Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: The Tea Planter’s Wife
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 1948
WEBSITE: http://www.dinahjefferies.com/
CITY: Gloucestershire, England
STATE:
COUNTRY: United Kingdom
NATIONALITY: British
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinah_Jefferies
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born 1948, in Malacca, Malaya; married Jon Owen (divorced); married Richard Jefferies, 1998; children: Jamie (son), one daughter.
EDUCATION:Attended Birmingham College of Art; University of Ulster (England), graduated.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and educator. Dartington Hall School, Dartington, England, teacher. Previously, worked as an au pair in Italy.
WRITINGS
Contributor of stories and articles to publications, including the London Sunday Express, London Daily Mail, and London Guardian.
SIDELIGHTS
Dinah Jefferies is a British writer. Born in British Malaya, she moved with her family to England as a child. Jefferies earned an English degree from the University of Ulster. For a time, she taught at Dartington Hall School, a boarding school in Devon, England. She released her first book, The Separation, in 2014, when she was sixty-five.
The Separation
In The Separation, Lydia searches for her husband and children, who mysteriously disappeared while she was out of town. Her daughter, Emma, narrates another section of the book and hopes to be reunited with her mother.
Jade Craddock, writer in the Bookseller, noted that the book was “at times harrowing and always stirring.” “This is … a heartfelt and absorbing story about tragedy and loss, love and forgiveness, and it will appeal to a wide audience,” asserted a contributor to the Historical Novel Society Web site. Reviewing the book on the South China Morning Post Web site, Tessa Chan commented: “This is a worthy debut that not only provides insight on this dark moment in Malaya’s history, but is also an ode to maternal love–to the powerful bond that links Emma and her mother from across the world.” Louise Jones, a critic on the Bookbag Web site, remarked: “The pace was slow and the narrative excessively wordy in places, which made the plot drag.” However, Jones concluded: “Despite these irritations, the book also has [many]redeeming features. Emma is a delightful character and the parts of the story written from her teenage perspective are a pleasure to read.”
The Tea Planter's Wife
An Englishwoman named Gwen moves to Ceylon with her new husband, Lawrence, in The Tea Planter’s Wife: A Novel. There, she interacts with a variety of colorful characters. Discussing the development of the book’s plot in an interview with Tracey Warr, a writer on the Displaced Nation Web site, Jefferies remarked: “Sometimes I have the kernel of an idea before I hit on the location. For The Tea Planter’s Wife I did have the idea of a life-changing secret before I chose Sri Lanka—or Ceylon as it was then known.”
Catherine Coyne, a reviewer in Library Journal, commented: “This atmospheric and suspenseful novel is reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier’s classic Rebecca and will enthrall fans of gothic romances.” A Publishers Weekly critic described the volume as “an engrossing tale of mystery, manners, and prejudice set against the backdrop of Ceylon.” John Charles, a contributor to Booklist, called it “a superbly written novel that readers of historical fiction as well as women’s fiction will treasure.” Writing on the New York Journal of Books Web site, D.R. Meredith asserted: “Love, suspense, guilt, and hidden secrets with an underlying theme of race relations seamlessly blend together in a timeless story of an innocent young Englishwoman struggling to find her place in colonial Ceylon against unexpected circumstances and facing cruel choices.” Meredith added: “Although many younger readers may wish Gwen was more feisty and less prone to fits of crying, Jefferies stays true to the times and the customs of social behavior. All in all The Tea Planter’s Wife is an enjoyable read.”
The Silk Merchant's Daughter
The Silk Merchant’s Daughter tells the story of a half-Vietnamese, half-French girl, who has romantic feelings for both an American business contact of her father’s and a Vietnamese activist. In the same interview with Warr on the Displaced Nation Web site, Jefferies commented on how the setting of the book inspired its story. She stated: “It’s all about sensory detail. For my third book, The Silk Merchant’s Daughter, set in Vietnam, it was all about evoking the contrast between the elegant French quarter of Hanoi, as opposed to the clutter and noise of the ancient Vietnamese quarter with canaries singing in bamboo cages and the scent of charcoal and ginger in the air. The setting has to work to support the story in some way, … as this is a story of a woman caught between two worlds. I needed to show how different those two worlds were.”
Pam Norfolk, a reviewer on the Lancashire Post Web site, suggested: “This is a story that comes alive not just because of the tingling undercurrents of mystery, rivalry and simmering suspense but through the power of Jefferies’ evocative prose, which draws us into an alluring, ‘other’ world of sun-filled, ancient streets.” “Evocative descriptions of life in French Indochina intertwined with a brutally truthful depiction of a country in a state of war make this a gripping read,” asserted a critic on the Historical Novel Society Web site.
Before the Rains
In an interview with a contributor to the Linda’s Book Bag Web site, Jefferies described the plot of her 2017 novel, Before the Rains. She stated: “This book is an unashamed love story set in Rajasthan, India, which is the most gloriously romantic place I’ve ever been–India’s hilltop forts and ornate palaces were magical and I hope to go back. But, as is usual with my books, there is an edge. When Eliza, a photojournalist, is sent to a princely state to photograph the royal family she’s determined to make a name for herself.” Jefferies continued: “But when she arrives at the palace she meets, Jay, the prince’s handsome brooding brother. She is enchanted by him and by India but can’t ignore the shocking poverty she sees around her, nor the plight of women. Gradually she awakens to the injustices of British rule too and must find her way in this alien world. The bond between Eliza and Jay is powerful and they have much in common, but their families and society have different ideas, and she is left with heart-breaking choices.”
Nell Young, a contributor to the Culturefly Web site, commented: “Jefferies describes the complex emotions of love and loss with extreme sensitivity, and coupled with the steamy settings of her book, it makes for a heady concoction, providing the perfect setting for her strong, independent female protagonists.” “Dinah Jefferies’ ability to conjure up the sights, smells, tastes and atmosphere of a particular country at a particular time in her writing is second to none,” asserted a writer on the One More Page Web site. The same writer called the book “an emotional and gripping read … with excellent pace and fantastic locations.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, July 1, 2016, John Charles, review of The Tea Planter’s Wife: A Novel, p. 42.
Bookseller, May 23, 2014, Jade Craddock, “We Love This Book,” review of The Separation, p. 20.
Library Journal, September 1, 2016, Catherine Coyne, “Second Wives,” review of The Tea Planter’s Wife, p. 94.
Publishers Weekly, July 18, 2016, review of The Tea Planter’s Wife, p. 183.
ONLINE
Bookbag, http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/ (May 13, 2017), Louise Jones, review of The Separation; Ani Johnson, review of Before the Rains.
Culturefly, http://culturefly.co.uk/ (February 23, 2017), Nell Young, review of Before the Rains.
Dinah Jefferies Home Page, http://www.dinahjefferies.com (May 13, 2017).
Displaced Nation, https://thedisplacednation.com/ (December 3, 2016), Tracey Warr, author interview.
Historical Novel Society, https://historicalnovelsociety.org/ (May 13, 2017), Carole McEntee-Taylor, review of The Separation; review of The Silk Merchant’s Daughter.
Kirkus Reviews Online, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/ (June 22, 2016), review of The Tea Planter’s Wife.
Lancashire Post Online, http://www.lep.co.uk/ (February 22, 2016), Pam Norfolk, review of The Silk Merchant’s Daughter.
Linda’s Book Bag, https://lindasbookbag.com/ (February 19, 2017), author interview.
New York Journal of Books, http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/ (May 13, 2017), D.R. Meredith, review of The Tea Planter’s Wife.
One More Page, http://www.onemorepage.co.uk/ (February 20, 2017), review of Before the Rains.
South China Morning Post Online, http://www.scmp.com/ (May 25, 2014), Tessa Chan, review of The Separation.
Writer at Play, http://www.writeratplay.com/ (January 21, 2017), author interview.*
Dinah Jefferies
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dinah Mary Jefferies (born 1948) is a British novelist, short story and article writer.[1]
Contents [hide]
1 Biography
2 Bibliography
2.1 Short stories
2.2 Feature Articles authored by Dinah Jefferies
3 References
4 External links
Biography[edit]
Dinah Jefferies was born in Malacca, Malaya in 1948 and moved to England in 1956 at age eight after the country became independent.[2] She studied at the Birmingham College of Art and later at the University of Ulster, where she graduated in English Literature. While in college she became pregnant with her first child, her son Jamie. Jefferies did not remain with Jamie's father and later went on to marry Jon Owen, with whom she had one daughter, and the family moved into a musicians' commune.[2][3] After separating with Owen she began teaching at Dartington Hall School.[2] She later met Richard Jefferies and the two married in 1998.
