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142nd out of 3,146 books
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13,781 voters
The Tea Rose (The Tea Rose #1)
East London, 1888 - a city apart. A place of shadow and light where thieves, whores, and dreamers mingle, where children play in the cobbled streets by day and a killer stalks at night, where bright hopes meet the darkest truths. Here, by the whispering waters of the Thames, Fiona Finnegan, a worker in a tea factory, hopes to own a shop one day, together with her lifelong...more
Paperback, 675 pages
Published
May 2nd 2006
by Harper Collins Ltd
(first published March 11th 2002)
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3.5 stars. This book is not at all what I expected! I thought it was historical fiction, but there's too much crazy melodrama for it to be that. Then I thought it was a historical romance, but it's far too detailed and well done for that, too. So the book is either extremely campy historical fiction or really, really excellent historical romance. But either way, it's loads and loads of fun.
A few things you should know about me that factor into why I enjoyed this book so much:
* I am picky about m...more
A few things you should know about me that factor into why I enjoyed this book so much:
* I am picky about m...more
This book has faults. The story was pretty far fetched at times-but I suppose in kind of an endearing "fairy tale" way (which is funny, since a great deal of the book is extremely horrible and depressing), and the main character didn't really have any flaws.
Well, I take that back. Fiona, the main character, was in love with Joe. That is a fault, in my eyes. They grew up together, were in love, and had big plans to get rich together. Well, through a horrible chain of events, they ended up on oppo...more
Well, I take that back. Fiona, the main character, was in love with Joe. That is a fault, in my eyes. They grew up together, were in love, and had big plans to get rich together. Well, through a horrible chain of events, they ended up on oppo...more
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I was just saying to my reading buddy, Rhonda, that I was tiring of the typical.. 'Privelaged girl meets Privelaged boy, having to endure the constant snear of society, all the while trying to (and always failing) to maintain ones virtue' stories.
Don't get me wrong, I love those books as much as the next guy..er.. uhm girl. It's just that lately I have been craving something 'more'. More angst, More struggle, (beyond what color of dress to wear to the society ball), more 'REAL'.
I definatly fou...more
Don't get me wrong, I love those books as much as the next guy..er.. uhm girl. It's just that lately I have been craving something 'more'. More angst, More struggle, (beyond what color of dress to wear to the society ball), more 'REAL'.
I definatly fou...more
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I had a lot of hope for this after reading Donnelly's "A Northen Light" (which I really liked) and after learning that "A Tea Rose" was set in London at the time of the Jack the Ripper murders (a very intriguing setting, I thought). But I'm sorry to say, I was terribly disappointed.
The characters are all extremely stale. Good-hearted and good-looking people who have unfortunately been born into the working class. There are no flaws to make them human. Nothing I could relate with. Plus, the bigge...more
The characters are all extremely stale. Good-hearted and good-looking people who have unfortunately been born into the working class. There are no flaws to make them human. Nothing I could relate with. Plus, the bigge...more
When I first started reading this book, I thought "whew...over 500 pages. What kind of story are they trying to tell me? Is it going to be stuffed with description upon description of everything the main charactors come in contact with?" After finishing it, I could have read another 100 pages of the lives of Fiona and Joe. It was a book of second chances and missed opportunities. As well as a "I didn't see that coming and a yup that's what I figured" Loved it!
Favorite quote...."We're not punishe...more
Favorite quote...."We're not punishe...more
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Countess of Monte-Christo…
Revenge is sweet. And the good girl does not finish last!
The magic of the story is in the telling. This long long long book finishes too soon, that's a good test; and it stays with you for a while, another good test; and characters you know like you met them, some you love to love, and some you love to hate, another good test; and the setting, Dickens!
I read this book right after Rita died, and, well, it made me love, and miss, her even more: I wanted to give it to her,...more
Revenge is sweet. And the good girl does not finish last!
