The Tea Rose

Rating:
Summary: Excellent - I didn't want it to end!
Review:
While Jennifer Donnelly has received well-deserved rave reviews for A Northern Light, it's this book, my first Donnelly read, which got to me. More saga than romance, the first part of The Tea Rose follows charming heroine Fiona Finnegan, a teenager living in 1888 Whitechapel. She has precious little, but she has her dreams, and her true love in childhood sweetheart Joe Bristow.

But things eventually turn horribly wrong for the two. Joe, because of his own mistakes, is forced into a loveless marriage; Fiona loses not only her fiancé but most of her family as well, and then almost loses her own life. Fleeing from the man responsible with 5-year old brother Seamie in tow, she rebuilds her life in New York, finding a new surrogate family of relatives, friends and neighbors, and eventually becoming an extremely wealthy woman. While one review points out that there are some unlikely behaviors, especially Fiona's acceptance of another character's homosexuality, I never felt that was the case. I believe someone who has lost as much as Fiona has would not be likely to turn away from her friends.

The third part of the novel picks up in 1898. Both Joe, of whom we are given occasional glimpses, and Fiona, are extremely successful financially but lonely and in many ways lost emotionally, still pining for each other on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Will they be given another chance at love? Will the guilty party pay? Well, what do you think?

Donnelly has done her research, and manages to convey atmosphere and mood extremely well. With the exception of the slightly slow start, this is a real page-turner, and a very moving read. At over 700 pages (in the edition I read), it's also a real find for the speed-readers among us. Can't wait for the promised sequel!

Also Recommended: A Northern Light, of course.


Rating:
Summary: Movingly written
Review: I came to The Tea Rose after reading A Northern Light, and this order perhaps colors my perspective. While A Northern Light was elegant, subtle, and deeply layered and textured, The Tea Rose is straightforward and perhaps a little overwritten at times, but it still delivers a heroine you can cheer for and a well-imagined setting.

Fiona Finnegan, only 17 but full of dreams, longs to leave the dirty, sometimes dangerous docks of London and rise to status as a tea merchant. She and her true love Joe plan to marry and begin their ascent to respectability, but when Joe is seduced by another woman and Fiona's family is destroyed by both ruthless tea merchant William Burton and the mysterious Jack the Ripper, Fiona is forced to flee London and begin her climb in New York. Her story is compelling and often moving at times, as she reflects on the tough but loving family she grew up in and surrounds herself with unconventional friends. Though I could often guess the coming plot twist a few pages or chapters in advance, I found myself cheering for her successes and mourning for her failures, despite--or perhaps because of--Donnelly's ample prose.

Yet although The Tea Rose could easily be tossed off as another epic story where the heroine is beautiful and good, and her love handsome (for indeed Fiona is described as ravishing and she rarely makes mistakes), Donnelly's vivid recreation of both 1880s London and New York lends a deeper sense to the book. I felt immersed in Fiona's world--the dingy docksides, the elegant tea parlors, the imposing mansions--and Donnelly has definitely done an outstanding job at creating atmosphere. While she may have gone too far at times--placing real historical figures in the book, including John D. Rockefeller, Nellie Bly, and even Lord Elgin, a feature which is tricky at best and often annoying--her atmosphere is simply incredible.

The Tea Rose, while certainly a sprawling, straightforward story that is a slight step down from A Northern Light in terms of its construction, holds a treat for almost any reader. Painstakingly-researched, romantic, moving, and incredible in its atmosphere, The Tea Rose is a great, satisfying book.

Rating:
Summary: wow!
Review: this book actually almost scared me away with its size.but it was very hard to but down once i started reading it. it is about 17 year old fiona and her true love jose. they both have a dream of opening a shop together. but this dream soon falls vacant due to other circumstances. i recommend it to any one who loves historical fiction and the irish! definately a good book! also you should read a nothern light.

Rating:
Summary: A burst of Fresh Air
Review: the Tea Rose was a Delight to read. I have just finished reading it for a second time, and it was still a joy. The characters are beautiful, and the background even better. The story captivates you from the first page to the last, and still leaves you yearning for more. As a Jane Austen fan myself, I found this book was a delightful burst of fresh air. A must read!

Rating:
Summary: "The Tea Rose"
Review: I was surprised by the depth and strength this novel brings with its plot and dynamic characters. I've laughed aloud and sobbed my eyes out throughout the pages, one of the most compelling books I have dared read.
I'm not a strong lover of historical fiction, but I found the rich imagery and dialog to make this story true to its time. Set in England and New York in the late 1800's to early 1900's, "The Tea Rose" is a novel of Fiona and her struggles and triumphs through life. After numerous tragedys darken her life, Fiona makes a quick, desperate departure to New York, where she flourishes professionally and grows.
The plot is so involved and ever-moving, that it is almost impossible to summerize within one review, but the 700 or so pages(in the paperback edition) move all too quickly. The protagonist is the strongest most admirable heroine I have ever read about, Fiona is a dynamic character not to be forgotten any time in the near future.
I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who found themselves reading this review, it is well worth your time. So please pick up a copy and lose yourself within the strongest story of the most compelling heroine ever to grace the pages of historical fiction. Lose yourself within the dreary, sultry streets of London, and the persistance of spirit within the atmosphere of New York City.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully Dramatic!
Review: Though the book was a little slow in the beginning, I soon found myself engrossed in this engaging yarn of a novel. The many elements woven into one story (love, loss, abandonment, tragedy, and hope) make "The Tea Rose" a true masterpiece. Jennifer Donnelly is a master of capturing and holding the imagination!

Fiona Finnegan is a headstrong Cockney maiden who knows what she wants out of life: a teashop, a family, and her boyfriend, Joe Bristow. Just as things start to flow smoothly for Fiona and Joe, he is tricked into marriage with another woman, leaving both of them miserable and lonely. As she begins to pick up the pieces and move on, her entire family (with the exception of her 5 year old brother, Seamie) dies due to the machinations of one evil man.

Fleeing for her life, Fiona boards a ship to America and meets a vibrant young art dealer named Nicholas Soames. Upon arriving in America, Fee gains new friends left and right, and before she knows it, she gained an entire surrogate family. Picking up the pieces of her former life, she again tries to start up a business, a grocery, this time. Working her way up from lowly grocer, Fiona ends up as the leading tea merchant in America and one of the richest women in New York. By all rights, she should be happy. But there is always one thing missing in her life-her abandoned first love, Joe.

Even in America, Fiona cannot forget the man who took from her everyone she ever loved. A chance for revenge drew her back to London, where she faces more danger than she ever imagined. But in coming back to her former home, Fiona finds Joe once again. And someone finds her-someone from her past that she never thought to see again...

While the book's size may look daunting, the pages fly by so quickly that you are soon too caught up in the story to put it down. The suspense and drama of this book are wonderful, and the characters, though sometimes unrealistic, are very lovable. I will definitely be reading more of Ms. Donnelly's works in the future.