The Wild Rose-Jennifer Donnelly
So last night, when I decided to participate in NaBloPoMo, I said I would write more about the book I just finished reading, The Wild Rose by Jennifer Donnelly. This is the third book in a trilogy that she wrote about the same family. The first book, The Tea Rose was about Fiona Finnegan, the oldest of the Finnegan siblings, and was the story of Fiona achieving her dreams, despite monumental challenges, and finding a lost love.
The story was continued in The Winter Rose which focused on Fiona's younger brother Charlie who had disappeared into the "underworld" of London's organized crime, but wanted to escape. Charlie too struggles to hold onto true love and to make a better life for himself.
The Wild Rose is the story of the youngest brother Seamie who, true to form, has and loses his true love due to circumstance neither one can control. This time war has broken out in Europe so fighting and spying play an important role. Seamie, like his siblings, has to fight for his true love and overcome many obstacles in order to find happiness.
Well, when I summarize the three books like that, they kind of sound like cheesy love stories, but, I'm happy to say they're not. The Tea Rose by far has the best storylines and characters, but the two sequels are so well written, exciting and interesting that it doesn't so much matter that the storylines are a bit repetitive, you just want to read them to follow the Finnegan family.
What's really nice about these three books is that while they are all three separate stories about the Finnegan children, they follow the story of the entire Finnegan family. We still see and hear Fiona and Joe from the first book and Charlie and India from the second. Since I'm admittedly a dork, and take books and stories far too seriously, I happen to enjoy the chance to "watch" stories unfold in the background, even after the original story has finished.
Needless to say, I really enjoyed this series and only wished that I hadn't had to wait so long to get this book from the library. I swear, as soon as I win the lottery, I'm going to buy a zillion books and hide in my room for a year doing nothing but reading....
The story was continued in The Winter Rose which focused on Fiona's younger brother Charlie who had disappeared into the "underworld" of London's organized crime, but wanted to escape. Charlie too struggles to hold onto true love and to make a better life for himself.
The Wild Rose is the story of the youngest brother Seamie who, true to form, has and loses his true love due to circumstance neither one can control. This time war has broken out in Europe so fighting and spying play an important role. Seamie, like his siblings, has to fight for his true love and overcome many obstacles in order to find happiness.
Well, when I summarize the three books like that, they kind of sound like cheesy love stories, but, I'm happy to say they're not. The Tea Rose by far has the best storylines and characters, but the two sequels are so well written, exciting and interesting that it doesn't so much matter that the storylines are a bit repetitive, you just want to read them to follow the Finnegan family.
What's really nice about these three books is that while they are all three separate stories about the Finnegan children, they follow the story of the entire Finnegan family. We still see and hear Fiona and Joe from the first book and Charlie and India from the second. Since I'm admittedly a dork, and take books and stories far too seriously, I happen to enjoy the chance to "watch" stories unfold in the background, even after the original story has finished.
Needless to say, I really enjoyed this series and only wished that I hadn't had to wait so long to get this book from the library. I swear, as soon as I win the lottery, I'm going to buy a zillion books and hide in my room for a year doing nothing but reading....
11/2/11
The Tea Rose-Jennifer Donnelly
So, back in June, my husband's cousin, who's a huge Diana Gabaldon fan, recommended that I try reading Jennifer Donnelly's "The Tea Rose." it.was.awesome. My husband picked it up for me at the library on Thursday, I started it right away and found that by Saturday, I didn't want to be torn away from it. I stayed up late finishing it last night, and it was so worth it.
"The Tea Rose" is the story of Fiona Finnegan who grows up in the poor district of London at the end of the 19th Century. Jack the Ripper is roaming her neighborhood. Workers are being exploited on the docks and in factories. Unions are just starting to form, and to strike. Fiona Finnegan and her best friend/love of her life, Joe, dream of owning a shop together and rising above their poor beginnings. At this point you should be wary, as I was. Books that start out with a happy love affair at the beginning are troublesome, obviously something HAD to happen. And it did. The rest of the story is how Fiona and Joe work hard to realize their dreams in London and in America.
I found there was a lot of suspense, quite a bit of action (though that was a touch lacking in some of the middle parts) and plenty of romance and heartbreak. And lots of Tea. Fiona revolutionizes the tea industry and since I'm a tea addict, almost as bad as books, this little background aspect kept me intrigued as well. (I'm actually drinking a cuppa as I write this).
I'm happy to say I have the next in the series on hold at the library. With a little luck it will be almost as good as the one I just finished!
10/5/11
