January 2013 Debut of the Month.

One of the Richard and Judy Spring 2013 Book Club selections.

Contrasting polite Victorian society with the hardships of diamond mining in Kimberley, South Africa, this is a terrific love story.  Our heroine, Frances, is forced into a loveless marriage, has her heart truly awakened on the boat out to her new life and then knows not which man to follow.  With a smallpox epidemic to contend with and the greed and ruthless lust for riches to recognise, young Frances soon grows up.  Excellent on historical background and Victorian attitudes, this is a real page-turner.

Comparison: Victoria Hislop, Katherine Webb, M. L. Stedman
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Win a luxury craft weekend break on Dartmoor

Dartmoor.co.uk has teamed up with Lovereading to offer one lucky winner the chance to win a prize package of accommodation for 2 at Lurcombe luxury apartments during the Contemporary Craft Festival in Bovey Tracey on June 7–9th, including day tickets to attend the festival itself plus Dinner for two (including a bottle of wine) in one of our leading gastro pubs the Rock Inn and a delicious lunch for two at Home Farm Café set in the scenic grounds of the National Trust Estate at Parke in Bovey Tracey.

Please note that this draw is open only for UK residents and is free to enter. Draw closes on 27 May 2013. The winner will be chosen randomly from all entrants.The winners will be notified by 1 June 2013. The decision of the judges is final. By providing us with your contact details when you enter the competition you are agreeing to future contact from Dartmoor.co.uk and it's selected partners.

Please CLICK HERE to see the specific terms and conditions linked to the prize.

Synopsis

The critically acclaimed debut novel The Fever Tree , by Jennifer McVeigh. Young, naive Francis Irvine is left alone and penniless with the unexpected death of her father. Faced with the drudgery of poverty in nineteenth century London, she escapes England, hoping for a better life in South Africa. Marriage to her cousin Edwin, a forthright young doctor who is tirelessly fighting the smallpox epidemic sweeping the Cape, seems to provide a refuge. But her hopes are dashed when she is confronted by the reality of life in Africa, and tempted by the charming William Westbrook. Set against a backdrop of the unrelenting African landscape and inspired by the diary of a doctor working in South Africa, The Fever Tree explores one woman's struggle to decide her own fate, and in doing so she learns the true meaning of love, and living.

Reviews

'Place and 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 and 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 McMahon, author of The Alchemist's Daughter

'A skilled unfolding of a woman's struggle with desire, class divide and disease in 19th Century South Africa.' Financial Times

'McVeigh's attention to the material culture of South Africa that really fascinates: no object is too small to attract her notice, and through accumulation such objects become evocative and strangely moving - well worth reading.' TLS

About the Author

Jenny McVeigh graduated from Oxford University in 2002 with a First in English Literature. She went on to work in film, television, radio and publishing, before giving up her day job to write fiction. She has travelled across East Africa and South Africa, often in off-road vehicles, driving and camping along the way. The Fever Tree is her first novel. More books by this author Author 'Like for Like' recommendation