When her son Jamie was fourteen he was killed in an accident at school and the experience formed part of the inspiration for her 2013 work The Separation.[2][4] An article in Best Magazine, April 5, 2016[5] made a number of erroneous statements: that The Tea Planter's Wife was set in Malaya when it was set in Ceylon; that her son Jamie was on the back of a motorbike driven by another older boy when he died, in fact Jamie was alone and driving it by himself when he died, he was riding in Dartington Hall School.[2] grounds when the older boy let him have a go on it; as well as more minor errors.
Her 2015 novel, The Tea Planter's Wife , was a choice for the Richard and Judy Bookclub.[6] and was in the Sunday Times best sellers list for 16 weeks continuously from September until Christmas 2015, topping it twice during that time.[7]
Bibliography[edit]
The Separation (2013)[8][9]
The Tea Planter's Wife (2015)[10]
The Silk Merchant's Daughter (2016)
Short stories[edit]
"The Scent of Roses" (May 2014, published in The Sunday Express "S" magazine)
"The Shadow In The Wind" (Sept 2015, published in The Sunday Express "S" magazine)
Feature Articles authored by Dinah Jefferies[edit]
"I felt robbed of our last moments together" in the Daily Mail, 25 May 2014[11]
"My children grew up in a commune" in The Guardian, 14 June 2014[12]
Here’s where you find out a little bit about me
I was born in Malaysia and moved to England at the age of nine.
As a teenager I missed the heat of Malaysia, which left me with a kind of restlessness that led to quite an unusual life. I went to live in Tuscany where I worked as an au-pair for an Italian countess, and there was even a time when I lived with a rock band in a ‘hippie’ commune in Suffolk.
In 1985, the death of my fourteen year old son changed everything. Although it was the darkest of times and I will always miss him, I’m grateful for the years we had together, and I now draw on the experience of loss in my writing. I set my books abroad and aim to infuse the love and loss with the extremely seductive beauty of the East.
My second novel, The Tea Planter’s Wife, was a Richard & Judy Book Club Autumn in 2015 pick as well as being number one in the Sunday Times Bestselling list. And that’s something I’m absolutely delighted about. Book three, The Silk Merchant’s Daughter, was published in February 2016 and also entered Sunday Times Bestselling list . Book four which is set in 1930s India, Before the Rains, will be published in the UK February 2017. All my novels are published in the UK/Commonwealth by Penguin/Viking. My books have now been published in over 25 different countries across the globe.
Although my husband and I spent five wonderful years living in a small 16th Century village in Northern Andalusia, I’m happy to say we now live close to our family in Gloucestershire .
FROM THE NUMBER 1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE TEA PLANTER'S WIFE and TOP 10 SELLING THE SILK MERCHANT'S DAUGHTER
WHAT HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT DINAH JEFFERIES'S BOOKS:
"My ideal read; mystery, love, heart-break and joy – I couldn’t put it down." - Santa Montefiore – author of The Beekeeper’s Daughter
"It is a terrific and atmospheric read, full of riveting detail, and very emotional too. I am sure it will be a big success." - Elizabeth Buchan – author of I Can’t Begin to Tell You
"The characters come alive moment by moment, as the secrets are unraveled… I was spell bound from beginning to end by the emotional twist and turns. Dinah Jefferies has hit a home run with this fabulous novel." - Deborah Rodriguez – author of The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul
"Dark secrets lie at every turn, hidden beneath layers of 1920s racism and the fearfulness of a crumbling colonial power, making for a thoroughly gripping tale. But what I loved most of all, underpinning the whole narrative, is the moving way in which Dinah writes about the loss of children and the redemptive power of love." - Liz Trenow – author of The Poppy Factory
"Dinah Jefferies has once again created a gloriously atmospheric and tension-filled novel. Immensely enjoyable, poignant and compelling." - Isabel Wolff – author of Ghostwritten
"Beautifully written and heart rending… a magical setting with a real sense of period." - Katie Fforde – author of A Vintage Wedding & A French Affair
"Vibrant and compelling – Dinah Jefferies perfectly captures the flavor of colonial Ceylon." - Rosanna Ley – author of The Saffron Trail
"The Tea Planter’s Wife is a wonderful book on so many levels, intensely moving and beautifully observed. I was enthralled from start to finish…Ceylon leaps to life in dazzlingly lush detail. The sights, sounds and smells are masterfully conjured. Dinah Jefferies brings to the story a power and intensity that drew me in and wouldn’t let me go in this intimate and emotional tale that explores where the boundaries of love lie. A deeply touching and unforgettable read that swept me away. I loved it." - Kate Furnivall – author of The Italian Wife
'A powerful story of love and loss that is utterly captivating. Dinah Jefferies skilfully captures this fragile moment of history in a complex and thrilling tale.'
Kate Furnivall - bestselling author of 'The Russian Concubine','The White Pearl' and several others.
'I LOVED it! Dinah Jefferies writes beautifully.'
Lucinda Riley - bestselling author of 'The Light Behind the Window' and several others.
'The Separation is as intimate as a kiss and as sharp as the blade of a knife.'
David Gillham - author of NYT bestseller 'City of Women'.
'The tears are still streaming down my face ... I have three words to describe the book: Captivating, Powerful and Passionate.'
Deborah Rodriguez - bestselling author of 'The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul'.
'I read The Separation in three big gulps because I simply didn't want to put it down. It's vivid, atmospheric and very exciting - you can smell the tropics, feel the drenching heat, hear the birds and the bullfrogs - and the story is so well told.'
Isabel Wolff - author of 'Ghostwritten' and many others.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dinah was born in Malaya in 1948 and moved to England at the age of nine. In 1985, the sudden death of her fourteen year old son changed the course of her life, and deeply influenced her writing. Dinah drew on that experience, and on her own childhood spent in Malaya during the 1950s to write her debut novel, The Separation.
Now living in Gloucestershire with her husband and their Norfolk terrier, she spends her days writing, with time off with her grandchildren.
QUOTED: "This book is an unashamed love story set in Rajasthan India, which is the most gloriously romantic place I’ve ever been – India’s hilltop forts and ornate palaces were magical and I hope to go back. But, as is usual with my books, there is an edge. When Eliza, a photojournalist, is sent to a Princely state to photograph the royal family she’s determined to make a name for herself."
"But when she arrives at the palace she meets, Jay, The Prince’s handsome brooding brother. She is enchanted by him and by India but can’t ignore the shocking poverty she sees around her, nor the plight of women. Gradually she awakens to the injustices of British rule too and must find her way in this alien world. The bond between Eliza and Jay is powerful and they have much in common, but their families and society have different ideas and she is left with heart-breaking choices."
An Interview with Dinah Jefferies, Author of Before the Rains
FEBRUARY 19, 2017
LINDASBOOKBAG
cover
It’s difficult to convey how excited I am to welcome Dinah Jefferies, author of Before the Rains to Linda’s Book Bag today as part of the book’s launch celebrations. I love Dinah’s writing and you can read my review of The Tea Planter’s Wife here and of The Silk Merchant’s Daughter here. I’m still to read Before the Rains as I want to savour it when I have time to immerse myself completely.
Before the Rains will be published by Penguin on 23rd February 2017 and is available for purchase in e-book and hardback from all good booksellers as well as here.
Before the Rains
cover
1930, Rajputana, India. Since her husband’s death, 28-year-old photojournalist Eliza’s only companion has been her camera. When the British Government send her to an Indian princely state to photograph the royal family, she’s determined to make a name for herself.
But when Eliza arrives at the palace she meets Jay, the Prince’s handsome, brooding brother. While Eliza awakens Jay to the poverty of his people, he awakens her to the injustices of British rule. Soon Jay and Eliza find they have more in common than they think. But their families – and society – think otherwise. Eventually they will have to make a choice between doing what’s expected, or following their hearts. . .
btrjustpreorder
An Interview with Dinah Jefferies
Photographs kindly provided by the author
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Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Dinah. Thank you so much for agreeing to answer some questions on my blog about your writing and your latest novel Before the Rains in particular. Firstly, please could you tell me a little about yourself?
