The Tea Planter's Wife by Dinah Jefferies **Review**

Nineteen-year-old Gwendolyn Hooper is newly married to a rich and charming widower, eager to join him on his tea plantation, determined to be the perfect wife and mother. But life in Ceylon is not what Gwen expected.

The plantation workers are resentful, the neighbours treacherous, and there are clues to the past - a dusty trunk of dresses, an overgrown gravestone in the grounds - that her husband refuses to discuss.

Just as Gwen finds her feet, disaster strikes. She faces a terrible choice, hiding the truth from almost everyone, but a secret this big can't stay buried forever....

Review:
This really was a fun and intriguing novel that takes the reader back through history with a dab of mystery. I loved the articulation of colonial Ceylan. Gwen is only 19 years old and in a tornado of romance and emotions, marries a widower, Laurence. He owns a tea plantation business and she tries to be a good wife and learn the business.
However, drama ensues when Laurence is clearly not over his deceased wife and Gwen's sister, Verity, wants Laurence for herself...
This book kept me captivated almost from the beginning. It started a bit slow for me, but the pace picked up quickly and I found it very challenging to put this book down.