The Fever Tree

I loved the author's description of South Africa in the early part of the century. She had certainly done her research there. The characters are somewhat endearing, but unfortunately, I found the author's character development shallow. The story line was a little too predictable. I would say it was an easy read, but not especially memorable.

This novel verges on a historical romance novel: As that, it is very well written and I enjoyed it. It wasn't great, it wasn't moving and it surely wasn't compelling or magical: Hence, the average star rating.

I don't mind reading a good romance novel every once in a while, but I expect it to be a one- or two-day read, and this one lived up to that expectation at least. Thank goodness its over-four-hundred pages read smoothly and very quickly, otherwise I would have been disappointed by the time I invested in it weighed against what I got out of the book.

I didn't find any depth here; no food for thought; no philosophical discussions; no tears; no laughter: None of those things that move my mind or my heart. There was the same old traits that help a romance novel move along: An inexperienced maiden, a bit stupid in her gullibility; a situation that takes her away from her cocoon-like environment; a man who loves her, but will not or cannot communicate; a villain or two; another situation that demonstrates her lack of foresight and her lack of self-control; then another series of events that shows her behavioral turn-around.

In the end, do the two main characters see the light? Does love conquer all? There are some events that seem to be insurmountable (as you could imagine happening in the 1880's in South Africa) and that kept me reading to the last page.

But, in no way is this book similar to Gone With the Wind or Out of Africa. If that is what you heard or read, and are now expecting, I suggest you pass this by.

Frances Irvine's life is shattered when her father dies suddenly and leaves her penniless in London in 1880. She depended upon her father and is lost without him.

She faces moving to her aunt's home and being treated as a nurse and maid for her condescending aunt's five children or emigrating to South Africa where her cousin has asked her to marry him.

Frances isn't in love with her cousin but can't see living with her aunt in Manchester. On the boat to The Cape, she's seduced by William Westbrook, a Machiavellian who promises to marry once they arrive in South Africa.

Upon arrival, Frances is stood up by Westbrook and learns that he's engaged to another. Saddened and alone, she travels the rest of the way to the farm where her cousin Edwin lives. It's is a desolate area and Edwin is gone much of the time, providing smallpox vaccinations.

Frances grows tired of this existence and on a trip to the city, she meets Westbrook again and he informs her of events in his life and that he still loves her and wants her to travel to Johannesburg with him as soon as he gets enough money from the diamonds he's illegally purchasing.

Frances has to choose between the two men and the remainder of the story tells of her choice and the consequences of it.

There is a very good portrayal of live in the Cape, with wealthy diamond miners refusing to believe that the smallpox is spreading for fear that the natives working in the mines will desert them. It is visually described and I feel that it would make an excellent movie.

The supporting cast is well described and that makes much of the book more interesting as Frances visits hospitals and tames a zebra and begins to become accustomed to the life.

3 1/2 stars moving up to 4.

The Fever Tree is a sweeping novel set during the 1880s starting in London and then moving to South Africa. It is a story of survival and of finding out what it is that you believe in. For Frances, she finds herself torn between two different kinds of lives and loves: one that would be more comfortable and one that will be lacking in material things but full of purpose.

Frances isn't always the easiest character to like but at times I understood where she was coming from. Her life in London was ripped from her and she's now in a completely different country with a complete stranger. She's naive and sheltered. She's easily convinced that she's in love with a man she just met, who doesn't have the best reputation.

I loved the setting of South Africa. It is rugged, harsh and unsettling. It is the polar opposite of London. It is waiting to be discovered. Of course, with discovery there is always going to be some politics involved and unfortunately for Frances she doesn't understand how it works.

While the change in Frances was sudden and a little too clean, I'm always for a character who grows and she did. She came to understand herself, her husband and her new country.

Beautiful, powerful, mesmerizing....

From England to South Africa. From wealth to poverty. From being happy and content to being unhappy and resentful.

Frances had no choice but to move to South Africa after her father died. She was left with nothing and definitely didn't want to live with her aunt to be a nursemaid or to be treated like help instead of family. She had to accept Edwin's proposal. Things happened in between her marriage to Edwin, though, that made her second guess her decision to marry him and to move to South Africa.

THE FEVER TREE is written in a beautiful, descriptive style. The storyline held my interest because of the lifestyle, the setting, the period in history, and definitely because of the characters. You will feel sorry for Frances and really dislike Edwin and William.

Ms. McVeigh has an elegant writing style that immediately pulled me in. THE FEVER TREE is a book about family, class distinction, making decisions, and a love that endures...find out what this enduring love is as you turn the pages in this haunting, unforgettable read.

You will be able to put yourself in Frances' shoes and feel her despair with her life, her decisions, and her surroundings simply because of the amazing way Ms. McVeigh details every sentence and situation.

You will be able to vividly see every detail because of Ms. McVeigh's amazing imagery and feel what Frances and the other characters are feeling because of her writing skill. The description of the African landscape is stunning. You will feel the dust in your clothes and the bleakness of the dry land.

THE FEVER TREE is truly a sultry book you won't want to put down and one you will remember long after you turn the last page.

THE FEVER TREE is a beautiful combination of historical fiction and a passion for life, for causes, and dreams. Don't miss this mesmerizing debut novel. 5/5

This book was given to me free of charge by the publisher in return for an honest review.

Maybe I read too many literary titles, I DID figure out some stuff ahead of time, esp. several of her relationships. But the main character is interesting, and most of all, believable. I was impressed with the setting descriptions, esp. For a debut novel, this author does know how to paint a picture of the places at Florence goes. I esp. liked many of the secondary characters, my favorite...Mangwa (?) spelling. There is a lot of sadness in this tale, which of course is exactly what the author was trying to bring to life. Early South Africa was and never has really become a paradise. Life is difficult as it often is for many pioneers, but in this book, life is even more raw and difficult.

IF the reader likes realistic fiction, told very very well, with extraordinary detail...this book is for them.

This is hiostorical fiction book about the important part of British history. It is set at the time when South Africa was a colony and many whites from Europe where flocking to this new promised land that had diamond mines and was a way to get rich quick - or so they thought.

Main character is a young woman who was raised in privilege. Her parents had successful and loving marriage that was cut short by wife's death. It was also a socially unacceptable marriage at the time because each of he spouses came from the different social class, not to mention that one was Irish and the other was British. However, it seemed that such disparity propelled them to have successful business, until a fateful decision was made to make investments in the rail construction business in South Africa that turned out to bring a financial death for the family.

