Critical Praise
"There is nothing more exciting than a new writer with a genuine voice. I loved it."
— Julian Fellowes, creator of "Downton Abbey"
"THE FEVER TREE is vividly written, and moves so fluidly from Victorian drawing rooms to the wild, spare plains and brutal diamond mines of South Africa; place and people come alive in this book. When Frances Irvine, naive and sheltered, is forced to emigrate and make a new life, she encounters both beauty and searing injustices, and ultimately, she's forced to confront herself, as well. A gripping story --- I found myself thinking of scenes from this book long after I had turned the last page."
— Kim Edwards, New York Times bestselling author of THE MEMORY KEEPER’S DAUGHTER and THE LAKE OF DREAMS
"An orphaned young gentlewoman, a shipboard romance en route to a strange and perilous land, a forced marriage to an enigmatic stranger… THE FEVER TREE serves up all the delicious elements of a romantic classic, seasoned by evocative prose and keen moral commentary. Gobble it up and then shelve it next to the Brontë sisters."
— Hillary Jordan, author of MUDBOUND
"A magical, bewitching tale of loss, betrayal and love."
— Vogue (UK)
"I loved it.... Jennifer McVeigh brilliantly evokes [Frances’] life and times and the vast, unforgiving landscape. It’s a beautifully written novel of great feeling."
— Rachel Hore, bestselling author of A PLACE OF SECRETS and A GATHERING STORM
"Jennifer McVeigh writes with perception and grace. This is an epic story of love, deception, and courage, and a young woman’s journey of self-discovery in a country of spectacular beauty."
— Patricia Wastvedt, author of THE GERMAN BOY
"The epic scope of Jenny McVeigh’s novel of passion and betrayal set against the nineteenth century diamond rush in South Africa opens out a world of red dust plains, pioneering grit, and the cruelty of colonial greed. Vividly described and supremely well-paced, this is an unforgettable journey into a heart of darkness: romantic and tragic, a tale of honor and 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
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