The Fever Tree
-
-
3.5 • 2 Ratings
-
-
- €5.99
-
- €5.99
Publisher Description
The critically acclaimed debut novel The Fever Tree, by Jennifer McVeigh.
1880, South Africa - a land torn apart by greed...
Frances Irvine, left penniless after her father's sudden death, is forced to emigrate to the Cape. In this barren country, she meets two very different men - one driven by ambition, the other by ideals. When a smallpox outbreak sends her to the diamond mines, she is drawn into a ruthless world of greed and exploitation, of human lives crushed in the scramble for power. But here - at last - she sees her path to happiness. Torn between passion and integrity, she makes a choice that has devastating consequences...
'Place and people come alive in this book... a gripping story' Kim Edwards, author of The Memory Keeper's Daughter
'I loved it. It's a beautifully written novel of great feeling' Rachel Hore, best-selling author of The Place of Secrets
'Engrossing, emotionally poised and elegantly written - I absolutely loved it' Vanora Bennett, author of The People's Queen
'There is nothing more exciting than a new writer with a genuine voice. I loved it' Julian Fellowes, creator of Downton Abbey
'A compelling read with a Gone with the Wind feel to it - I was hooked' Katharine McMahon, author of The Alchemist's Daughter
'A skilled unfolding of a woman's struggle with desire, class divide and disease in 19th Century South Africa' Financial Times
'McVeigh's attention to the material culture of South Africa that really fascinates: no object is too small to attract her notice, and through accumulation such objects become evocative and strangely moving - well worth reading' TLS
'An epic story of love, deception and courage' Patricia Wastvedt, author of The German Boy
'A bewitching tale of loss, betrayal and love' Vogue
'Epic, enchanting, emotional and engrossing' Easy Living 'Must-read of the Month'
'An unforgettable journey into a heart of darkness: romantic and tragic, a tale of honour and redemption, it leaves wide vistas of a harsh yet beguiling landscape shimmering in the imagination long after the last page is turned' Deborah Lawrenson, author of The Lantern
'All the delicious elements of a romantic classic, seasoned by evocative prose and keen moral commentary. Gobble it up and then shelve it next to the Brontë sisters' Hillary Jordan, best-selling author of Mudbound
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
McVeigh's distinctive first novel is a lush, sweeping tale of willful self-deception set against a political attempt to hush up a smallpox epidemic for personal wealth in late 19th-century South Africa. Frances Irvine is left destitute by her father's death after he loses his fortune in railroad speculation in England. Her choices are to leave London and go to Manchester as an unpaid nursemaid or to travel to the Southern Cape of Africa and marry Dr. Edwin Matthews, a family friend. Frances chooses Edwin, though she dreads the prospect of being his wife almost as much as staying in England. Aboard ship, she falls for William Westbrook, a lively man who sees opportunity in Africa. Once in South Africa, Frances refuses to help run the house, is disgusted by her husband's quest for justice for the Boers, and is easily swayed by pro-colonial arguments. It's difficult to retain sympathy for Frances, who refuses to face her mistakes for much of the book. By the time she takes an active part in her life, the reader is nearly out of patience. However, the sensory detail and sweep of the novel are exquisite, particularly for a debut.