So what would be the future of the young woman, orphan with no money, no social connections and stigma from coming from a mixed union between two people whose families frowned upon their union? As it turns out - the future is to have a young woman shipped off into a rushed marriage to her distant Irish cousin who practices medicine in South Africa. and lives a very modest life there.

It is also an interesting time in South Africa. Cholera is spreading and killing people indiscriminatly in the mines. Ruling class in unwilling to admit to a disease spreading and imposing quarantine for the population. That would mean putting mining on hold and with credit lines at stake from other governments, South African leaders were unwilling to vaccinate and seclude towns and people that were affected by the desease.

What I found fascinating was author's postscript. She was inspired to write this book by two events: she and her then boyfriend (now husband) were traveling in South Africa and were amazed by the country and its people. She also accidentally came across the diary in the public library in London, that belonged to one of the physicians who lived and worked in South Africa during the mass infection in early 19th century. He mentions in his diary very important people, including Mr. Rhodes who was a governor in South Africa at that time and who created famous Rhodes Scholarship at the Oxford University. There is disparity between Rhodes who created a scholarship and Rhosed the governor.

Although all characters in this book are fictional, many of the events that are described in the book really took place in South African history. The horrors of racism and mistreatment of native people is appalling. So it is interesting how young woman of privilege and no family has to adjust to this new life and her new place in the world. You must read this book to find out if she succeeds or not and what is the price she must pay for being naive and trusting.

THE FEVER TREE

What a remarkable read! First time author Jennifer McVeigh certainly did her homework and actually lived parts of her book -- and THE FEVER TREE is the result of her hard work. She did a wonderfully thorough and extensive job and thanks to her hard work, this is the result -- this must read book!

The cover is what caught my attention and resulted in me ordering THE FEVER TREE. Hats off to the artist -- Meighan Cavanaugh? The front cover art work depicts a fabulous job of rendering the heat, dust, loneliness, despair, and barrenness of South Africa.

It's the late 1800's and we meet Frances Irvine who is left penniless after the death of her beloved father. So her best option -- in a choice of a few -- is to take a horrifying and at the same time exhilarating journey via ship to South Africa to hook up with her choice of option -- her fiance, a doctor, one Edwin Matthews.

Once on the ship, her trek beginning, Frances meets up with William Westbrook. He is totally different from Edwin -- outgoing, ruggedly handsome, charming, sophisticated, very popular. Frances, even though on her way to Edwin, cannot get William out of her heart and mind.

This is where I thought OH NO! A CHICK LIT ROMANCE WITH HEAVING BOSOMS, RAPID BREATHING, TORN BODICES, AND GROPING HANDS. Not my type of book at all -- well, was I pleasantly surprised and deeply engrossed in this book. FEVER TREE isn't like that at all. FEVER TREE is a romance, but much, much more -- mystery, evil men and horrible situations, rich in history, life-like characters -- the entire ball of yarn!

Frances, Edwin, and William are just a few of the central characters that you will meet, enjoy, and get to care about. Every aspect of this book is well developed. For a debt writer, McVeigh is right on -- with everything!

Once in South Africa, Frances and Edwin end up in Kimberley the location where diamond mining takes place. Africa is a hard and brutal place to be and the mechanics and politics of the diamond industry make living hard. Not only is the weather with its unrelenting and unforgiving heat a factor to contend with, the greed of men and a small pox breakout all add up for one delicious read.

Frances, William, and Edwin are all entangled in each others lives and the repercussions of their decisions -- be it for love or lust or money -- have a ripple effect upon many people and their lives.

The book reads like a dream. Frances is a naive, spoiled, pampered woman who suddenly is thrust into situations she could never have imagined -- living in a tent with barely any food and/or water, trying to love a man, attempting to not love a man, and seeing the world around her with open and shocked eyes.

McVeigh writes like butter, the words flowing together to form an excellent read. The action is non-stop, the characters believable, fleshed-out, and ones you will actually care about. She writes with great detail, but you learn from those facts and they add so much vigor to the story. Based on history, the diamond mining industry was full of misfortune, deception, and rapacity. Men were greedy and would stop at nothing to pave their way toward fortune and fame.

This book comes very highly recommended and I am glad to have read and enjoyed it immensely. I will look forward to future work by Jennifer McVeigh; she has a bright future ahead of her. To put it simply, McVeigh has definitely nailed this one.

Thank you.

Pam

This book reads like a Wilbur Smith adventure but from a female perspective. The plot carries the reader and Frances, its heroine, from 1880's parochial and socially hide-bound England to South Africa, where society is making itself up as it goes along; money and aggression stand in for morality, life is hard and the world is raw. This book has harsh edges and softer seams, it has huge breadth and it has pace. It airs the issues of colonialism and exploitation without coming to much in the way of conclusion, but who cares? It's one hell of a ride.
Frances has been brought up by her maverick Irish father whose financial speculations have been successful enough to allow them a place on the periphery of polite society, but when he dies Frances finds herself penniless. A marriage proposal from a distant cousin who has qualified as a doctor and hopes to establish a practice in Cape Town seems to be her only option. Edwin is quiet and earnest and his passion for Frances is manifested as cold and acquisitive; for Frances it is a marriage of pure convenience, but on board the ship she meets William, who ignites a flame which cauterises all the pragmatism from her head. It is Frances' delicately developed emergence to maturity and self-knowledge which makes this novel a really compelling read.
Meticulously researched and vividly described, life in nineteenth century South Africa with all its dust and flies, brutality and hardship is laid before the reader on every page. The terrible risks of diamond speculation, the endemic sickness and corruption, the struggle of Boer farmers to drag a living from the parched land and the exploitation of the native workforce in the diamond mines create a fascinating socio-geographic landscape, which interweaves with Frances' inner topography as she tries to come to terms with her new life, the strength of her feelings and the depths of her ignorance.
A classic love triangle, the two men in Frances' life are much more complex and deceptive than they at first appear. It is tricky to say more without giving the plot away; suffice to say, perhaps, that I'd have liked a slightly better glimpse earlier on of the men they were to become. The writer almost makes it with William, who is a pattern of the swashbuckling, dangerous, attractive alpha-male, but for me, she doesn't quite carry it off with Edwin; his enigmatic persona is just a little too impenetrable so that at the end when I was supposed to see him in his true colours I couldn't, quite.
Jenny McVeigh is particularly adept at capturing the sexual awakening of her protagonist. Ladies: I defy you not to get hot under the collar, as I did! Her sequences describing the sexual undercurrent of the ever-more daring flirtations on board were thrilling (don't give yourself a hard time, Frances, we would all have done what you did and probably more quickly!) but their final culmination left me strangely ill-satisfied and disappointed for Frances; the beautifully teasing preamble definitely required a fuller accomplishment. Don't be shy, Miss McVeigh, we're big boys and girls and we can take it!

