The Tea Planter's Wife: The mesmerising escapist historical romance that became a No.1 Sunday Times bestseller

The tea planter's wife is a very intriguing story, of secrets that are harboured but destined to come out. Of course, the story builds to an ironic twist and enthralling consequence to all the deception.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.History has a habit of repeating itself and there is a secret from the husband's side that he is reluctant to reveal that also tarnishes the relationship and puts it under pressure.The story and characters offer complexity and fascination with a plot that has many twists and turns. This along with the political uncertainties, racial differences, and workers' treatment, ensures the book is a non-stop, enthralling read.

This is my first Dinah Jefferies book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I haven't read anything set in Ceylon / Sri Lanka/ Indian culture based before and this was a wonderful introduction to it especially since I have been on the hunt for a book a bit different from what I would usually choose.This book is ultimately the story of Gwen, a typical English Rose, who has married Laurence, a slightly older widower (also of English upper class) who runs a tea plantation in Ceylon. Through Gwen, we as the reader get to experience Ceylon through her eyes as she finds her feet in a new household, new family and new culture. We can smell the scents of cinnamon and see the vivid colours of the sari's but we are also shown glimpses of the other side of the coin with the poverty and racism between cultures.Gwens picture perfect life is thrown a curveball with the arrival of a child which brings with it an element of tension and mystery of sorts to the story but I wont elaborate on this as I don't want to spoil it for others. Suffice it to say though I didn't foresee the end play out as it did and thought it was a great ending to the story.I docked a star as I felt slightly cheated out of a better ending for Verity's character (Gwens spoilt madam of a sister in law). I know we are lead to believe that she really has a pretty miserable existence and is pretty much an alcoholic and I suppose this is meant to be her comeuppance but she was such a nasty piece of work that I felt cheated out of a big showdown between her and Gwen and Laurence. (Also am I the only one who kinda thought Verity had some sort of incestuous relationship with her brother for a while?!!!)Just as a sidenote, I would love to see this story being made into a tv/netflix mini series as I think it would adapt brilliantly. I would also like to see a book written from the plantation workers point of view as I found that fascinating in the few glimpses we were given.All in all I very much enjoyed this read and would highly recommend it.

This novel is quite well researched and tracks the life of a young woman from England who marries into the English cultural scene in Ceylon during the early to mid 20th century - the prejudices, upper middle class social scene, family structures, management of the plantation and workers, civil unrest in the move to independence, climate, colours and love affairs. It throws a light on the way the tea pluckers were managed - often quite cruelly - and how the Wall Street Crash of 1929 affected world trade. I found it rather predictable but also engaging.

Into the Ceylon of the early 20th Century, riddled with racial injustice and prejudice, Laurence Hooper, widower, brings his new bride, Gwendolyn, to settle in his luxury home on his busy plantation. They love each other devotedly, but both carry baggage that threatens their happiness.Had the explanations of their “secrets” not been crystal clear to me from early on, this would have been an intriguing story, and I would have enjoyed it more. All the same, despite such predictability, it is well-researched and gives a graphic picture of that episode of Ceylon’s history.

The only thing realistic is the birth of the first of the twins. Very much like the heroine of "Before The Rains", the young wife of the tea-planter is always weeping and feeling sick. The melodramatic events by the waterfall are too implausible to be anything but laughable. Waste of time; waste of money.