The Jade Widow by Deborah O'Brien
I was utterly charmed by this sweet romance set in country Australia. Easy to read and relaxing, this is a well-written and interesting story by Deborah O'Brien. I enjoyed every minute of it.
Set in the late nineteenth century, the plot concerns two sisters-in-law - the conservative widow Amy Chen and Eliza, an ambitious but self-sacrificing medical student who studied at the Sorbonne. It follows the pattern of their lives as Amy struggles with the prejudice of the town towards her half-Chinese son and Eliza tries to fulfill her medical aspirations in the small country town. Amy is also a business woman, and she is building a sumptuous hotel with its own ascending machine.
The inclusion of fascinating true characters such as suffragette Rose Scott and artist Charles Condor is one of the highlights of the book, I thought. I didn't know much about Rose Scott, but I am going to find out more, and I hope to write about her on my Edwardian blog.
I also liked the descriptions of Australian wildlife, such as the platypus and the kookaburra. The author's love of her Australian setting certainly showed. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes historical novels, and I am sorry that I didn't read the first book in the series.
Set in the late nineteenth century, the plot concerns two sisters-in-law - the conservative widow Amy Chen and Eliza, an ambitious but self-sacrificing medical student who studied at the Sorbonne. It follows the pattern of their lives as Amy struggles with the prejudice of the town towards her half-Chinese son and Eliza tries to fulfill her medical aspirations in the small country town. Amy is also a business woman, and she is building a sumptuous hotel with its own ascending machine.
The inclusion of fascinating true characters such as suffragette Rose Scott and artist Charles Condor is one of the highlights of the book, I thought. I didn't know much about Rose Scott, but I am going to find out more, and I hope to write about her on my Edwardian blog.
I also liked the descriptions of Australian wildlife, such as the platypus and the kookaburra. The author's love of her Australian setting certainly showed. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes historical novels, and I am sorry that I didn't read the first book in the series.
Comments