The idea for this story came from an actual event in the diamond-mining town of Kimberly,South Africa. Moneyed-interests bought off doctors to keep workers and the market from panicking about an epidemic. One brave doctor took on the establishment. Note: this is not the main story.

The main story is about Frances, a young woman of upper English society in the late 1880s, who undergoes a radical reverse of fortune, ending up in South Africa. Descriptions of women's lives in upper and lower societies, as well as descriptions of the African environment and English domination of natives, were all well told. For people who love period romances, this should delight and get your heart racing. It was a fast read for me because I was impatient to see if Frances would ever redeem herself.

I admit (again)that period romances are not my favorite genre. I like my women intelligent, independent, curious, and compassionate. Frances is none of these things. Not even close. While she does go through a transition at the very end of the story, finally getting past her pampered upper class habits, I never warmed to the woman. I felt her "transition" was a baby-step toward becoming any of the things her husband actually deserved. On the other hand, he doesn't seem to expect much. Again, this must be a period romance-thing.

The fever tree is the dry acacia tree, is totally dependent on abundant water in “the Karoo” fields of Kimberley, Africa. Thorns on its limbs are prolific which is why other animals can’t attack the birds who nest on its branches in layers. Were that were true for Francine Irvine, who led a privileged life in England and lost it all when her father died and she discovered he was bankrupt from reckless investments in the railroad. Two choices were her only options – move to Manchester to serve as nursemaid to her cruel Aunt’s numerous children or marry Edwin, the man her father had originally supported as a charity case. She obviously chose the latter although she had no illusions about being the wife of a man she really didn’t know.
This is the story of a woman who serves as a classic tragic figure. Her fall from grace involves being seduced by William, a man who works for the most powerful man in Africa. Francine waits after arrival in Africa and only after one cruel communication travels on to wed Edwin. Upon arrival she is both surprised and unprepared for his cold reception, including weekly “romance.”
However, this story is not only a revelation about Francine’s journey to maturity but also a powerful indictment of the treatment of workers and natives in Kimberley, all associated with the insatiably greed of the mine owner Baier. The cruelties of which Francine hears and sees, as well as the work Edwin accomplishes to attempt to alleviate and eradicate the causes of native suffering are riveting and horrific accounts. Like Francine, the reader cannot help keep reading, hoping against hope that something dramatic will occur to change the day-to-day ghastly conditions.
Francine is a quixotic character in a sense, doing absolutely nothing to help herself and still expecting to be served and helped by Edwin and anybody else who comes along. The change that comes to her naïve perspective is dramatic and credible because it is all so real. Whether or not she and Edwin can survive as a loving married couple remains to be seen and is well worth the pages turned rapidly during the wait. Can she learn to love Africa as Edwin loves this amazing land?
Thorns are protective devices one must negotiate to earn the shelter and beauty of this beautiful, harsh, cruel and magnificent land of Africa. Based on a personal experience described after the story, Jennifer McVeigh has crafted a magnificent story that needs to be told and read by those who normally might never know about this “colonial disaster.” Francine grows up in a highly charged business and political travesty, and Jennifer McVeigh deserves acclimations for the job she has done weaving it into a dramatic adventure of historical fiction! Highly recommended!

The Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh
Review by Georgianna Simpson
Copy was supplied by publisher for an honest review

Using simple words to describe a masterpiece is difficult, but I will try. The Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh is a masterfully written story of a young “Victorian” age girl in England, whose father is a self-made businessman. He created an industry of furniture making and became very wealthy.

Typical of this era, women were kept in a “bubble” of social acceptability and “protected” from the day to day transactions of life. The only talents needed by the wealthy women were how to dress, who to talk with, all that silly inconsequential stuff. So, is it any wonder they were unable to survive if anything happened to their father/husband keepers?

This is the setting for Frances Irvine, daughter of the previously mentioned furniture and businessman. It seems he is of Irish decent and so not “acceptable” to the wealthy English society members. He met and married one such wonderful lady, who was promptly disowned by her family. She sickened and died when Frances was a young girl. In keeping with the times her father raised her with tutors and a governess that taught her the world pretty much revolves around only her. She was once offered marriage by a young doctor that her father let spend some time in his household when the doctor was a boy of sixteen.
When her father dies, she is left without resources and assumes her uncle will take her in. She fails to recognize that she is not wanted by her family on her mother’s side. Her father’s sister will take her in as a nurse for her children, but Frances feels this is totally beneath her and does not wish to live in Manchester or as an employee of her aunt. Her choice, if given one, would be to live with her mother’s family. The rest of the story revolves around her “arranged” marriage to Dr. Matthews, now living in South Africa, near the diamond mines.

This is the place where I have to stop now…to explain more would give away just too much.

As I said earlier, this is a masterpiece. If I were to compare it, I would have to use a story like … The Thorn Birds. Yes, it’s that powerful and more. If someone doesn’t make this into a mini-series for TV, they’ve missed the opportunity of a lifetime. To write something this powerful and compelling as your first novel is so incredible. This novel is one you really mustn’t miss, if you like historical stories at all. It’s well written, the characters are so real and the story twists and twists…and for me the very best is the magnificent ending (although I would have liked a bit more). One caution, don’t expect to be able to put this down easily. I started it in the morning and finished it the next morning (around 2:30am). Just couldn’t stop reading.

It’s an epic ladies! Get a glass of your favorite beverage, park yourself in a comfortable place and enjoy, I did! And I will again…this is one that I’ll re-read (maybe I’ll be able to take it slower…about the third time).

