Someone please call Rede Globo and let them know about this book asap! For those of you who weren’t fortunate enough to grow up with Globo as a household name, they are the producers of the best Brazilian soap-operas. They’re as much a part of my childhood as Nesquik and the manga version of Anne of Green Gables.
The Tea Rose would be perfect for them, and I mean it in a good way. There’s tragedy, revenge, romance, rags-to-riches galore and it’s bloody adictive! The good are very good, the bad are very bad, so no need to upset your pretty little heads about flawed characters, just sit back and enjoy the epic ride that spans decades and two continents at the brink of the industrial revolution.
Our story starts in London in 1888. Fiona Finnegan is 17 and works at one of the city’s prosperous tea businesses. But she doesn’t plan to be doing this forever: together with her childhood sweetheart Joe, they’re painstakingly saving to one day be able to open their own shop. Their bright future seems a done deal, until Joe is offered a job with London’s best wholesale grocer, a self-made man with a daughter with her mind-set on poor Joe. As of that moment the world starts to conspire against Fiona and, with a bit of help from Jack the Ripper and Union struggles, not long after she finds herself on a boat to America. But of course, one day she’ll have to come back and reap vengeance.
A friend of mine was put off by The Tea Rose because Fiona is the embodiment of a Mary Sue. Well, it’s true, Fiona is perfect and no one can resist her, but I didn’t find myself turning against her as I usually do with these characters (as Austen would say “Pictures of perfection make me sick and wicked”). She’s brilliant and revolutionizes the groceries and tea industries (she invents the tea bag, for crying out loud!), but she’s not naïve or annoyingly innocent. She’s interesting, strong, independent and takes matters into her own callused hands.
Just like a Globo soap-opera, you willingly suspend your cynicism over the coincidences and the perfect romance, and let yourself be carried away by the historical detail and larger-than-life plot. Also, and maybe not of small importance, I think Donnelly writes good sex scenes – racy without being vulgar, and no awkward metaphors. I can imagine how complicated it must be for a writer to get the right tone on those, as the literary Bad Sex Award clearly proves.
I’ve already pre-ordered the paperback of the next in the Tea Rose trilogy – The Winter Tea. From what I understood, each book works as a stand-alone and will follow different characters in the Finnegan/Bristow family.
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February 2, 2011 at 12:57 pm
Jackie (Farm Lane Books)
I’ve had A Gathering Light on my shelf for ages – I really need to read it soon and perhaps I’ll read this one after.
I’m interested in your comments about well written sex – I rarely find any and so am tempted to pick up this book just for that! I love the Bad Sex awards – reading the entries always gives me a laugh!
February 2, 2011 at 1:57 pm
(Diane)BibliophileBytheSea
I loved this book, and look forward to Winter Rose as well (sits n my shelf).
February 2, 2011 at 3:59 pm
Christina
I loved this book, but have yet to read The Winter Rose even though I own it. I expected the book to continue right after The Tea Rose, which it did not, so I gave up on the book. One day I plan to read it when I get over my disappointment.
February 2, 2011 at 5:32 pm
T
You are offending Globo, their plots and characterization is much more subtle. Sorry. This is more spanish-language telenovela (not that I ever followed one, but I saw the final episode of one once while very busy not studying for an electronics exam, where I swear the villainess was buried alive.) than a brazillian one.
I do mean it seriously, not tongue-in-cheek, btw. I think the plot and actors would be too much for right now. But then again this book truly did not work for me.
I did like Gathering Light a lot and recommend it to you. Revolution I had some problems with which are spoilers. Winter Rose I have but will probably not get around to reading it anytime soon (I did get it based on hype before reading Tea Rose. my bad).
February 2, 2011 at 5:47 pm
Steph
I read a rave review of this one over at Rhapsody In Books and it really piqued my interest. I agree with Jackie that good sex scenes are so rare in literature, even in books that are otherwise superbly written. If anything, my expectations are even higher now!
February 2, 2011 at 7:27 pm
Wallace
I’ve heard about this book for awhile, but never wanted to read it until now! I’m VERY intrigued… thanks for the review!
February 3, 2011 at 12:16 am
nymeth
I’m very much looking forward to reading this, especially after your and Jill’s reviews.
February 3, 2011 at 10:02 am
Joanna
This sounds like just what the doctor ordered when you head’s full of all sorts of serious things! I’ll need to get a copy asap. 😉 Is this the first in the trilogy then or is there something before it?
February 4, 2011 at 5:01 pm
Alex
@ Jackie: I’ve read somewhere that Tony Blair might be the winner this year!
@Diane: Any idea when you’ll pick it up? We can try to read it together!
@Christina: Don’t loose heart! At least it’s about a character that I really liked…
@T: I knew you’d pop over for this one 🙂 Your bad indeed! I’ll definitely try her other now. Sometime you just need a book like this!
@Steph: LOL, I can still remember your comments about that bad sex scene you listen to in audiobook. Forget which book, something romance and supernatural?
@Wallace: Well, it’s an Unopudownable, so it might be your cup of tea (pun intended!)
@nymeth: There’s extensive ravings around the book blogosphere. Just be careful to know what to expect, ok?
@ Joanna: I’m almost sure you’d love this one Joanna! It’s the first of a trilogy, but they are stand alone, each book dealing with a different person in the family.
February 7, 2011 at 7:30 pm
T
Gathering Light has IMO a slight Anne of Green Gables vibe – slight, very slight. I really loved it. Tea Rose, bah. And I still think you are insulting brazillian telenovelas with the comparison 😉
February 7, 2011 at 10:48 pm
Mady
Now that I’ve also finished this one, I came to read & comment, of course 🙂 My review is on GR though 😛
Addictive indeed! And you know which character I’ve found annoying? Joe! I could just see it all coming… And at times it all seemed too perfect, but still the story is so addictive that I just couldn’t stop 🙂
Totally agree on the sex scenes – very good descriptions, without being vulgar or too “flowery”.
Of course, let me know (with a week in advance or so) when you plan on reading Winter Rose! Will try to find the book around.
August 16, 2011 at 5:04 pm
The Winter Rose by Jennifer Donnelly « The Sleepless Reader
[…] year I loved The Tea Rose in all its soap-opera glory. It was the perfect escapism-inducer and I needed another fix after […]