Well I live in Gloucestershire with my husband and our Norfolk Terrier, Teddy, and not far from family which is lovely. I’m very family oriented and love nothing more than going on holiday with everyone. Kids keep you young I reckon. I enjoy reading and I love to travel too.
Without spoiling the plot, please could you tell us a bit about Before the Rains?
This book is an unashamed love story set in Rajasthan India, which is the most gloriously romantic place I’ve ever been – India’s hilltop forts and ornate palaces were magical and I hope to go back. But, as is usual with my books, there is an edge. When Eliza, a photojournalist, is sent to a Princely state to photograph the royal family she’s determined to make a name for herself. But when she arrives at the palace she meets, Jay, The Prince’s handsome brooding brother. She is enchanted by him and by India but can’t ignore the shocking poverty she sees around her, nor the plight of women. Gradually she awakens to the injustices of British rule too and must find her way in this alien world. The bond between Eliza and Jay is powerful and they have much in common, but their families and society have different ideas and she is left with heart-breaking choices.
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Which aspects of your writing do you find easiest and most difficult?
I find the first draft the hardest part and I enjoy the editing the most. Anything is better than staring at a blank page. Mind you the whole thing is a juggling act. By the time you’re doing the publicity for one book you’re already writing the next and it’s hard sometimes to remember where you are.
What are your writing routines and where do you do most of your writing?
I write in the mornings in my lovely new garden room. I’ve only had it for a few months and it still feels such a luxury. In the afternoons I walk the dog, do any chores and see to emails and such like. I’ll edit a little and maybe plan the next chapters. I don’t work in the evenings as I run out of energy.
The tragic death of your son at an early age has been a catalyst for your writing. Is writing a cathartic experience for you?
It isn’t cathartic but I do think the loss does inform my writing. It’s a part of who I am, so it’s a part of my work, and there is usually some kind of loss lurking at the heart of my stories.
You were born in Malaya. How far has this impacted on your choice of settings for your books as I know it influenced The Separation?
It has hugely impacted on my choice of settings. It’s as if I keep going back to the East in search of something I lost when we moved to England. Now my publisher keeps suggesting even more far flung places. It’s very exciting.
How do you go about researching detail and ensuring your books are realistic?
I read massively and I watch as many films and videos as I can. Youtube can be very useful. I try to build a picture of a time and place by making endless notes until I feel as if I had actually been there at the time in question. Going to the country helps so much with detail and atmosphere. For example who knew the palaces walls were once actually studded with rubies and the like, some as large as a child’s fist. Now it’s coloured glass of course.
When I see your research travels I’m always very jealous. Which comes first – the travel and then an idea for a book or the idea and then the travel to research it?
With The Tea Planter’s Wife I had already written the first draft when I went to Sri Lanka, so I knew exactly what I was looking for while I was there and that helped enormously. But I went to Vietnam before I’d even started The Silk Merchant’s Daughter so that was very different. I guess what I’m saying is that it can be either way. I had started Before The Rains before I went to India but going there helped clarify my ideas and gave form to the hazy imaginings in my mind.
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What’s your essential author travel kit when you’re travelling and researching?
Lots of notebooks, pens and my camera. Most importantly I seek out books while I’m there that I’d never have found if I hadn’t visited the country. For Before the Rains I went to Rajasthan where I found an amazing book about Indian beauty regimes which inspired a chapter of the story when Eliza is taken in hand by the concubines.
All your books feature strong women. How important is it for you to give an historical voice to women?
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I am fascinated by how much changed for women during the Twentieth Century and I do enjoy going back in time to give a voice to women at different times from our own. We have come a long way in terms of women’s rights but it wasn’t always the case. I value what the past can teach us.
How do you create your characters?
First I have an idea for a character and their story and then I jot down rough notes until I can actually see him or her in my mind. During the next stage of planning I write a character synopsis for each main character based on my jottings. Usually my characters develop even further as I’m writing the first draft and I learn more about who they are.
When I read your books (and I notice Before the Rains is no different) I always get a sense of social or political injustice exposed. Is this a deliberate or incidental feature of your writing?
It’s deliberate as I think it’s important to set my stories in a social and political context in order to anchor them firmly at a particular time. It helps to create the mood and mindsets of the period.
There’s often a theme of secrecy and identity in your books. Does this reflect your own search for identity or a more general view of how society functions?
I think it reflects my own search for identity. I spent my early childhood in Malaya, and it was home to me. I felt it was where I belonged so coming to England at the age of nine left me with a sense of not fitting in. Malaya had been so warm, colourful and seductive but Worcestershire in February couldn’t have been more different. It was cold and smelt of coal smoke.
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In Before the Rains, the protagonist Eliza is a photojournalist. How far does this reflect one of your own passions?
Actually it’s one of my husband’s passions and so I picked his brain rather a lot on this.
So, if you hadn’t become an author, what would you have done instead as a creative outlet?
Before I started writing I was a painter but I hurt my shoulder and couldn’t easily paint the large abstract landscapes I liked to make. Now I paint with words and love to create visual and sensory impact in that way.
When you’re not writing, what do you like to read?
Well, for example, I’ve just finished The Essex Serpent which I loved and I do get sent quite a number of proofs to look at and quote for too. But I have wide ranging reading tastes and love to get lost in an engaging novel.
I adore all the covers for your books. How has that style come about?
I’m happy to say that the style of the covers is entirely down to Penguin’s design team. They came up with the look and continue to develop it. I get asked for feedback but so far I’ve been delighted by what they’ve done.
If you could choose to be a character from Before the Rains, who would you be and why?
I would be Eliza because I would love to have seen Rajasthan back in the day before tourism. And also I think Jay is gorgeous and exactly my cup of tea!
And finally, Dinah, if you had 15 words to persuade a reader that Before the Rains should be their next read, what would you say?
Sink into a complex love story set in the vast deserts and fabulous palaces of Rajasthan. Sorry Linda it’s 16!
As I love your writing, I’ll let you off! Thank you so much for your time in answering my questions Dinah.
About Dinah Jefferies
dinah-author
Dinah was born in Malaya and moved to England at the age of nine. In 1985, the sudden death of her fourteen year old son changed the course of her life, and deeply influenced her writing. Dinah drew on that experience, and on her own childhood spent in Malaya during the 1950s to write her debut novel, The Separation.
Now living in Gloucestershire with her husband and their Norfolk terrier, she spends her days writing, with time off with her grandchildren.
You can follow Dinah Jefferies on Twitter and visit her web site. You’ll also find Dinah on Facebook.
QUOTED: "Sometimes I have the kernel of an idea before I hit on the location. For The Tea Planter’s Wife I did have the idea of a life-changing secret before I chose Sri Lanka—or Ceylon as it was then known."
"It’s all about sensory detail. For my third book, The Silk Merchant’s Daughter, set in Vietnam, it was all about evoking the contrast between the elegant French quarter of Hanoi, as opposed to the clutter and noise of the ancient Vietnamese quarter with canaries singing in bamboo cages and the scent of charcoal and ginger in the air. The setting has to work to support the story in some way, and as this is a story of a woman caught between two worlds. I needed to show how different those two worlds were."
LOCATION, LOCUTION: Novelist Dinah Jefferies melds themes of displacement and loss with the seductive beauty of the East
2 Comments Posted by The Displaced Nation Team on December 3, 2016
dinah-jefferies-location-locution
Tracey Warr is here with fellow historical novelist Dinah Jefferies. Dinah has led an unusually eventful life: not only has she lived in various countries but she has also suffered the loss of a child. These experiences have fueled a writing career that took off when Dinah reached her mid-sixties.
Greetings, Displaced Nationers.
My guest this month is Dinah Jefferies, who was born in 1948 in Malaya—as Malaysia was known then—where she spent the first nine years of her life, growing up against the background of civil war. Once Malaya gained independence from England, her parents decided to move back home.
Dinah found it wrenching. As she told a UK magazine:
“I was incredibly happy in Malaya. We just wore flip-flops and pants at home; it was so hot… I loved going to the Chinese quarter with my amah, sitting cross-legged on straw mats with her family, eating bright yellow, strong-tasting ice cream. It was like nothing like I’ve ever tasted since.”
Moreover, England did not make a good first impression:
“I just remember absolute devastation when I saw what England was like: February, the middle of winter – grey, cold, wet; no sunshine; horrible clothes.”
Dinah was bullied at school, and although she defended herself, that “feeling of not being quite a member of anything has stayed with me all my life.”