Title: The Fever Tree

Series: N/A

Author: Jennifer McVeigh

Genre: Historical Fiction

Blurb: In London she was caged by society. In South Africa, she is dangerously free.
Frances Irvine, left destitute in the wake of her father’s sudden death, has been forced to abandon her life of wealth and privilege in London and emigrate to the Southern Cape of Africa. 1880 South Africa is a country torn apart by greed. In this remote and inhospitable land she becomes entangled with two very different men—one driven by ambition, the other by his ideals. Only when the rumor 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 avarice and exploitation, where the spoils of the rich come at a terrible human cost and powerful men will go to any lengths to keep the mines in operation. Removed from civilization and disillusioned by her isolation, Frances must choose between passion and integrity, a decision that has devastating consequences. The Fever Tree is a compelling portrait of colonial South Africa, its raw beauty and deprivation alive in equal measure. But above all it is a love story about how—just when we need it most—fear can blind us to the truth.

Thoughts: I'm usually not one to pick up a historical novel, but for some reason this one appealed to me, probably because I have never read one with a background quite like this one. I wish the story itself had stood out as much as the background did. The story itself was good, but in some ways it was a bit predictable. The same could be said of the characters. While it was good, it just didn't pull me into the story like it should have.

On the other hand, it is apparent that the author really did her research when it comes to this novel. It's very descriptive and educational when it comes to the background, and it was interesting to read something with such a different background that what I am normally used to. I, however, am more of a get-to-the-point kind of girl, and I don't like a lot of descriptiveness in my stories, as I prefer to focus more on the characters and their emotions. That's where this one fell a little flat for me personally - it missing a lot of emotional depth between the characters.

However, I imagine that anyone who enjoys historical romances - with a lot of emphasis on the historical background - would really enjoy this tale. It wasn't really my cup of tea, but I imagine others would probably enjoy it immensely.

Rate: B
Review by: Sarah
[...]

While researching the history of English colonials in South Africa in the reading room of the British Library, author Jennifer McVeigh stumbled across an old canvas-bound diary written by a doctor at the end of the 19th century. The diary told the fascinating story of a smallpox epidemic that had ravaged the diamond-mining town of Kimberley in South Africa. The disease raged on for over two years, killing thousands, mostly African laborers who worked in the diamond mines. As McVeigh read on, she was appalled to discover that the disease would not have been as widespread as it eventually became had its existence not been covered up by the English statesman Cecil Rhodes, who was protecting his investments in the diamond mines.

From this episode in English history, McVeigh has fashioned a captivating and thoroughly researched historical novel.

The year is 1877, and Frances Irvine is living a life of wealth and privilege in London with her father. Her mother, a woman of means and family connections, whose family cut her off once she married Frances's father, with his "Irish blood and poor connections," has long since passed away. When her father dies suddenly, Frances is left alone and destitute. Hoping that her wealthy uncle will take her in, she is devastated to learn he will not. Frances must decide whether to live with her father's sister in Manchester, and become nurse to her children, or accept the marriage proposal of Edwin Matthews, a distant cousin working as a doctor in Kimberley, South Africa. Horrified by both options, Frances eventually accepts Edwin's marriage proposal, convinced that he is only marrying her for her connections.

While traveling on the steamship to the Cape, Frances meets and falls in love with the dashing William Westbrook. Incredibly charismatic and handsome, William is a diamond trader whose cousin, Joseph Baier, owns all the diamond mines in Kimberley and is one of the most powerful men in South Africa. By the time they reach the Cape, Frances has made plans to run off with William, only to learn upon waiting for him at a boarding house that Baier has refused to consider the idea of their marriage.

In the meantime, Edwin --- who has been outspoken about the exploitation of black laborers working the mines and is urging people to get vaccinated against the rapidly spreading smallpox disease --- has been chased out of Kimberley under pressure from Baier. After traveling through a dust storm, Frances finally meets up with him at Rietfontein, a farm many miles away. In the middle of nowhere, and with very little income, Edwin tries his best to make Frances happy, but she is not equipped for life on the farm.

As she slowly begins to feel a connection to Riefontein and Edwin, he announces that they will be moving to the Cape but must first make a stop at Kimberley. There she sees William Westbrook again, and makes the same naïve mistake she made earlier in the novel of trusting him and their relationship together. While Edwin is busy being the only doctor courageous enough to stand up to Joseph Baier, Frances runs off with William to Johannesburg. On their journey there, she sees firsthand the kind of man he really is and desperately tries to make her way back to Edwin, who refuses her.

Jennifer McVeigh vividly describes the hidden beauty of South Africa's barren landscape and the very human consequences of power and greed. THE FEVER TREE is also a riveting love story and a well-told tale of one woman's journey towards self-discovery.

- Jennifer Romanello

** this review is based on an uncorrected, prepublication copy of 'The Fever Tree' **

Francis Irvine is the only child of a strong, generous, good-tempered Irish father who'd made a comfortable living through a furniture business and investments. Her mother died when she was just a child. According to her father's wishes, Frances was tutored at home and brought up carefully to mingle in London's society circles. Her sheltered life changes quickly with her father's death; there's no money, no security, and she has no skills with which to support herself. Worse to Francis, her father is no longer able to protect her. Faced with two unpleasant options, she chooses to accept the proposal of marriage offered by Dr. Erwin Matthews, even though she finds him strange, dull and unappealing. Marrying him means moving to South Africa.

Jennifer McVeigh weaves her novel, "The Fever Tree", around Francis' impressions and experiences. Readers see other characters through Francis' eyes... experiences her long trip by sea and early days in Jacobsdal... and feel as shocked and disturbed as Francis when she's finally able to see the heart of the diamond trade.

Like a tea rose grown under glass in a conservatory, Francis is ill prepared for realities of life in a harsh world. She's naïve and romantic, as many young, pampered women of her time were. Her impressions, then, are flawed. Isolation adds to this, as does her husband's unwillingness to open up to her in any meaningful way. Francis is disillusioned. Depressed. Confused when they arrive in Kimberly. She's not sure who she can trust (if anyone). In fact, betrayal is what teaches her hard truths about herself and those around her. And she grows, bringing the reader along her amazing journey.

I'd love to see this novel become a movie. It has everything necessary for a sweeping, epic film. It's also a fantastic novel.

The Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh

A beautiful book inside and out, The Fever Tree gives a person the feeling they are reading a classic. Author Jennifer McVeigh is very descriptive and draws the reader right into the era of 1880. The adventure of traveling across the ocean to parts of the world is alien to the lovely and naive Frances Irvine.

