” The Fever Tree” by Jennifer Mc Veigh is a critically acclaimed novel set in nineteenth century South Africa. 1880. South Africa. A country torn apart by greed. Frances Irvine, destitute in the wake of her father`s sudden death, is forced to abandon her life of wealth & privilege in London & emigrate to the Cape. In this remote & inhospitable land she becomes entangled with two very different men. One driven by ambition, the other by his ideals. Only when the rumour of a smallpox epidemic takes her into the dark heart of the diamond mines does she see her path to happiness. But this is a ruthless world of greed & exploitation, where the spoils of the rich come at a terrible human cost & powerful men will go to any lengths to keep the mines in operation. Torn between passion & integrity, she makes a choice that has devastating consequences. ” The Fever Tree” is a compelling portrait of colonial South Africa, its raw beauty & deprivation alive in equal measure. But above all it is a powerful love story about how
- just when we need it the most
- fear can blind us to a truth. ” Place & 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 & 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 Mc Mahon, author of ” The Alchemist`s Daughter”). ”A skilled unfolding of a woman`s struggle with desire, class divide & disease in 19th Century South Africa”. (” Financial Times”). ” Mc Veigh`s attention to the material culture of South Africa that really fascinates: no object is too small to attract her notice, & through accumulation such objects become evocative & strangely moving
- well worth reading”. (”TLS”). ” An epic story of love, deception & courage”. (Patricia Wastvedt, author of ” The German Boy”). ”A bewitching tale of loss, betrayal & love”. (” Vogue”). ” Epic, enchanting, emotional & engrossing”. (” Easy Living”). ` Must-read of the Month`.” An unforgettable journey into a heart of darkness: romantic & tragic, a tale of honour & 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 & keen moral commentary. Gobble it up & then shelve it next to the Bronte sisters”. (Hillary Jordan, best-selling author of ” Mudbound”). Jennifer Mc Veigh graduated from Oxford University in 2002 with a First in English Literature. She went on to work in film, television, radio & publishing, before giving up her day job to write fiction. She has travelled across East Africa & South Africa, often in off-road vehicles, driving & camping along the way. ” The Fever Tree” is her first novel.