This outsider status led to a certain restlessness, which should be familiar to any of our Third Culture Kid readers. As a teenager, Dinah lived in Tuscany and worked as an au pair for an Italian countess. Much later, with her second husband, she attempted to retire in a 16th-century village in Northern Andalusia—a plan cut short after they lost most of their money in the crash of 2008.
But the experience that shattered life as she knew it was the death of her son in 1985, when he was just 14. Formally trained as an artist, Dinah channeled her unrelenting grief into her art work. Later her move to Spain afforded an opportunity to experiment with fiction writing. After settling in Gloucestershire to be near her grandchildren, she took to writing full time and found she enjoyed weaving her experiences of loss and displacement into stories set in the “extremely seductive beauty of the East.”
Dinah’s first published novel, The Separation, came out in 2014, when she was 65 years old. Set in 1950s Malaya, the book tells the story of a mother who journeys through the civil-war-torn jungle to find out why her husband and daughters moved up country without her.
Dinah landed a contract with Viking Penguin for that book and has produced a novel for them every year since:
The Tea Planter’s Wife (2015). Set in 1920s Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), the book revolves around a young Englishwoman who has married a tea plantation owner and widower, only to discover he’s been keeping some terrible secrets about his past.
The Silk Merchant’s Daughter (2016): Set in 1950s French Indochina (now Vietnam), the era when militants were determined to end French rule, the story concerns a half-French, half Vietnamese woman who is torn between two worlds.
Before the Rains (forthcoming, February 2017): Set in 1930s India, the book follows the progress of a British photojournalist who is sent to photograph the royal family in the princely state of Rajputana (Rajasthan). She ends up falling in love with the Prince’s brother…
To research her books Dinah has traveled to Sri Lanka, Vietnam and India. She will be speaking at the Fairway Galle Literary Festival in Sri Lanka in January, should any of you Displaced Nationers find yourselves in that part of the world.
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* * *
Welcome, Dinah, to Location, Locution. Which tends to come first when you get an idea for a new book: story or location?
For all four of my books the location came first, though story comes a very close second. Once I’ve decided on the place, I then research the period and usually while researching that, the kind of characters I want begin to emerge. Sometimes I have the kernel of an idea before I hit on the location. For The Tea Planter’s Wife I did have the idea of a life-changing secret before I chose Sri Lanka—or Ceylon as it was then known.
What is your technique for evoking the atmosphere of the various places where you’ve set your four novels?
It’s all about sensory detail. For my third book, The Silk Merchant’s Daughter, set in Vietnam, it was all about evoking the contrast between the elegant French quarter of Hanoi, as opposed to the clutter and noise of the ancient Vietnamese quarter with canaries singing in bamboo cages and the scent of charcoal and ginger in the air. The setting has to work to support the story in some way, and as this is a story of a woman caught between two worlds. I needed to show how different those two worlds were.
Which particular features create a sense of location: landscape, culture, food?
All those and more. I include everything I can to create the atmosphere of the place and the time. For historical fiction, one has to get the historical details right, too: the type of buildings, what people wore, their mindset, etc. It’s about what the characters would be seeing in their daily lives and how they would be interacting with their surroundings. For me the landscape has to almost be a character in itself. I try to re-create the beauty of the world in question as well as its unique personality.
Can you give a brief example from your writing that illustrates place?
From The Tea Planter’s Wife:
“Below her, gentle, flower filled gardens sloped down to the lake in three terraces, with paths, steps and benches strategically placed between the three. The lake itself was the most gloriously shining silver she’d ever seen. All memory of the previous day’s car journey, with its terrifying hairpin bends, deep ravines, and nauseating bumps, was instantly washed away. Rising up behind the lake, and surrounding it, was a tapestry of green velvet, the tea bushes as symmetrical as if they’d been stitched in rows, where women tea-pickers wore eye-catching brightly coloured saris, and looked like tiny embroidered birds who had stopped to peck.”
In general, how well do you think you need to know a place before using it as a setting?
I like to know it as well as I can and I always visit a location I’m planning to use. Just being in a place can help in ways you never could have imagined if you hadn’t been there. When doing research for The Tea Planter’s Wife, I was staying at a tea plantation in Sri Lanka and found a library of wonderful books I’d never have known about back home. Those books provided me with amazing details, as did sitting outside in the evening watching the fireflies and listening to the cicadas. Being there made it real.
Which writers do you admire for the way they use location?
I love Julia Gregson’s book East of The Sun for the way it evokes a particular time in India. Also Simon Mawer’s The Girl who Fell from the Sky set in wartime France. Both are great books with terrifically realistic settings that are an important element of the story.
Dinah Jefferies’s picks for novelists who have mastered the art of writing about place
Interesting! I should tell you that one of my other guests, the novelist Hazel Gaynor, chose your books—The Tea Planter’s Wife and The Silk Merchant’s Daughter—in answer to this question. Also, my very next guest will be one of your picks, Simon Mawer.
Thanks so much, Dinah, for joining us. It’s been a pleasure.
* * *
Readers, any questions for Dinah? Please leave them in the comments below.
Meanwhile, if you would like to discover more about Dinah Jefferies and her novels, I suggest you visit her author site. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
À bientôt! Till next time…
Jan
21
Interview with Best Selling author, Dinah Jefferies
Trisha
TS: I discovered Dinah recently in my routine search for authors I might enjoy reading. What a treasure! My favorite genre’ , a good story based in historic fact. She is currently research and writing her next book so, understandably, her answers are short and sweet!
Q. Where do you write? Do you have a special room, shed, barn, special space for your writing? (please provide a photo/s of your shed, room, closet, barn….) Or tell us about your ‘dream’ work space.
DJ. I have recently had a garden room built and that’s where I do my reading, writing and where I have an exercise bike. I have no photos of the room yet but it’s very peaceful and I have music at hand whenever I feel like it. It feels like a little oasis that’s just for me.
Q. Do you have any special rituals when you sit down to write? (a neat work space, sharpened #2 pencils, legal pad, cup of tea, glass of brandy, favorite pajamas, etc.)
DJ. A cup of coffee and my latest notes on the left of my keyboard and if the room is warm enough, then I’m ready. I don’t do any social media when I’m writing. If the room is cold I get on my exercise bike to warm up.
Q. Could you tell us something about yourself that we might not already know?
DJ. When I first came to live in England it didn’t feel like home. I was born and brought up for the first nine years of my life in British Malaya and saw that as my home, so I was what they call a Third Culture Kid. Not quite one, not quite the other and it left me with a feeling of not properly fitting in.
Q. Do you have a set time each day (or night) to write?
DJ. I write in the mornings and use the afternoons for editing, reading, taking the dog for a walk and any household chores that need doing.
Q. What’s your best advice to other writers for overcoming procrastination?
DJ. You overcome procrastination by sitting down and getting on with it. You make a choice. You work or you don’t.
Q. Where/when do you first discover your characters? Before or after the idea of a story?
DJ. They begin to pop into my head at the research stage. As I read about a place and a time I begin to think about the type of people who might have been there at the time and the kind of story I want to write.
Q. What first inspired you to write your stories?
DJ. Having time on my hands. We were living in a tiny medieval village in Andalusia, Spain and once the restoration of our house was complete I began. Writing a novel is very labour intensive.
Q. What comes first to you? The Characters or the Situation?
DJ. The place comes first and then the characters and the situation arise simultaneously.
Q. Do you ‘get lost’ in your writing?
DJ. Absolutely, especially when it’s going well and I’m in the ‘zone’. When I’m struggling it’s much harder, but I try to keep going anyway. You can’t edit a blank page.
QUOTED: "This atmospheric and suspenseful novel is reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier's classic Rebecca and will enthrall fans of gothic romances."
Second wives
Library Journal. 141.14 (Sept. 1, 2016): p94.