Frances-her world changes very quickly when her father loses money from investing in the railroad. Then he dies and she discovers what it means to have no money and no respect. She can become a nursemaid for a horrid aunt with many children or join in an unwelcome marriage to a cousin. Her father has spoiled her and both options look dreadful.

Marrying Edwin(the cousin) turns out to be the lesser of two evils and she deigns to accept his hand in marriage. This means that they must move to South Africa so that he may work in the bush to stop the spread of smallpox. All the while, Frances resents that he has taken advantage of her dire straights to push her into a loveless marriage and will not let him forget it.

She sails with a group of other girls to Africa because it would be shameless for a woman to travel alone. While aboard ship she meets William Westbrook and her heart is at a loss. Suddenly there are more reasons to wonder marrying Edwin should be her true destiny.

Just as we do in real life, she often wonders if she has done the right thing. There are others that judge her openly and sometimes she is alone or thinks that is the case. At times she judges herself harsher than anyone.

This is a book worth reading if you like romance and to read about how people traveled and lived in the turn of the 19th century. It would be nice to see it as a movie. I won it in a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thank you!

In the vein of Barbara Taylor Bradford A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE

1880 London England, Frances Irvine (whose mother died when Frances was six years old) loses her High Society life when the father, who gave her anything she desired, dies and his investments are worthless.

She emigrates to Kimberly in Colonial South Africa for an arranged marriage with her cousin Edwin, a doctor, who adores her but she finds his profession unappealing, him dull and a bit odd. A shipboard romance with a dashing man of her class may change her plans.

The writing is poetic and the descriptions of Africa rich and lush in detail.

EPIC story of Victorian society, scorn, snobbery, romance, hope, betrayal, poverty, drought, filth, brutality slavery, disease, distrust and maturity, love and trust.

I took one star off because I never got to know Edwin as I did Frances.

I took another star off for making the bad guy (Baier) Jewish. Baier is a stand in for Cecil John Rhodes an English-born mining emperor and British imperialist. Rhodes was not Jewish so why the Antisemitism?

Ideal for Book Clubs

Frances Irvine had no one except for her father after the death of her mother. Her father tried to do the best for Frances, even getting her a governess to teach her how to be a proper lady. However Frances had to figure out what to do with herself after her father's death. He made some bad decisions by putting his money into stocks for the railroads. It went bust and now Frances has nothing. Frances receives an marriage offer to Dr. Edwin Matthews. Frances does not love Edwin but it will get her away to a new location and that is what Frances wants. She travels to South Africa. Along the way she meets the dashing William Westbrook. Frances must decide between her commitment to Edwin or romance with William.

I liked this book. Frances really grew as a person. She did start out weak but with enough time, she blossomed. From the beginning I could not stand William. I found him off putting. So for me I could not believe that Frances could fall for William. In fact, it was kind of awkward when he kissed Frances. Afterwards I kind of skimmed over anything having to do with William. Also, for the first half of the story, Edwin was like the invisible man. So I could not envision him and Frances together either. Luckily for me what I enjoyed the most about this book was not the romance but the location. I liked Frances and everything that she encountered in South Africa.

Francis Irvine is a privileged, sheltered young woman in England when her father suddenly passes away. In an instant, all of her wealth and status falls away when it reveals that her father's *wealth* was built on credit and failed investments. With no training or marketable skills,Francis has few choices, the least unpalatable of which is to accept the marriage proposal of a cousin who is a doctor in South Africa. From the moment Francis steps foot on the boat which will take her to her intended, she exists in a world that she only somewhat understands, as her naivete clashes with the reality of life in the diamond producing districts of the Cape in the late 1800s. To make matters worse, her husband is no middle class doctor, but runs an inoculation center in an isolated, barren-seeming region. Francis is torn by expectation versus reality, not only with her marriage, but also with romance, love, and life in general.

At first I didn't understand the comparisons made between this book and Gone With the Wind (one of my absolute favorites). The specifics aren't similar, but upon reflection they are alike in a couple big ways. Both have female lead characters who are somewhat exasperating and who you occasionally want to shake sense into, but even though they are flawed, I rooted for them consistently. They both pose the big question of why people fall in love with who they do (or when is it love, when is it infatuation, when is it fantasy?) The scope is huge, although it doesn't cover a large span of time the way that Gone With the Wind does.

All in all, this is one of those books where I could absolutely not put it down. I would think to myself "okay, you have to go to work in 6 hours, it would be really stupid of you to keep reading longer," but I just couldn't help myself. I was stunned to read the back flap and find that this was written by a first time author. I really think that someone choosing to read this would not regret it.

The Fever Tree is the story of Frances, an English woman left with few options after the death of her father. She chooses to accept a marriage proposal from her cousin and leaves her old life to journey to Africa. Along the way she meets a man who sparks her passion, then breaks her heart and sends her on her way to a passion-free life with a doctor fighting a small pox epidemic. The awakening of Frances, as she chooses between love and duty, was very well told. The descriptions really made the book - at times I could picture the setting so precisely I felt I could have been there. While I have not read the Painted Veil, something many others have compared this book to, it did remind me of Barbara Kingsolver, one of my all-time favorite authors. Both seem to have a knack for vivid descriptions and poignant tales of struggle.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Fever Tree. I hope McVeigh writes another novel soon - I'd definitely pick it up.

I enjoyed Jennifer McVeigh's "The Fever Tree," both on the journey on which it took me and the point at which it arrives. We meet Frances Irvine whose father dies just as he goes bankrupt, leaving her without means or many options in the Britain of the 1880s. The cultural limitations for women from that era break your heart as Frances is forced to accept a marriage proposal from Edwin Matthews, a medical doctor bound for South Africa, despite her utter lack of attraction for him. The crisis arises as she meets the dreamy William Westbrook who captures her heart with his romantic overtures on the ship. Unfortunately, sheltered with little experience with men, Frances falls for the wrong guy. She is forced to go through with her marriage to Matthews. McVeigh masterfully paints the poverety and rugged life of pioneer South African whites. The accounts of the smallpox epidemic are brutal. The demise of the pet zebra Mangwa is as disgusting as it is interesting. Ultimately, Frances comes full circle, learns what it is to make her own way and comes to a romantic awakening, one where both her head and heart are in agreement. McVeigh magically tells this tale. Enjoy!

