Presents a haunting, tender portrait of a woman forced to choose between her duty as a wife and her instinct as a mother.
My ideal read; mystery, love, heart-break and joy - I couldn't put it down
Beautifully written and heart rending, this has a magical setting with a real sense of period.
A gloriously atmospheric and tension-filled novel that centres on the separation of a mother and her child. Immensely enjoyable, poignant and compelling
Vibrant and compelling - Dinah Jefferies perfectly captures the flavour of colonial Ceylon
I was spellbound from beginning to end
A wonderful book, deeply touching and an unforgettable read that swept me away. I loved it.
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. . . is the moving way in which Dinah writes about the loss of children and the redemptive power of love.
A terrific emotional and atmospheric read
Deeply atmospheric and utterly engrossing
Rich and incredibly evocative, historical fiction at its best...it's just spellbinding
A full-blown escape into the past
A gripping tale of love, jealousy, greed and tragedy
Dinah Jefferies was born in Malaysia and moved to England at the age of nine. Her idyllic childhood always held a special place in her imagination, and when she began writing novels in her 60s, she was able to return there - first in her fiction and then on annual research trips for each new novel. Dinah Jefferies is the author of novels,
The Separation, The Tea Planter's Wife - a Number One
Sunday Times bestseller,
The Silk Merchant's Daughter,
Before the Rains and The Missing Sister. She lives in Gloucestershire.