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* Jefferies, Dinah. The Tea Planter's Wife. Crown. Sept. 2016.432p. ISBN 9780451495976. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780451495990. F
A best seller in Britain and set in 1920s Ceylon (Sri Lanka today), Jefferies's (The Separation) novel is the spellbinding tale of a young bride who travels to an exotic land and winds up completely lost in the unfamiliar. Nineteen-year-old Gwen married Laurence in England and has followed him to his tea plantation. Though mesmerized by the beauty of the country, she soon struggles with the unaccustomed isolation. Her new husband is strangely distant, spending most of his time at work, and his relationship with a beautiful American businesswoman makes Gwen insecure. Verity, Laurence's spoiled younger sister, is jealous of Gwen's place as mistress of the house and will do anything to drive a wedge between the couple. The plantation itself holds undercurrents of danger with unrest brewing among the native workers. Most mysterious and troubling is that no one is willing to talk about Laurence's first wife and the circumstances of her death. Soon, Gwen is questioning her own choices and will have to make a devastating decision to save her marriage and maybe her life. VERDICT This atmospheric and suspenseful novel is reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier's classic Rebecca and will enthrall fans of gothic romances. [See Prepub Alert, 4/25/16; September LibraryReads Pick.]--Catherine Coyne, Mansfield P.L., MA
QUOTED: "an engrossing tale of mystery, manners, and prejudice set against the backdrop of Ceylon."
The Tea Planter's Wife
Publishers Weekly. 263.29 (July 18, 2016): p183.
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The Tea Planter's Wife
Dinah Jefferies. Crown, $26 (432p) ISBN 9780-451-49597-6
In her U.S. debut, Jefferies (The Separation), who was born in Malaysia and lives in England, delivers an engrossing tale of mystery, manners, and prejudice set against the backdrop of Ceylon (current-day Sri Lanka). Arriving from England by ship not long after the sinking of the Titanic, Gwen, the 19-year-old bride of Laurence Hooper, heir to a massive tea plantation, senses tension on every side when she comes to the serene but secluded plantation. Who is this widowed man she has married, and what is he hiding from his past? And why does everyone--Laurence's sister, the plantation manager, and Laurence himself--want Gwen to keep her distance from the affairs of the native workers? As Laurence becomes involved with a mysterious businesswoman and Gwen spends her time with a local Sinhalese man, the past begins to spill into the present at the scenic plantation. Though the writing is at times cluttered and needlessly verbose, Jefferies shows that she can weave a suspenseful tale in which characters' complex motivations converge in surprising ways--where compromise can turn out to have been cruelty, and where the aspiration to love overcomes prejudice and tradition. While characters aside from Gwen and Laurence never feel fully fleshed out, Jefferies makes up for this defect by offering suspense and pathos, and by resisting the temptation to gloss over true heartbreak and regret. Agent: Caroline Hardman, Hardman & Swainson Literary Agency. (Sept.)
QUOTED: "a superbly written novel that readers of historical fiction as well as women's fiction will treasure."
The Tea Planter's Wife
John Charles
Booklist. 112.21 (July 1, 2016): p42.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 American Library Association
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* The Tea Planter's Wife. By Dinah Jefferies. Sept. 2016. 432p. Crown, $26 (9780451495976).
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
It is only after Gwen Hooper arrives in Ceylon that she realizes she has married a stranger. As Gwen settles into becoming the new mistress of Hooper's Plantation, she discovers her new husband, Laurence, is not exactly the carefree, charming man who won her heart in London. Something other than the day-to-day worries about keeping a tea plantation running smoothly seems to be troubling him. What is even more unsettling are the whispers Gwen hears about Laurence's first wife, Caroline, as well as the lack of information about her predecessor's untimely demise. British author Jefferies gives a graceful nod to du Maurier's classic Rebecca in her spellbinding American debut, but The Tea Planter's Wife is no mere literary knockoff. While she also has an effortlessly elegant, lushly descriptive writing style, Jefferies comes up with plenty of her own clever plot twists as well as investing Gwen and Laurence's relationship with far more sensual heat than du Maurier does. Combine this with the vivid, evocative manner in which Jefferies describes the beauty of Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, and the captivating cast of characters she has created, and you have a superbly written novel that readers of historical fiction as well as women's fiction will treasure.--John Charles
QUOTED: "at times harrowing and always stirring."
We love this book
Jade Craddock
The Bookseller. .5624 (May 23, 2014): p20.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 The Bookseller Media Group (Bookseller Media Ltd.)
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DINAH JEFFERIES
THE SEPARATION
Penguin, 7.99 [pounds sterling], 9780241966051
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Set in the two contrasting worlds of the Midlands and Malaya in the 1950s, Dinah Jefferies creates a vivid and evocative portrait of a mother and daughter separated. In daughter Emma, she movingly portrays the loss of childhood innocence and naivety. In the oppressive, exotic and tense backdrop of Malaya, Jefferies pits mother Lydia's struggles against a wider backdrop of military, government and colonial struggles to weave a mystery that uncovers this story's very own heart of darkness. At times harrowing and always stirring, The Separation is powerful story driven by a twisting plot.
REVIEW BY JADE CRADDOCK
FOR WEWVETHISBOOK.COM
Craddock, Jade
QUOTED: "Love, suspense, guilt, and hidden secrets with an underlying theme of race relations seamlessly blend together in a timeless story of an innocent young Englishwoman struggling to find her place in colonial Ceylon against unexpected circumstances and facing cruel choices."
"Although many younger readers may wish Gwen was more feisty and less prone to fits of crying, Jefferies stays true to the times and the customs of social behavior. All in all The Tea Planter’s Wife is an enjoyable read."
The Tea Planter's Wife: A Novel
Image of The Tea Planter's Wife: A Novel
Author(s):
Dinah Jefferies
Release Date:
September 12, 2016
Publisher/Imprint:
Crown
Pages:
432
Buy on Amazon
Reviewed by:
D. R. Meredith
“Dinah Jefferies uses the secrets held by a husband and wife to expose the prejudice and unfairness of the British colonial era. . . . an enjoyable read.”
Love, suspense, guilt, and hidden secrets with an underlying theme of race relations seamlessly blend together in a timeless story of an innocent young Englishwoman struggling to find her place in colonial Ceylon against unexpected circumstances and facing cruel choices.
Nineteen-year-old Gwendolyn Hooper, newly wed to Laurence Hooper, a handsome and very successful tea planter, arrives in Ceylon expecting to be met by her husband. Instead she finds herself alone on the dock and feeling very much out of place.
“Nothing had prepared her for the shock of Ceylon’s scorching heat, nor its clashing colors, nor the contrast between the bright white light and depth of the shade. Noise bombarded her: bells, horns, people, and buzzing insects surrounding her, swirling and eddying until she felt as if she were being tipped about like one of the pieces of flotsam she’d been watching earlier.”
Savi Ravasinghe, a young Sinhalese man, directs her to a hotel lounge to wait for Lawrence, but does not wait with her even though he admits to knowing Laurence. The hotel is a gathering place for the British; dark-skinned natives are not welcome.
Comments are easily overlooked, but they are subtle hints of underlying themes. Gwen notices the heavy scent in the air that Savi identifies as flowers, but it was more than that. “Beneath the seductive scent there was an undercurrent of something sour.”
Savi dismisses the sour smell as bad drains, and Gwen nods. “Perhaps that was it.”
Later Savi points out a monk attempting to purify a place where “great evil may have transpired at that spot, or at the very least a death. . . . In Ceylon we believe in ghosts.”
When Laurence arrives Gwen tells him that she has met Savi, who was very kind. Laurence frowns but says nothing. He doesn’t need to; Gwen feels his displeasure.
After a night of passionate lovemaking at the hotel, Gwen and Laurence travel to Laurence’s plantation where their relationship takes a different turn. Laurence is distant when he joins her in bed, often staring at her as if she is a stranger.
Warned by Laurence “to stay away from work matters” for her own safety, not to wander unaccompanied, and only allow Naveena, the Sinhalese servant woman to see her in her nightgown, Gwen feels like her husband is treating her like a child.
Laurence adds that “Now don’t worry. You’ll soon pick up how things are done.”
Vowing to be the best wife she can be, Gwen plans changes to the plantation: a vegetable garden and a gazebo. But there are secrets she uncovers that make her uneasy, first among them is a child’s grave hidden in the woods with only a first and middle name on the tombstone—no dates, no last name.
Then Gwen finds a trunk of carefully wrapped baby clothes and a yellowing dress. Do these clothes belong to the child buried in the woods, the child Laurence says is Caroline’s, Laurence’s first wife. Why is the child not buried with his mother, and why does Laurence not claim the child?
While not ghosts in a supernatural sense, the child and Caroline seem to haunt Laurence, but he will not answer questions, and neither will anyone else on the plantation.