This is essentially a romance novel and the ending is pretty predictable. Frances is dreadfully untutored in just about any aspect of life one can imagine. She cannot sew, cook, clean, judge people or situations. She knows nothing of the real world, either in England or in Africa ....a sad statement on the kind of life a woman of the upper class, of Society ..had in that time.
Frances is thrown first into a ship board romance which she assumes is true love, and then into a forced ( as she sees it) marriage and a country so different from England as to be part of another planet. She is self centered, terribly young, and often unkind and frankly, bored me to tears with her whining.
Having said that, the story of Africa, of her husband Edwin's life in this New World was fascinating. The work he did, his understanding of Africa, his struggle for justice, as well as his crusade to care for the natives whose lives were unspeakably brutal added great dimension to this story.. I had no idea of any of this.
Because of Edwin's story, the book was not a total loss but a wonderful learning experience for me....and eventually for Frances.

Debut author Jennifer McVeigh delivers a story set in a different time that even feels as though it was written decades ago as the pace unfolds slowly.

We follow Frances Irvine, a beautiful wealthy young woman, who is left impoverished by her father's sudden death and unfortunate investment in Northern Pacific Railway. Frances' mother's family refuses to take her in once her fortune is lost and Frances finds herself traveling to South Africa to marry a hardworking, unglamorous relation.

South Africa proves a tough and otherworldly place. Frances must find her own place and way in a country whose fortune depends on diamond mines and the determination to keep these ventures profitable, regardless of the human cost.

ISBN-10: 0399158243 - Hardcover $25.95
Publisher: Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam (April 4, 2013), 432 pages.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher and the the store Vine Reviewers Program.

This is a first outing for Jennifer McVeigh. This is a book that I predict we are going to hear a lot about. Additionally I am sure that we are going to see more books out by this talented writer. This book is something I would not have ordinarily picked out for myself but I am glad it made it into my "to be read" pile.
She writes of an English woman who is promised in marriage to a doctor who treats smallpox in South Africa. She (Frances) is not happy about the marriage, nor is she happy about meeting him in South Africa. On the trip over to meet him she meets and falls in love with a cad (William Westbrook). Even though she goes on to meet Edwin in South Africa she continues to be obsessed with William. This is of course is detrimental to her marriage.
This book is about Frances' journey of self-discovery.
The book is highly recommended by me and well worth your reading time.

I listened to the audible version of this book and absolutely adored it. The narrator was pitch perfect, and I particularly enjoyed the imagery of South Africa. I know some have said the characters were wooden, but I didn't find that to be true and was touched by Frances's development over the course of the novel. She makes bad choices, as humans often do, and ultimately redeems herself. I hope this same narrator reads her second novel, I'll be the first to listen!

This is a pretty typical romance novel and very formulaic. Rich young woman is left destitute by her father's early demise. Decides to immigrate to South Africa. Meets rich young man who leads her on. Ends up going into the veldt to marry her cousin who has always idolized her. And, of course, as time passes, she grows to love him and realizes that she has made the right choice after all. The characters, names, places could be interchanged with any number of other romance novels. In fact, I initially thought that I'd read this book already it was so similar to another recent book I'd read.

On the plus side, Jennifer McVeigh has done a credible job writing the novel, particularly with the descriptions of the settings and characters. It's just that the plot is really predictable. If this is your sort of thing, go for it!

The Fever Tree is an fascinating novel about a privileged young woman, Frances Levine, in Victorian England who is left penniless when her father suddenly dies in London. When she is offered marriage by a young doctor and family friend, Edwin Matthews, living in South Africa, she accepts his proposal although she feels no love for the man and is soon on a small ship sailing for Cape Town, S.A. On the voyage, the naive girl meets a handsome worldly young man, William Westbrook, and becomes infatuated with him. Now that she knows more about love and marriage, she chooses to marry William instead of Edwin.
After her arrival in Cape Town, however, William disappears and she marries the good doctor. Her inexperience in homemaking, and her bewilderment in a totally new environment provide many fascinating developments in the story. This historical novel reveals some of the development of the diamond industry in early S.A., and the treatment of the native Africans by the Dutch and English during their pursuit of the wealth available the pioneers.
This was an interesting read, and i recommend it to anyone who enjoys well-researched historical fiction.

In the tradition of “The Painted Veil” and “Out of Africa,” after the heroine’s father dies, she makes a marriage of convenience and leaves her pampered existence in London for nineteenth century South Africa.

It’s a great premise for a potentially great story. Unfortunately, while the locale and the plot are strong, the characters are not.
Except for the heroine, all of them are one-dimensional, and, well, flat. Frances, the heroine, is two-dimensional, and also flat. She does have some flaws, but since I wasn’t engaged with her character, they only served to annoy me rather than draw me in.

The best thing about the book was the setting. It’s obvious that Ms. McVeigh did her research, but that wasn’t enough to rescue this book for me.

This was a reasonably good historical romance about a young girl stuck in a loveless marriage, who emigrates to South Africa from England to be with her doctor/fiance. On the long voyage, she falls in love with a handsome, charming rake, who she thinks will be her salvation. But he's not an honorable man, and Frances is soon off to a life in the bush that she never could have dreamed of. Interesting background on the mining industry and its injustice to the native population in South Africa, but I wish the author would not have fictionalized Cecil Rhodes into another character, but instead used more actual historical figures to enrich her story.

When a book advertises itself as the next "Gone With The Wind" or "Out of Africa", it's usually because it's very derivative. That is the case with this book. You're not going to get anything new from this novel. It begins by following the well trod path of the gently reared Victorian girl left penniless by the deaths of her hitherto wealthy father. Sound familiar yet? Hang on. On a voyage to a forced marriage in South Africa, the obligtory charming seducer puts in his appearance. This, of course, leads to the heroine's fall. Ho Hum.

The interest in this book lies not with the well known trip down the path to scandal and ruin but with an insight into the ruthless beginnings of the Kimberly diamond industry. A scandalous cover-up attempt of an outbreak of smallpox in the diamond fields is based on fact and known as "one of the greatest scandals in British medicine."

The descriptions of the dusty, dry African interior are evocative and far more interesting than the romantic betrayals suffered by the heroine. In the end, all is resolved as expected.

