descriptions of the country, the heat, the food and the culture. Jefferies paid close attention to the divide between the rich white families who ran such plantations in the twenties and thirties, and the coloured workers who served them. I feel the author covered this aspect sympathetically.

Life continued with Gwen loving Ceylon and her marriage to Laurence – the occasional problems were fairly easily sorted out and with Gwen in charge of the house, she enjoyed running things as she saw fit; it was Laurence’s way of showing his trust in her. But would their happiness remain? The speed that the unexpected disaster hit had her reeling; but there was no way Gwen could divulge the truth – her sanity depended on it. What would happen to Gwen? Could she keep the secret that she knew would mean the end of everything she had worked so hard for? Nineteen-year-old Gwendolyn Hooper steps off a steamer in Ceylon, Sri Lanka full of optimism, eager to join her new husband. But the man who greets her at the tea plantation is not the same one she fell in love with in London. It is also a story of racial prejudices, nationalism and alliances. Dinah Jefferies set this story, as some of her others, against a political movement for independence in a British colonial state. The story takes place in Ceylon from 1925 to 1934 amongst the tea plantations where British, Sinhalese and Tamil workers, are all thrown together in a mix of social class, inequitable treatment and building resentment. Imagine what would happen if a British white woman (The Tea Planter's Wife) gives birth to twins - one white (boy) and one coloured (girl). What would the woman think if she knows it's possible that she's been with 2 men, one white (her husband) and one coloured. The little girl is sent to live with the villagers under secrecy although the decision rests heavily on her shoulders and haunts her through most of the little girl's life.

Browse reviews by Publisher

Gwen is the new bride of Laurence Hooper, the widowed owner of several tea plantations in Ceylon. He's very secretive about the death of his first wife, and Gwen is not allowed to talk with the workers in the tea fields. Gwen is also confused about Laurence's relationship with a beautiful American businesswoman. His devious, emotionally needy sister is not trustworthy. Eventually it is Gwen herself who is keeping information from Laurence that could possibly destroy their marriage. 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.