Adding to Gwen’s fears are Laurence’s friend, Christina, a beautiful widow who owns Ceylon’s largest bank, and is far too flirtatious with Laurence, as if the two of them share a relationship Gwen knows nothing about. Another woman who demands Laurence’s attention is his sister Verity, one of the novel’s more malicious characters.
Angry at Laurence’s attention to Christina at a party, Gwen drinks too much and is helped to bed by Savi Ravasinghe. She wakes to find herself partially undressed but can’t remember anything beyond Savi helping her to her room. Had he acted inappropriately? She does not know.
When Grew becomes pregnant both she and Laurence are excited by the coming child. As she approaches the time of the birth, Laurence leaves on business, leaving her to Verity and the servant Naveena. Verity announces she must attend a party and leaves, to Gwen’s relief.
Later that night Gwen goes into labor with only Naveena to help her. With being safely delivered of twins, a boy and a girl, Gwen must now make a horrible decision. If she wants to save her marriage and avoid shaming Laurence and well as being shunned by British society in Ceylon, she must do something she abhors, and which will leave her with guilt for the rest of her life.
The Tea Planter’s Wife echoes some of elements of the classic novel, Rebecca, but with a more fragile character in Gwen and with a wider focus. This is more than a novel of the deadly resentment of a servant because a new wife is taking the place of her former mistress. Dinah Jefferies uses the secrets held by a husband and wife to expose the prejudice and unfairness of the British colonial era.
Although many younger readers may wish Gwen was more feisty and less prone to fits of crying, Jefferies stays true to the times and the customs of social behavior. All in all The Tea Planter’s Wife is an enjoyable read.
D. R. Meredith is the author of fifteen mystery novels, two historical sagas, a TV novelization, several short stories, and innumerable book reviews.
THE TEA PLANTER'S WIFE
by Dinah Jefferies
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KIRKUS REVIEW
A young English wife becomes the mistress of a tea plantation in Ceylon and is quickly confronted with upheavals—racial, social, and domestic—in Jefferies’ U.S. debut.
Gwen, daughter of a landed Gloucestershire family, marries widower Laurence Hooper, descended from Ceylon’s original English settlers. Upon setting up housekeeping on the vast Hooper tea plantation, Gwen is puzzled by Laurence’s intermittent coldness toward her. Unable to get any information out of the family servants, not even longtime retainer and ayah Naveena, Gwen suspects that Laurence may be succumbing to the blandishments, financial and otherwise, of New York sophisticate Christina, a Wall Street trader. Another thorn is Verity, Laurence’s clingy sister, who refuses to get married while insisting that Laurence pay her an allowance. In a secluded grotto, Gwen discovers the grave of Laurence’s young son, Thomas, his child by his first wife, Caroline, and Laurence is circumspect about how Thomas died—as he is about the nature of Caroline’s final illness. At a planters’ soiree, Gwen spies Laurence dancing with Christina and feigns indifference by getting sloshed. Unable to recall what happened after being carried upstairs and put to bed by Savi Ravasinghe, a charming Sinhalese society portraitist, Gwen assumes the worse. Laurence and she having ironed out their conjugal wrinkles, she becomes pregnant, and, while Laurence is away, she gives birth to twins—a white boy and a girl clearly of mixed race. Naveena names the girl Liyoni and finds a family to raise her. Tormented by the loss of her daughter, secrets kept from and by Laurence, and revulsion for Savi, Gwen watches the painter flirt with every woman in sight and eventually become the toast of New York. Muddle the above with the Wall Street crash, mysterious thefts, and a couple of native uprisings, and we soon realize that this plot has painted itself into a corner from which only the unlikeliest of coincidences can extract it.
A melodrama of the waning British Empire.
Pub Date: Sept. 13th, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-451-49597-6
Page count: 432pp
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: June 22nd, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1st, 2016
QUOTED: "This is still a heartfelt and absorbing story about tragedy and loss, love and forgiveness, and it will appeal to a wide audience."
The Separation
BY DINAH JEFFERIES
Find & buy on
It is 1955. Lydia returns to her home in Malacca after visiting a sick friend, expecting to be welcomed by her husband Alec and daughters, Emma and Fleur, only to discover they are missing, along with their clothes. There is not even a note. A local official tells Lydia that Alec has been relocated upcountry. She is compelled to follow, even knowing her journey will be through dangerous jungle territory. Saddled with Maz, a small homeless boy, she is helped by the attractive mystery man, Adil, but is discomforted when she is forced to stay on a rubber plantation with her former lover, Jack.
Meanwhile in England, young Emma’s rocky relationship with her father results in her being sent to a strict boarding school. She doesn’t understand why her mother never had the chance to say goodbye and has been told that she is missing, presumed dead. When her father plans to remarry, Emma sets about trying to solve the puzzle of her mother’s life.
The sights and sounds of steamy tropical Malaya are evocatively described, as is colonial life in the 1950s, but there are a few anachronisms (the protocol used in a serious event, for instance, and incorrect details on a period film). The plot also gets overloaded with contrivances, including love triangles and secret babies. The insurrection in Malaya known as “The Emergency” is only backdrop to the novel, and there are episodes that are vague, implausible or left unresolved. Lydia’s resigned acceptance of what she is told by certain individuals can make her seem too compliant at times, and it is her spirited teenaged daughter Emma who is the more convincing character. Such quibbles aside, this is still a heartfelt and absorbing story about tragedy and loss, love and forgiveness, and it will appeal to a wide audience.
QUOTED: "This is a worthy debut that not only provides insight on this dark moment in Malaya's history, but is also an ode to maternal love–to the powerful bond that links Emma and her mother from across the world."
Book review: The Separation, by Dinah Jefferies
PUBLISHED : Sunday, 25 May, 2014, 3:42pm
UPDATED : Sunday, 25 May, 2014, 3:42pm
Tessa Chan
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The Separation
by Dinah Jefferies
Penguin
3.5 stars
Tessa Chan
Emma Cartwright is 11 years old when her father drags her and her younger sister, Fleur, from their home in Malacca, Malaya, onboard a ship to England. Puzzled and reluctant, she begs her father to let her leave a note to her mother, who is away visiting a sick friend. Her father takes the note and evasively assures her that their mother will be joining them "later".
Set during the Malayan Emergency in the 1950s, Dinah Jefferies' debut novel swings between Emma and her mother Lydia's perspectives. We follow Emma on her gloomy voyage to England, while Lydia returns to their house only to find it empty.
Immediately fearing the worst - the tension between the Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army means nobody feels safe - Lydia embarks on a journey across Malaya to track down her family. She's devastated when she's informed that they have perished in a fire, yet is unable to fully accept their death until she sees proof.
At the beginning of her travels, Lydia comes across a young, abandoned Malay boy, Maznan; she ends up taking him along with her. They provide each other with mutual support - a surrogate family of sorts. She also meets the exotic Adil: a magnetic, mysterious man who she's drawn to, yet is unsure whether to trust.
The plot moves at a nimble pace. Lydia never feels fully at home in Malaya: expatriates are no longer protected and guerillas lurk in the dense, menacing jungle that surrounds them. In her eyes it's an "impenetrable world of myth and magic, a place where colonial officialdom fought Chinese rebellion, where falsehood was rife, and having a white skin made you a red-haired devil".
Jefferies borrows from her own memories to create this work of fiction: she was born in Malaya in 1948 and at the age of nine she too left the country for England. She can understand how, having grown up in the tropics, it's Liverpool that feels cold and foreign to Emma: she doesn't fit in at school And without the protection of her mother, she falls victim to sexual abuse.
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This is a worthy debut that not only provides insight on this dark moment in Malaya's history, but is also an ode to maternal love - to the powerful bond that links Emma and her mother from across the world. Lydia's maternal longing and sense of loss is made painfully authentic as once again Jefferies draws on personal experience: she lost her own son when he was 14 years old.
There is a symmetry to Emma's and Lydia's suffering as both fight to survive in a hostile environment. Both find support in men, both clutch elusive memories of their mothers. And while increasingly hard challenges are thrown their way, they discover they are more resilient than they realised.
QUOTED: "The pace was slow and the narrative excessively wordy in places, which made the plot drag."
"Despite these irritations, the book also has a lot to redeeming features. Emma is a delightful character and the parts of the story written from her teenage perspective are a pleasure to read."
The Separation by Dinah Jefferies
The Separation by Dinah Jefferies
Category: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Louise Jones
Reviewed by Louise Jones
Summary: A young woman frantically searches Malaya for her husband and young daughters during the 'Emergency'.