McVeigh does an excellent job at giving detailed explanations. From beginning to end, the book had me pulled in. It made me feel like I was along side Francis experiencing the horrors the African Americans experienced in South Africa. But other than the enlightenment this book provided for me, I also enjoyed the characters and found Francis quite relatable.

The beginning of the story takes place in 19th Century London. Her father is on his death bed, Francis is faced with two options: to stay in London to serve as a maid, or, to accept Edwin's (her father's doctor) marriage proposal which would require her to move with him to South Africa. Francis did not want to be a twenty year old upper class woman without a mother, father, or husband, that worked for her relatives. Though she wasn't attracted to him, she accepted his proposal and soon after, got on a cruise to meet Edwin in Africa.On the cruise, Francis meets this charming young fellow with blonde hair and blue eyes named William. Like Francis, he too is off to Africa. Once in Africa, the two secretly continue to see each other. Eventually, Francis finds out about a small-pox break out that came from the mines putting the natives at risks. Many are dying, and the Europeans are in denial.

The read maintained a certain vibe to it. It's the kind of book you can take to the park and read in one sitting. In the front of the book, it also provided the inspiration behind the book. I found the motive behind it interesting, but in a good way! Overall, "The Fever Tree" is a must read that will not disappoint!

I enjoyed this novel, which is full of historical detail and evocative prose, but the plot reminded me of the Painted Veil. I couldn't help but picture Edwin as Edward Norton. The similarities? The protagonist is a spoiled/ naive English girl who feels forced to marry a doctor who is working overseas. This doctor is a quiet, self-contained man and doesn't show much emotion. He isn't very good in bed. She views him as boring and weak, not appreciating his hidden depths. He is attracted to her in part because of her piano playing, hoping she can change and will come to love him. She has an affair with a charming cad who ends up betraying her. The couple is caught up in an epidemic. The protagonist ends up falling in love with her husband, and must work hard to get back in his good graces. I must admit, however, that this novel's ending is more satisfying.

Frances Irvine has few choices, given the shame of her father's bankruptcy and ensuing fall from society in London circa 1880. Never truly accepted by her deceased mother's wealthy family, Frances has, nevertheless, been pampered and protected by her father. After his death, Frances is approached by physician Edwin Matthews, who asks her to marry him. She disdains the young man her father once mentored, but her only other option is virtual servitude in a paternal aunt's household. The reluctant bride-to-be sails to South Africa to wed Matthews, who has already left for his posting there. On the voyage, Frances falls victim to the charms of dashing William Westbrook, a first class passenger all too aware of the girl's vulnerability and inferior social status. The result is not surprising, her extravagant passion for an adventurous man, whom she believes reciprocates her feelings. Unfortunately, Edwin awaits, with his shabby rural posting and obsession with a smallpox epidemic spreading through the region.

Un responsive to her husband's urging to actively engage in her new role, living in circumstances that offer no respite from the rigors of climate, scant resources and too much idle time, the gulf between the couple widens. Matthews is poor, mired in the politics that affect his patients, falling far short of Westbrook, the couple's fate sealed by a move to Kimberley. Living conditions there are at their most inhumane: "It's a filthy, debauched, lunatic place." Frances is confronted with the grim reality of the avid plundering of Africa's natural resources, the exploitation of native labor to procure the infamous "blood diamonds", and the heavy hand of an Englishman with a financial empire in South Africa who has the power to crush Matthews. Defiant, Matthews continues to convince authorities of the smallpox epidemic threatening Kimberley. Unprepared for the weighty decisions she is asked to make, Frances stumbles, eventually facing the consequences of an emotional decision, her personal redemption hard won in a country that demands everything.

Comparisons to Out of Africa or Gone with the Wind are unfair, as McVeigh has constructed her heroine, at the mercy of men and environment, from an era that shelters women of quality from reality. Thrust into an economically impoverished future, the girl's naive assumptions and moral certitude are hardly surprising. Since Edwin has little time or inclination to woo her, he already lacks the status she has come to expect. Why wouldn't her head be turned by a handsome romantic figure on the ocean crossing? McVeigh describes South Africa at its most volatile and dangerous, a clash of greed and demand that obliterates all humanity in its quest. Frances grows beyond her limitations, but her progress is slow, awkward and hampered the selfishness of a pampered child. Not only does she survive the country, but her own worst impulses, finding self-respect in the ruins of past mistakes. Luan Gaines/2013.

In 1880s London society, a young, wealthy girl's options were few. When Frances Irvine suddenly finds herself a poor orphan, her limited options become even fewer. Enter Dr. Edwin Matthews, the gentlemen doctor and distant cousin who offers her his hand in marriage and a life in the south African colonies. With little choice, Frances accepts his proposal and finds herself immersed in a world for which she is both mentally and physically unprepared. Jennifer McVeigh's The Fever Tree follows Frances from London to Africa and from the veldt to the diamond mines. Along the way, she discovers passion, depravity, greed, a shocking disregard for human life, and an extremely circuitous and lengthy journey to happiness.

Much like Scarlett, Frances is an extremely polarizing character. She is meant to be a highly flawed character as the story follows her personal growth alongside the tragedy unfolding around her. She is predictable and spoiled; she makes some truly awful decisions, and her self-centeredness is at times appalling. Some readers might not be able to overlook her continued poor decision-making and her constant need to play the victim of her circumstances, while others will be able to look past that and focus on the character she becomes. Still others will find her shift in demeanor and attitude rather abrupt and more of a convenient, and predictable, plot device than a realistic change. However, one's enjoyment of the novel does not hinge on the likeability of the main character. The Fever Tree is a sum of its parts, of which Frances is just one portion.

Any discussion about The Fever Tree would be incomplete without discussing the similarities between it and Gone With The Wind; even the publishers mention the likeness. This is not to say that the two stories are exactly the same, but the parallels exist. Frances is a spoiled, naïve girl compelled by outside forces to grow up, and the route she takes to do so is extremely unconventional. There are two men in her life - one the placid intellectual, the other the dashing roué. Frances' choice is ultimately the wrong one, and she must suffer the consequences. The scope of The Fever Tree is also similar in that both take place in areas and during times of extreme turmoil and danger. Just like Scarlett eventually adjusts to the new world brought by the Civil War, Frances must adjust to the dangers and lack of conventions found in southern Africa.