The magic of the story is in the telling. This long long long book finishes too soon, that's a good test; and it stays with you for a while, another good test; and characters you know like you met them, some you love to love, and some you love to hate, another good test; and the setting, Dickens!
I read this book right after Rita died, and, well, it made me love, and miss, her even more: I wanted to give it to her,...more
Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!
This is going to be an interesting review. But that is entirely fitting since this was an interesting book. I went back and forth on the rating of this as well. It's truly not good enough for more than a 3 star rating and yet, in the end, I sped through it and loved it. This also might end up being a tad bit more spoilery than I usually try to be; I honestly couldn't help it. This was part daytime soap-opera distilled into book form, part historical...more
This is going to be an interesting review. But that is entirely fitting since this was an interesting book. I went back and forth on the rating of this as well. It's truly not good enough for more than a 3 star rating and yet, in the end, I sped through it and loved it. This also might end up being a tad bit more spoilery than I usually try to be; I honestly couldn't help it. This was part daytime soap-opera distilled into book form, part historical...more
Fiona Finnegan, a worker in a tea factory, hopes to own a shop one day, together with her lifelong love, Joe Bristow, a costermonger's son. With nothing but their faith in each other to spur them on, Fiona and Joe struggle, save, and sacrifice to achieve their dreams.
But Fiona's life is shattered when the actions of a dark and brutal man take from her nearly everything-and everyone-she holds dear. Fearing her own death, she is forced to flee London for New York. There, the ghosts of her past pro...more
But Fiona's life is shattered when the actions of a dark and brutal man take from her nearly everything-and everyone-she holds dear. Fearing her own death, she is forced to flee London for New York. There, the ghosts of her past pro...more
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Although I really liked this book I just couldn't quite give it five stars. Since I don't want to spoil it for others I'll try not to give too much away but here are the reasons I just couldn't give it five stars:
Too long....I like long books but I got impaitent with some parts of this book because I felt like there were unecessary elements and some of the "just missed it" scenes were frustrating.
I felt that the attempt to weave Jack the Ripper into the story actually detracted from the rest of...more
Too long....I like long books but I got impaitent with some parts of this book because I felt like there were unecessary elements and some of the "just missed it" scenes were frustrating.
I felt that the attempt to weave Jack the Ripper into the story actually detracted from the rest of...more
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I'm going to say this as eloquently as I can. This is some sad shit.
Seriously. When I'm in a crappy mood because I'm having a bad hair day and I got a scuff on my new shoes then I'll just remind myself of the trials and challenges of one Fiona Finnegan. God. I can't even go into it but I don't think I've ever been so depressed by the beginning of a story. Ever. I almost chucked my kindle across the room but I held back. I think a part of me was addicted to agony. Anyway, in the end it turns out...more
Seriously. When I'm in a crappy mood because I'm having a bad hair day and I got a scuff on my new shoes then I'll just remind myself of the trials and challenges of one Fiona Finnegan. God. I can't even go into it but I don't think I've ever been so depressed by the beginning of a story. Ever. I almost chucked my kindle across the room but I held back. I think a part of me was addicted to agony. Anyway, in the end it turns out...more
This one of my all time favorites!! It is a sweeping saga, set between the US, Ireland, and England. It's fabulous. If you love historical epics, do yourself a favor and read it now! It's out in paperback now. A warning, it's huge!!
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Although The Tea Rose is not the worst book I've read, it's pretty terrible. With a good 200 pages of drivel, it raises the question, how did this slip past the editor?
The other 350 pages drift somewhere along a mediocre plot-line, ridiculous dialogue and predictable, fairytale-like situations. Every time a character had a setback in life it was magically resolved by some farfetched coincidence. The book was littered with long descriptions that add very little to the story. On page 13, Donnelly...more
The other 350 pages drift somewhere along a mediocre plot-line, ridiculous dialogue and predictable, fairytale-like situations. Every time a character had a setback in life it was magically resolved by some farfetched coincidence. The book was littered with long descriptions that add very little to the story. On page 13, Donnelly...more
I drink a lot of tea, roses are one of my favorite flowers and I love historical fiction and that's the reason why I put this book on my to-read-list. It didn't disappoint me at all! It sucked me in from the beginning until the very exciting end. Unfortunately I was busy at work, because otherwise I wouldn't have been able to put the book down. This book needs a cold winters day, a comfortable couch, a big bar of chocolate and hot tea.......... You'll have an incredible read!
