The Tea Rose by Jennifer DonnellyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Tea Rose was a really good book, and I'm so glad I persevered past the absolutely devastating first 200-300-odd pages. It's one of those books that starts off with everything going so well that you know it's not going to last long. I had a sense of foreboding, but the amount of tragedy and pain was really too much. It just kept coming in wave after wave. It wasn't just a bit dark or a bit tragic. It was crushing, suffocating loss and pain. That's going to stick with me for a while. I'm really proud of myself for pushing through it, because I usually hate reading books full of tragedy, and this was darker than I can usually tolerate.
I'm fairly certain I stuck with it partly because of the tea. I love tea. I drink it all day long. And I love Victorian stories, and this one was refreshingly focused on industry and shops, and factories - not something I've seen very often since packaging and selling tea is not as glamorous as taking tea in the parlor. The sense of place was very vivid, and it kept me reading, along with the hope that such tragedy couldn't continue for 700 pages without reprieve.
I was totally ready to walk away if Part 2 didn't start turning things around. But luckily it did. From that point on, even though there are still sad parts, the overall tone is more hopeful, and things start to go right. I was finally able to settle down into an enjoyable historical tale with more regular ups and downs. The strength of love and friendships and resilience of spirit began to shine through, and the memory of those will stick with me for a while too.
Then, for the last part of the book, I suddenly found myself glued to the pages. I couldn't read fast enough to see how everything would play out. I wasn't completely sure I could trust everything to work out how I wanted it to, but in the end, all of the resolutions were so completely satisfying. I can't believe I'm saying it, but it was worth it to persevere. What a roller coaster ride.
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