Buy? No Borrow? No
Pages: 400 Date: May 2014
Publisher: Penguin
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 9780241966051
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Lydia Cartwright has returned home from a short trip and can’t wait to be reunited with her adorable young daughters. She has missed them terribly. When she walks through the door, however, she senses that something is very wrong. Her husband and daughters are gone, along with most of their clothes and possessions. She searches the house for a message, some clue as to where they may be, but finds nothing. The bank account has been left almost empty, leaving Lydia puzzled and confused. Where are her husband and children? After making enquiries, Lydia is told that her family have relocated to Ipoh, where her husband Alec has a new job. Filled with hope, Lydia undertakes a risky journey through the Malayan Jungle at a time of political unrest known simply as the ‘Emergency’ with the love of her children as her driving force.
‘The Separation’ has an interesting dual-narrative. The first story is that of Lydia, the mother searching for her children and is told in the third person. The second voice is that of Emma, Lydia’s feisty teenage daughter, who never gives up hope that she may see her beloved mother again, despite having been told that she is missing and presumed dead. The author cleverly alternates the two stories, which creates a refreshing contrast as we are transported from the hot, sultry jungles of Malaya to a grey, cold, unwelcoming boarding school in Britain and back again.
Despite an intriguing premise, the book had major flaws, mostly as a result of poor editing. The pace was slow and the narrative excessively wordy in places, which made the plot drag. The author had an annoying habit of repeating the same phrases over and over again in every chapter. I lost count of the times where a character ‘stood, hands on hips’, ‘wiped the moisture from her hairline’ or wore ‘frosty pink nail lacquer’, but the constant repetition made me lose focus of the actual story. Perhaps even the proofreader lost interest, which may explain why ‘Cicely’ became ‘Cecily’ in one of the chapters.
Despite these irritations, the book also has a lot to redeeming features. Emma is a delightful character and the parts of the story written from her teenage perspective are a pleasure to read. The descriptions of life in Malaya, drawn from the author’s own experiences, are powerfully evocative and transport the reader to another time and place. The author had clearly done her research, which added credibility to the storyline.The ending was beautifully written and made me feel glad that I had not given up on the story, despite my misgivings.
QUOTED: "This is a story that comes alive not just because of the tingling undercurrents of mystery, rivalry and simmering suspense but through the power of Jefferies’ evocative prose which draws us into an alluring, ‘other’ world of sun-filled, ancient streets."
Book review: The Silk Merchant’s Daughter by Dinah Jefferies The Silk Merchants Daughter byDinah Jefferies PAM NORFOLK Email 10:00Monday 22 February 2016 0 HAVE YOUR SAY A young woman caught up in the violent turmoil of 1950s Vietnam, as rebels oust their French colonial rulers, forms the unforgettable backdrop to Dinah Jefferies’ mesmerising new novel. Torn between two worlds and two men, Nicole Duval – half-French and half-Vietnamese – must make heartbreaking decisions that will alter the course of her life forever. Since her first novel, The Separation, was published two years ago, Jefferies has fast become a highly popular, best-selling author, penning powerful and thrilling novels that reflect her own experiences in a British colonial family. From the heat and tensions of Malaya, where she was born and spent her early years, to the exotic beauty of colonial Ceylon featured in her second book, The Tea Planter’s Wife, Jefferies has brought us exciting stories steeped in the amazing landscapes of faraway countries on the cusp of seismic changes. The Silk Merchant’s Daughter, an addictive blend of history, drama, romance and danger, transports us to Vietnam as the South-East Asian country was poised on the brink of a Communist-led revolt that would end more than six decades of French rule. Harnessing the tensions on both sides of the bitter war and between a family with much to lose, both materially and emotionally, Jefferies weaves a beautiful, atmospheric tale packed with dark secrets, terrible hardship and the rich, fascinating culture of Vietnam.For all her life, 18-year-old Nicole Duval has dwelt in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Sylvie. Sylvie has their French father’s classic, European good looks while Nicole has the amber complexion and dark, lustrous hair of her long-dead Vietnamese mother. When their father, a wealthy silk merchant, takes up an important government post, Sylvie is handed control of the entire family silk business and Nicole is given their abandoned silk shop in the old Vietnamese quarter of Hanoi, the city known as the ‘Paris of the Orient.’ But the Vietminh rebels are growing powerful and the area is teeming with militants determined to end French rule, by any means possible. As tensions rise, Nicole’s Vietnamese appearance attracts suspicion and whispers from the French people she has lived among all her life.When she receives a shocking awakening to the corruption of colonial rule, and her own family’s involvement, Nicole starts to question where her loyalties truly lie and feels increasingly isolated from her French family. Tran, a raw, passionate and rigidly committed Vietnamese insurgent, seems to offer the perfect escape from her troubles, but her heart still sings for Mark Jenson, a handsome, charming American trader and the man she has always dreamed of. With a foot in both sides of what is becoming a bitter and brutal war, Nicole must decide who she can trust in a family – and a country – where no one is what they seem… This is a story that comes alive not just because of the tingling undercurrents of mystery, rivalry and simmering suspense but through the power of Jefferies’ evocative prose which draws us into an alluring, ‘other’ world of sun-filled, ancient streets where the women shout out their wares, canaries sing in bamboo cages and the air is filled with the aroma of ginger and charcoal. And at its heart is a sweeping, absorbing love story in which two very different sisters must make tough choices as they witness the end of all they have ever known and quickly adapt to a new and frightening future in which there are no certainties and no promises of happiness. History, mystery and romance in a dangerous and breathtaking landscape… (Viking, hardback, £12.99)
Read more at: http://www.lep.co.uk/lifestyle/books/book-review-the-silk-merchant-s-daughter-by-dinah-jefferies-1-7738361
QUOTED: "Evocative descriptions of life in French Indochina intertwined with a brutally truthful depiction of a country in a state of war make this a gripping read."
The Silk Merchant’s Daughter
BY DINAH JEFFERIES
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In 1950s Vietnam Nicole is a young “metisse” – half French, half Vietnamese. Her older sister, Sylvie, has inherited their father’s French looks, whilst Nicole takes after their deceased Vietnamese mother. Since childhood Nicole has felt in her sister’s shadow, marginalised by her family as she does not “look the part” in well-bred colonial French life. She is left constantly wondering about her mother’s culture.
Nicole meets and is attracted to an American silk trader, Mark, but his relationships with her sister and father seem to go deeper than their supposed connection through the silk trade. Politically Vietnam is unstable and Vietnamese rebels are attempting to overthrow the French. When Sylvie, ever the favoured daughter, is given charge of her father’s business and Nicole is left only a shop in a poor area of town, Nicole moves to live amongst her Vietnamese friends, rejecting her family. Her path crosses that of Tran, a young idealistic rebel, and he tries to persuade her to espouse his cause.
Torn between family and friends, fitting in neither with the French colonials or local Vietnamese, Nicole finds herself in danger and alone. Her father and Sylvie are not what they seem and both Mark and Tran, the two men in her life, have political objectives which leave her not knowing who, if anyone, she can trust.
Dinah Jefferies spins a convincing tale of love, jealousy, political corruption and a clash of cultures. Evocative descriptions of life in French Indochina intertwined with a brutally truthful depiction of a country in a state of war make this a gripping read. For me there were inconsistencies in the character of Nicole, and I did not find her a very endearing character but overall it is a fascinating and entertaining read.
QUOTED: "Jefferies describes the complex emotions of love and loss with extreme sensitivity, and coupled with the steamy settings of her book, it makes for a heady concoction, providing the perfect setting for her strong, independent female protagonists."
BOOK REVIEW: BEFORE THE RAINS BY DINAH JEFFERIES
NELL YOUNGFEBRUARY 23, 2017
BOOK REVIEWSBOOKSFEATURED
India has recently become a popular choice as the setting for several television series. With its diverse population and long history of association with the British Empire, it’s an intriguing backdrop for any novel.
Enter Dinah Jefferies – author of The Separation (2014), The Tea Planter’s Wife (2015) and The Silk Merchant’s Daughter (2016) – whose latest novel, Before The Rains, is a seductive tale that captures the essence of a bygone era in an exotic setting.
Set in 1930’s India, the story follows the tragically widowed but highly spirited Eliza, a 29-year-old photo-journalist who arrives in Juraipore, Rajputana for her biggest commission yet, to photograph the royal family in their castle surroundings. On her arrival at the castle she meets the royal inhabitants, including the charismatic and non-conformist Jay, the prince’s mysterious younger brother.