The story is about r...more
The story is about r...more
May 03, 2012
Lila
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
own-it,
5-stars,
adventure,
american-fiction,
british-fiction,
favorites,
read-in-2012
This was such a great book! I was entranced by Fiona's story, her sheer will to survive despite everything bad that happened, and a lot happened, and especially by her and Joe's love for each other, the strength of their bond that just couldn't be broken. I was very happy that Ms. Donnelly didn't make a Mary Sue out of Fiona. Despite her great qualities, the fact that she managed to charm almost everyone who came in contact with her, Fiona had a little bit of a mean streak in her, which made her...more
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I really liked this. It's late 19th century in the East End of London. Fiona is a teenage girl in a loving family struggling to survive in poverty. Joe is her first love, but he reluctantly choses the wrong path.
Sudden and tragic family deaths force Fiona and her young brother to flee to America to start a new life with her uncle, where through grit and determination, she starts up a thriving business. Returning to London years later, she seeks revenge on those who wronged her family, re-meets J...more
Sudden and tragic family deaths force Fiona and her young brother to flee to America to start a new life with her uncle, where through grit and determination, she starts up a thriving business. Returning to London years later, she seeks revenge on those who wronged her family, re-meets J...more
I seldom fail to finish a book, but I put this one down with a sigh. There were a few interesting tidbits about the tea trade, but so many more really awful ploys to make us think the main character was forward-thinking and imaginative: naming her tea Tas-Tea and "inventing" scented teas are just two examples.
The characters and plot were unfortunately predictable, not very well fleshed-out, and ultimately not believable. Most offensive of all to me (SPOILER ALERT!!!!!) was that one of the charac...more
The characters and plot were unfortunately predictable, not very well fleshed-out, and ultimately not believable. Most offensive of all to me (SPOILER ALERT!!!!!) was that one of the charac...more
Our latest book club pick was The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly. Andrea wanted something "steamy". Apparently, even married peeps need some hotness in their reading. Too bad it wasn't so steamy. In over 500 pages, there were only five sex scenes.
I was reminded of Taylor Caldwell and Colleen McCullough. Think family saga, beautiful young people torn apart by circumstances and an eventual happy ending but not until there are a few tear-jerking deaths. Oh, and throw in Jack The Ripper.
My problem wa...more
I was reminded of Taylor Caldwell and Colleen McCullough. Think family saga, beautiful young people torn apart by circumstances and an eventual happy ending but not until there are a few tear-jerking deaths. Oh, and throw in Jack The Ripper.
My problem wa...more
June is stacking up to be an amazing month of reading for me - already three 5 star books. The first two were great books that were out of my normal type of reading being fantasy and sci-fi. This book, however, was like coming home after having taken an exotic trip. It was familiar and all things normally good for me in a good, thick HF.
It had so many of those elements that make for a good read - passion and romance, deception and intrigue, historical relevance and a great story of family loyalt...more
It had so many of those elements that make for a good read - passion and romance, deception and intrigue, historical relevance and a great story of family loyalt...more
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I found the book to be very engrossing. The characters were interesting as well as their personal journeys. By the time I got a little past half way in the book and I couldn't put it down. I stayed up WAY to late to finish the book because I had to know what happened.
