So, back in June, Don's cousin Michelle, who's a huge Diana Gabaldon fan, recommended that I try reading Jennifer Donnelly's "The Tea Rose." it.was.awesome. Don picked it up for me at the library on Thursday, I started it right away and found that by Saturday, I didn't want to be torn away from it. I stayed up late finishing it last night, and it was so worth it.
"The Tea Rose" is the story of Fiona Finnegan who grows up in the poor district of London at the end of the 19th Century. Jack the Ripper is roaming her neighborhood. Workers are being exploited on the docks and in factories. Unions are just starting to form, and to strike. Fiona Finnegan and her best friend/love of her life, Joe, dream of owning a shop together and rising above their poor beginnings. At this point you should be wary, as I was. Books that start out with a happy love affair at the beginning are troublesome, obviously something HAD to happen. And it did. The rest of the story is how Fiona and Joe work hard to realize their dreams in London and in America.
I found there was a lot of suspense, quite a bit of action (though that was a touch lacking in some of the middle parts) and plenty of romance and heartbreak. And lots of Tea. Fiona revolutionizes the tea industry and since I'm a tea addict, almost as bad as books, this little background aspect kept me intrigued as well. (I'm actually drinking a cuppa as I write this).
So, thank you Michelle, I appreciate your recommendation, and, yes, I have the next in the series on hold at the library. With a little luck it will be almost as good as the one I just finished.
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