While readers might feel that nagging sense of familiarity throughout the novel, The Fever Tree does a remarkable job of standing upon its own laurels. Its presentation of the African diamond mines in the 1880s as well as their supporting towns is breathtaking in its brutal clarity, while the scenes that occur in the veldt are stunning in their starkness. Both locations were harsh, unforgiving, and downright dangerous to those unable or unwilling to adapt. Ms. McVeigh also takes a no-holds-barred approach to the political machinations and the ruling entrepreneurs running the mines. The cold-blooded greed, fueled by racism, is horrifying and yet not surprising given how little has really changed in the subsequent decades. While racism and poor working conditions are no surprise to any student of history, what is shocking is the heart of The Fever Tree - the smallpox epidemic hidden by the mines' owners in order to protect their economic interest. This portion of the novel is absolutely fascinating with its exploration of the scope of the conspiracy and the fact that it completely negates ordinary reactions in times of medical crisis.

In spite of its flaws - its predictability, its clichéd and fairly unlikeable characters - readers will still marvel at the ambition and scope behind The Fever Tree. It is not just a personal growth story about a young girl of privilege. It is really a story about the diamond mines and the immense personal tragedy surrounding them. All of the characters' actions revolve around the mines in some fashion, and Frances' fate is directly tied to them. The little-known true story about the epidemic cover-up makes for a tragic and highly compelling backdrop against which Frances searches for her path in life.

This sweeping historical novel favorably reminded me of The Thorn Birds with its combination of romance and life in the wilderness.

While I did not bond with the characters, and Francis was more than a little annoying at times, the story was beautifully written with gorgeous descriptions so you really felt immersed in Frances's world, for better or worse.

Those who enjoy historical fiction will enjoy the author's clear attention to detail and her sometimes brutal honesty about interpersonal relationships in that time.

This was a very well researched and executed first novel. Unlike some of the reviewers here , I thought that the lessons learned by the protagonist were carefully plotted out and effective. She was innocent, naive and clueless. She slowly awakened to the realities of life in Africa and the men she loved and the politics. This could happen to women today, and that's why I found the story compelling. The time period and the setting were an excellent backdrop. Secondary to the issues presented, Will look for the next novel.

This sounds like the kind of historical novel I enjoy. I want to learn about unfamiliar places and historical times. And I love to be inspired by characters that face hardship and show what they're made of and who they become in the process. It feels like in this case the author doesn't know the characters and isn't committed to them. Frances, the main character, is uninteresting, unbelievable and extremely unlikeable. Edwin seems to be a jerk when we first meet him but later he's a caring and considerate man. Which is great but there is nothing to explain the difference. Or maybe there is and it's in one of the parts I skimmed through just to get through the thing. There is way too much going on and not much of it makes sense. I read constantly and don't write reviews but for some reason this book annoyed me enough that I have to vent. After having just read "The Invention of Wings" by Sue Monk Kidd and "The Painted Girls" by Cathy Marie Buchanan, both extraordinary historical novels that deliver the goods, this one is a disappointment.

I am a constant reader of contemporary fiction, and I am pretty selective in what I read. That said, I absolutely loved this book. The writing was strong, the plot was strong, and I was nearly completely unable to put the book down. For some reason, the story and characters have really stuck with me. Other than the great storyline that kept me coming back for more, I was pleased to learn some new (and rather sad) things about the mining endeavors in South African history. I could relate to the character, myself, and was pleased with the plot twists and the believable way that the ending of the novel came about. Five BIG stars!

The author of this book really did her factual research and is to be commended. And, her prose is beautiful! I learned more about South Africa in this novel than I had in reading non-fiction about the same era and the relationship between the Boers and the English and the native population.

The Fever Tree deals with the life of a privileged English girl who really has no choice when her father dies as to whether she can live as an unpaid servant in her aunt's house or marry a doctor whom she does not love and move to South Africa. Her choice, moving to a South Africa, holds as many adventures as Raiders of the Lost Ark, but to tell what they are in a review takes away from a wonderful romantic epic tale. The characters are really developed and the landscape and perils so fully described that it seems as though you are looking at a photograph. I read this book in two days and can only hope that the next Vine book I start to read is half as good as this one was. I highly recommend it!!!

I thought this novel would be a "deeper read" than it is: as another reviewer noted, it's more of a historical romance novel: a kind of upscale, and admittedly well-researched, Harlequin Romance. The main character behaved in ways that no young women of her time and "station" would, which made the story improbable, at best. I had to push myself to finish it, and rolled my eyes more than once while doing so. It wasn't great, it wasn't moving and it wasn't captivating: I would not recommend it to others.

The main character of The Fever Tree, Frances, finds herself nearly out of options when she chooses to marry her cousin, a doctor in South Africa. Her father had died and the only other option to marriage was a dead end. While on her journey to her new life as a wife, she meets a handsome bad boy, William, and the book becomes un-put-down-able. I enjoyed the descriptions of living conditions, locations, and the complexity of relationship stages.

I found it difficult to stop reading The Fever Tree once I started, so there went my weekend chores. I have no regrets and love it when that happens. I've been on quite the lucky streak lately - one really good book after another. Eventually, it dawned on me that I was finding the book somewhat similar to the movie "The Painted Veil" based on the book of the same title by Somerset Vaughn. (I loved that movie and want to read the book.) If you are familiar with either, you may find the book similar as well.

The setting of The Fever Tree is intriguing--South Africa during the late eighteenth century diamond mining bonanza. Jennifer McVeigh has done a splendid job of recreating this period, and is at her best in describing the landscape and wildlife of this rugged country, the sub-human conditions of mining and farming in that period and medical details related to this eradication of smallpox. The book is worth reading for these elements, and the plot concludes with an overly tidy yet tear-producing finale.

Nonetheless, the novel is marred in numerous respects. Anachronistic language--the adjective "creepy" as well as contemporary expressions such as "And your point is?" and "I don't do disapproval"--make a reader stop short, as does the utter cluelessness of Frances Irvine, the lead character, who displays an unbelievable amount of poor judgment. The story also borrows heavily from Gone with the Wind, with a sexy scoundrel of a leading man, William Westbrook, who could be Rhett Butler's younger brother. There is even a scene where Frances stalks William in a house of ill repute. (Hello, Belle Whatling.) Most disturbing, however, is the gratuitious casting of William and his vile mining-magnate cousin as Jewish, which made me extremely uncomfortable.

I wishI could ask the author, "and your point is?"