I don't mind long books, but I think this was a tad too long due to too many "just walk through the door!" or "just talk to him/her!" moments. That was the only drawback to the story for me. No, I lied. I also found it a little ridi...more
I don't mind long books, but I think this was a tad too long due to too many "just walk through the door!" or "just talk to him/her!" moments. That was the only drawback to the story for me. No, I lied. I also found it a little ridi...more
3.5 This one I really liked quite a bit. True historical fiction with some romance thrown in the mix. 17yr old Fiona is in love with Joe. She slaves away in a tea factory in 1880's Whitechapel, London. Of course Jack the Ripper makes an appearance or two, Fiona's father is killed trying to organize a union, and there is a good presentation of the conditions of that era, especially as the poor working folk were concerned. Fiona ends up escaping to New York where she builds a tea empire. 10 years...more
3.5 stars
Wow...this book was full of surprises. Just when you think you've figured out what it's about, you're once again surprised at the turn of events. It was a thriller, romance, and even a tragedy at one point.
This was a good read, i enjoyed it. But honestly, there wasn't that much depth to the story. The characters are all likeable enough (I really liked Nick :(), and you'll feel really sad for Fiona at a point. What I can say was different about this book was it's unpredictability and the...more
Wow...this book was full of surprises. Just when you think you've figured out what it's about, you're once again surprised at the turn of events. It was a thriller, romance, and even a tragedy at one point.
This was a good read, i enjoyed it. But honestly, there wasn't that much depth to the story. The characters are all likeable enough (I really liked Nick :(), and you'll feel really sad for Fiona at a point. What I can say was different about this book was it's unpredictability and the...more
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Apr 20, 2008
Deodand
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
tea drinkers
Shelves:
fiction,
mind-candy
This is another one of my mother's recommendations. She and I both love tea, and we love historical fiction, so this was an excellent choice.
I liked this book, and recommend it, but it wasn't terrific. There are lots of coincidences in the plot that tear away the necessary suspension of disbelief. Some of the inventions the characters make have the reader going "Come on, really??" Or as least they did me.
The characters were the best part of this book. I finished it, in spite of the very occasion...more
I liked this book, and recommend it, but it wasn't terrific. There are lots of coincidences in the plot that tear away the necessary suspension of disbelief. Some of the inventions the characters make have the reader going "Come on, really??" Or as least they did me.
The characters were the best part of this book. I finished it, in spite of the very occasion...more
This is a book that will get you through a move. It is a story of love, pain, revenge and adventure. Just when you think things are a little stressful in your own life, you turn to the book about Joe and Fee and conclude that things could be alot worse. Watching where fear, loyalty, revenge and ambition takes Fiona keeps you wrapped up in the story as she rises above her roots to be a solid force in the tea trade. For those that are looking for an escapist thick read for the summer, I would reco...more
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A nice big saga, plenty of drama and tragedy and romance, but a lot of elements felt unrealistically modern and many plot points required a major suspension of disbelief. A good fun read, but lacking the more authentic historical feel of Donnelly's A Northern Light. (Who am I to say what an authentic historical feel is? As if I knew what the 1880s were really like. At any rate, A Northern Light let you get lost in the period without distracting you with things like the protagonist inventing the...more
From the back cover:
East London, 1888 - a city apart. A place of shadow and light where thieves, whores, and dreamers mingle, where children play in the cobbled streets by day and a killer stalks at night, where bright hopes meet the darkest truths. Here, by the whispering waters of the Thames, Fiona Finnegan, a worker in a tea factory, hopes to own a shop one day, together with her lifelong love, Joe Bristow, a costermonger's son. With nothing but their faith in each other to spur them on, Fion...more
East London, 1888 - a city apart. A place of shadow and light where thieves, whores, and dreamers mingle, where children play in the cobbled streets by day and a killer stalks at night, where bright hopes meet the darkest truths. Here, by the whispering waters of the Thames, Fiona Finnegan, a worker in a tea factory, hopes to own a shop one day, together with her lifelong love, Joe Bristow, a costermonger's son. With nothing but their faith in each other to spur them on, Fion...more
The Tea Rose: A Novel Jennifer Donnelly
East London, 1888 - a city apart. A place of shadow and light where thieves, whores, and dreamers mingle, where children play in the cobbled streets by day and a killer stalks at night, where bright hopes meet the darkest truths. Here, by the whispering waters of the Thames, Fiona Finnegan, a worker in a tea factory, hopes to own a shop one day, together with her lifelong love, Joe Bristow, a costermonger’s son. With nothing but their faith in each other to...more
East London, 1888 - a city apart. A place of shadow and light where thieves, whores, and dreamers mingle, where children play in the cobbled streets by day and a killer stalks at night, where bright hopes meet the darkest truths. Here, by the whispering waters of the Thames, Fiona Finnegan, a worker in a tea factory, hopes to own a shop one day, together with her lifelong love, Joe Bristow, a costermonger’s son. With nothing but their faith in each other to...more
I enjoyed The Tea Rose. I would probably give it 3.5 stars if it were possible. The book covers a long span of time, and has a kind of epic sweep to it. That being said, it also felt long-winded. It was a little uneven too. The beginning moved along ok, but it would drag here and there. AS a reader you can see things coming, and they seem to take forever to get there.