Eliza is no stranger to India, having previously left Delhi with her mother in 1912 at the tender age of eleven, after witnessing the terrible death of her father. Confident she can put this tragedy behind her, she is determined to re-invent herself as a photographer to be reckoned with. She soon realises that all is not as it seems behind the palatial doors. Despite her independence and easy-going nature, Eliza has to bend backwards to adapt and fit in, finding the customs and family traditions continually standing in her way.
Eager to capture the spirit and essence of the real royal family and their opulent culture, she is undeterred by these conventions. She strikes an unusual bond with Jay when she finds they have a common interest. This soon draws them much closer than is socially comfortable for not only the royal inhabitants, but for the British community who follow a strict code of conduct for British women, particularly where relationships with Indian men are concerned.
The castle walls have ears and treachery abounds within them. Eliza finds her every move monitored and scrutinized by those who wish to further their position in the royal household and who will stop at nothing to blacken her character, incriminate her and make her photographic mission fail.
Eliza’s life becomes increasingly complicated when she discovers that Clifford, the man who helped secure her current work position, has ulterior motives for helping her. She’s soon torn between helping Jay implement improved conditions for local people, or by following the pre-arranged – and less desirable – course of having her hand forced into a loveless but practical marriage. Long hidden secrets will eventually surface which are both shocking and revealing for Eliza.
Before The Rains is a beautifully written novel which transports you back to a time when the British Empire was still heavily influencing India, and it gives the reader a real insight into the customs and traditions of the country in the 1930’s. As with all Jefferies’s novels, her research is impeccable and I really felt my senses come alive; gorgeous descriptions of desert landscapes, lakeside palaces and colourful festivals, combined with the intoxicating sights and sounds of the vibrant country, are guaranteed to keep you hooked.
Jefferies describes the complex emotions of love and loss with extreme sensitivity, and coupled with the steamy settings of her book, it makes for a heady concoction, providing the perfect setting for her strong, independent female protagonists.
★★★★
Before The Rains in published in hardback by Viking on 23 February 2017
QUOTED: "Dinah Jefferies’ ability to conjure up the sights, smells, tastes and atmosphere of a particular country at a particular time in her writing is second to none."
"an emotional and gripping read ... with excellent pace and fantastic locations."
Book review: Before the Rains by Dinah Jefferies
20
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before the rains cover1930, Rajputana, India. Since her husband’s death, 28-year-old photojournalist Eliza’s only companion has been her camera. When the British Government send her to an Indian princely state to photograph the royal family, she’s determined to make a name for herself.
But when Eliza arrives at the palace she meets Jay, the Prince’s handsome, brooding brother. While Eliza awakens Jay to the poverty of his people, he awakens her to the injustices of British rule. Soon Jay and Eliza find they have more in common than they think. But their families – and society – think otherwise. Eventually they will have to make a choice between doing what’s expected, or following their hearts. . .
Dinah Jefferies’ ability to conjure up the sights, smells, tastes and atmosphere of a particular country at a particular time in her writing is second to none. Dinah’s books unite two of my favourite topics; history and travel and always provide a wonderful escape and as with her previous novels, Before the Rains is another vividly transporting story and I loved it.
For Before the Rains our destination is India in the 1930s. It is a time of great change for the country and in the wider world and lead character Eliza embodies this with her desire to strike out in her own right as a photographer and pursue a career as a photojournalist. Eliza is given the opportunity to visit one of the princely states to photograph the royal family as part of an archive by the British Government and this sets the scene for a story filled with colour, drama, secrets and mystery that examines the tensions between two cultures and provides a captivatingly emotional story of loss and love that really brought the characters to life for me.
I’ve never visited India but it’s clear from her evocative writing that Dinah has and that she loves the country that she is writing about. I thought Dinah cleverly presented practices and customs and the different views on them on both sides of the story with understanding and allowed me as a reader to form my own judgments on this period of history.
With Jay and Eliza, Dinah has created one of my favourite relationships in an historical fiction novel – I loved how their connection slowly developed and was heartbroken when it became clear that the expectations of Jay’s royal role would not allow them to be together. Dinah uses both Jay and Eliza and their relatives and friends in India and England to explore the notions of love, loss, family, fate and destiny and as you’ve probably gathered by now, I found Before the Rains an emotional and gripping read.
The story is in four parts and follows Eliza through a year in her life. I very much enjoyed reading about the changes that the diiferent seasons bought and the festivals and celebrations that went with them. As secrets are revealed and change cannot be avoided, Eliza has to decide whether to follow her head or her heart and Dinah kept me hooked right to the end of the story with excellent pace and fantastic locations that mirrored the drama of the story. I can’t wait to see where she will take me next!
5/5
Before the Rains is released in hardback and ebook formats by Viking on 23rd February.
Find out more about Dinah and her writing at: http://www.dinahjefferies.com/
I’d like to thank the publisher for providing a review copy of this book.
Before the Rains by Dinah Jefferies
Before the Rains by Dinah Jefferies
Category: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5
Reviewer: Ani Johnson
Reviewed by Ani Johnson
Summary: Forbidden inter-racial romance and India's 1930s struggle for independence are nicely moulded in this fascinating, danger-laced historical fiction.
Buy? Yes Borrow? Yes
Pages: 416 Date: February 2017
Publisher: Viking
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-0241287088
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Eliza has tragically punctuated childhood memories of India that have fed her desire to return. Therefore in 1930, following the death of her husband, when the British government commission her to photograph scenes of Indian life, she jumps at the chance. What she doesn't realise is that not everyone she comes across is delighted with the idea. Living within the Sultana's opulent palace complex is definitely an attraction for her, as is Jay, an Indian price who shows Eliza the real India. However, attractions are sometimes dangerous and even deadly.
Dinah Jefferies may only have started writing novels later in life, but she's definitely made up for lost time in both content and quality. This is her fourth novel, following on from The Separation, The Silk Merchant's Daughter and, the stonking debut and acclaimed Sunday Times No. 1 The Tea Planter's Wife. It's easy to see how her reputation has grown as Dinah combines strong stories seasoned with research in a way that ensures unputdownability.
This time we're taken back to the turbulent times of Indian independence. Ghandi is gradually becoming a force to be reckoned with and the British are as desperate to hang onto the sub-continent as the Indians are to leave the Empire. Eliza is thrown into the middle of this upheaval just as it starts to bubble over. She may remember the country from when she was younger but she soon realises she's an innocent abroad and knows nothing of customs, especially the more sinister side of tradition. This what makes the novel. The love story between Eliza and Jay is touching but it's the precarious world that Eliza finds herself in that animates the tale.
As our innocent Eliza makes the perfect set of eyes for us readers, as we learn about the traditions together. Dinah ensures the drama, colour and excitement of the culture jumps off the page. In the same way, as the connotations of Eliza's unwitting position in both social strata and community start to hit home, the thrills and the fears become just as real.
Eliza soon realises that just because a practice has been outlawed or frowned on, it doesn't mean it's discarded. Folk memory is longer than an administration's, especially when a nation wants to hang on to its past while an (effectively) occupying nation wishes to strip them of it. Although some of the ideas are barbaric to us, we can perhaps understand the idea of not wanting to let go of a past at a foreign nation's behest.
It's at this point that we realise why Dinah ensured that Eliza was a widow; it's something that creates problems, as if her burgeoning romance with Jay wasn't enough. That feeling of encroaching evil is deepened by Dinah's ability to write a good baddie or two.
It's rare for a romance that's such a comfort read to provide us with this level of insight into the times in which it's set. As we witness the roots and reasoning behind rebellion and the British reaction, it's easy for us to see both sides of the argument, not to mention wanting to shake some of the spoilt ex-pats. However, when the book comes to a highly satisfactory end, it's the fond memories of Eliza and Jay that make us smile, defining this as both a heart-wrencher and a heart-warmer.
(Thank you to the folk at Viking for providing us with a copy for review.)
Further Reading: If you'd like more of Dinah, please do try The Separation. If you'd like to read about more experiences from the days of the British Empire, we recommend The Echo Chamber by Luke Williams and, in the world of non-fiction, Empire: What Ruling the World Did to the British by Jeremy Paxman. If you'd like to try something different with an air of 1930s India about it then it's Thin Air by Michelle Paver.