Review: The Tea Planter's Wife

The Tea Planter's Wife

Dinah Jefferies

After marrying Laurence a widower and tea planter, Gwen moves with him to Ceylon to start their new life together. But, things aren't going as smoothly as she had hoped. Verity, Gwen's sister-in-law, is constantly trying to undermine her position and role in the household. Christina, a wealthy American woman, has designs on Laurence, making Gwen jealous and uncomfortable. Tensions increase when Gwen befriends a local Sinhalese painter Savi Ravasinghe and with political tensions in the country on tender hooks and laborers ready to instigate trouble, running a tea plantation may not be as easy as she imagines.

Gwen is hoping the birth of a child will bring both peace and tranquility to the household but the birth causes more pain and suffering and Gwen's life becomes beset with secrecy and fear. On top of her own, secrets Laurence's' first marriage which ended in the death of his wife Caroline is still shrouded in mystery. One that Gwen hasn't been able to untangle. But when she does many things will fall into place and she might find that she is really at home in exotic Ceylon.

This is a beautifully written novel, full of lush and vivid details of 1920's Ceylon. Not only is the story captivating but, the hints of mystery and secrets kept me turning page after page. This book was not only full of memorable characters and loads of details; it was an emotional and spellbinding read that simply swept me off to another place and time. One that I'm not likely to forget anytime soon.

Thanks to Blogging for Books for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review.

Review: 800 Words

800 Words

DVD

George Turner's world is turned upside down when his wife suddenly dies. He can no longer cope with life in Sydney Australia, where he is a well known newspaper columnist. He decides to move with his two teenage children to Weld, New Zealand. Weld has always held a special place in his heart, growing up he spent many summer holidays in the town and he thinks the beauty of the area and the tranquility of the isolation may be just what he and his children need. But his children are not thrilled with the prospect of leaving everything behind to move to the back of beyond.

How will it all turn out in Weld? If you're looking for an interesting drama about how life doesn't always go as planned, then 800 Words is definitely one you will want to watch. Each episode is full of drama, conflict, interesting characters and beautiful scenery. Both season one and season two have turned into my favorite choices for summer television. I so hope they are working on a season three.  

Review: The Little Old Lady Who Struck Lucky Again!

The Little Old Lady Who Struck Lucky Again!

Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg

Martha Andersson and her geriatric pals have taken it upon themselves to help the less fortunate. To do this, they rob and steal from the rich and give to the poor or those in need. When the story opens they group of just robbed a Las Vegas casino and to escape the long arm of the law, they decide to return to their native Sweden.

Unfortunately, on their way back, their ill-gotten gains disappear. To make matters worse, previous loot in Sweden has also disappeared, and they have to figure out how to get it back or come up with a plan to make more money. Further trouble comes when they decide to settle down in a new house. Their new neighbors turn out to be one of Sweden's most dangerous biker gang, with their own plans for taking advantage of the elderly members of the group. But Martha and her pensioners are always up for what life throws their way.

This was a delightful story, both funny and warmhearted, with characters I came to love. And while it wasn't quite as comical as I had anticipated, I thought the author had a real eye for detail, which made this all the more enjoyable.

Thanks to Library Thing for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.