After the setting shift the book moved a lot faster for me and became much harder to put down. Donnelly did do a good job at maki...more
After the setting shift the book moved a lot faster for me and became much harder to put down. Donnelly did do a good job at maki...more
I absolutely love this book. I love how the main character, Fiona Finnegan, is such a headstrong character and does whatever she can to improve herself and all her business endeavours. It is definitely great to read about a woman who is empowering and hardworking. It is a classic rags-to-riches story, but Jennifer Donnelly is such an amazing storyteller it is just hard to find fault. In addition to that, the flawless execution of multiple character voice throughout the book adds on to the drama...more
Book Description:
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East London, 1888 - a city apart. A place of shadow and light where thieves, whores, and dreamers mingle, where children play in the cobbled streets by day and a killer stalks at night, where bright hopes meet the darkest truths. Here, by the whispering waters of the Thames, Fiona Finnegan, a worker in a tea factory, hopes to own a shop one day, together with her lifelong love, Joe Bristow, a costermonger's son. With nothing but their faith in each other to spur...more
================
East London, 1888 - a city apart. A place of shadow and light where thieves, whores, and dreamers mingle, where children play in the cobbled streets by day and a killer stalks at night, where bright hopes meet the darkest truths. Here, by the whispering waters of the Thames, Fiona Finnegan, a worker in a tea factory, hopes to own a shop one day, together with her lifelong love, Joe Bristow, a costermonger's son. With nothing but their faith in each other to spur...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Historical Fictio...: * Group Series- The Tea Rose (#1) | 51 | 222 | Apr 30, 2013 06:18pm | |
| More like this? Please suggest. | 35 | 201 | Apr 21, 2013 05:28pm | |
| Historical Fictio...: Fantastic Series | 2 | 27 | Mar 09, 2013 08:32am | |
| Nothing but Readi...: The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly - Start date October 2nd | 63 | 130 | Dec 09, 2012 09:29am | |
| 2013 Reading Chal...: Group Buddy Read - The Tea Rose | 15 | 31 | Aug 28, 2012 04:20pm |
Jennifer Donnelly is the author of five novels - Revolution, A Northern Light, The Tea Rose, The Winter Rose and The Wild Rose - and Humble Pie, a picture book for children. She grew up in New York State, in Lewis and Westchester counties, and attended the University of Rochester.
Jennifer’s first novel, The Tea Rose, an epic historical novel set in London and New York in the late 19th century, wa...more
More about Jennifer Donnelly...
Jennifer’s first novel, The Tea Rose, an epic historical novel set in London and New York in the late 19th century, wa...more
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“We're not punished for our sins, lad. We're punished by them.”
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“She was his soulmate, as much a part of him as the very flesh and bone that made him. She was with him, in him, in everything he did. She was everything he wanted from his life, the very measure of his dreams.”
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