About Me

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Surrey, B.C., Canada
I have always been an avid reader and history has always been a passion of mine. I am a huge historical fiction fan, who also enjoys reading gothic tales with chills and thrills, mystery and suspense and who loves stepping back in time..... A quote I once read stated: I don't live in the past..the past lives in me!.. Perhaps that's why I am a Family History/Genealogy Addict too!

Monday 20 May 2013

The Rose Trilogy by Jennifer Donnelly should not be missed

                                                      

This is a Historical saga which will be of interest to both male and female historical fiction fans.
I rate this trilogy 5 out of 5

Book 1 of the Trilogy: The Tea Rose: A Novel  
By Jennifer Donnelly  
Trade Paperback
St. Martin's Press

An absolutely wonderful family saga with a strong female as the protagonist.

The Tea Rose is book one in a truly fascinating historical saga. The Tea Rose centres around Fiona Finnigan who lives in the East End of London around 1888 (during the time of Jack the Ripper). Fiona's father is a hardworking dock worker who is well respected by his peers. When he becomes involved in organizing a union, he is murdered for his troubles. The Finnigan family now in great poverty falls apart. Fiona flees to New York where she is determined to destroy the man responsible for her fathers death and destruction of her family...Fiona finally returns to London, stronger, wealthy and on her way to revenge her fathers murder. We meet many memorable characters in this book including Fiona's true love, Joe Bristow a costmonger in the markets of London's East End. 
This is truly a wonderful read and the first in a three book Saga.
                                               Book 2 of the Trilogy: The Winter Rose  
By Jennifer Donnelly 
Trade Paperback
Hyperion

Book two of the Rose Saga an absolutely wonderful continuation to the Tea Rose


Winter Rose tells the story of India Selwyn Jones, a women doctor struggling to make a difference in the poverty torn East End of London during the early 1900's. India, faces the struggles of being a women in a man's world and the prejudices against Women during a time when women were not allowed to vote or have intelligent ideas let alone be a practicing medical doctor in the slums of the East End of London. We are also reunited with characters from the Tea Rose, book one in the Rose Saga. There is Fiona Finnigan and her husband Joe Bristow. Sid Malone a notorious gang leader and gun runner in London's East End with a price on his head. This exciting story which begins in the East End of London, ends in Kenya, Africa with Fiona's brother Seamus and his love, Willa Alden, another strong and determined Women who becomes the subject of the next book in the Rose Saga, book 3 The Wild Rose.
                                Book 3 of the Trilogy: The Wild Rose
The Wild Rose  
By Jennifer Donnelly 
 Hardcover
Hyperion

The final and third book in an absolutely wonderful saga about three strong, determined women


This book starts in 1913-14 prior to the beginning of World War 1.
The Wild Rose is a beautifully written book full of adventure, suspense, seduction and espionage. The Wild Rose is Willa Alden who we left in the second book of the Rose Saga, a mountaineer who loses her leg in a mountaineering accident on Mt. Everest. Willa becomes a photographer with the National Geographic Society. There is interwinding relationships, intriguing characters and an exciting journey during an import historical time. Many historical characters are mentioned in the book. 
Jennifer Donnelly is an excellent historical fiction writer with enough historical facts added to her wonderful stories to make them not only believable, but socially accurate.
Those of you who read the previous books in the Rose Saga will be reunited with favourite characters such as Fiona Finnegan Bristow, her husband Joe Bristow, Fiona's brother Seamus Finnegan, Sid Malone and India Selwyn Jones.

I rate this Trilogy by Jennifer Donnelly
5 out of 5

2 comments:

  1. These 3 books are so good!! One of the best series I have ever read! I'm sure there is room for a 4th and I would love to see it come out! There was defintely some losse ends that could still be written about! I fell in love with all these characters and didn't want the books to end! Highly recommend this series!

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