Letter from a Tea Garden Abi Oliver Blog Tour

Title: Letter From A Tea Garden
Author: Abi Oliver
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Self Published
Publication date: July 2022
Availability: Hardback, Paperback, eBook, International distribution
ISBN: (paperback) 978-1-84396-656-2
Page count: 264
Price: £13.99 / £8.99 / £2.99

1965, an English country mansion.
Eleanora Byngh is not in a good state. Wedded to the whisky bottle and with her house crumbling round her ears, her days seem destined to follow a lonely (and grumpy) downhill path.
When the post brings an unexpected invitation to return to the Indian tea gardens of her childhood, Eleanora risks breaking open painful memories of her younger years, lived across a tumultuous century.

As relationships with her new-found family face their own challenges, she is offered fresh truths, the chance of love and unexpected new life – if she is prepared to take them.

MY REVIEW

Letter from a Tea Garden is a sweeping story of tenderness, loss and healing, that I sat and relaxed reading on a very hot day, with a cuppa tea and a nice cake. A Cuppa of tea was just drink for reading Letters from a Tea Garden!

I like how most chapters were short easy to read, and how the story switches from the present day and the past.

Out of the blue in October 1964, Eleanora received a letter from India from her late brother’s son, who she hasn’t seen since he was a baby. Her nephew is asking Eleanora to go back to India again. What Eleanora can’t understand is why has her nephew gone back to tea, after getting married in England.

The house that is now belonged to 77 year old Eleanora’s, was originally what her mother inherited, but it was once her uncle’s house. Unfortunately Eleanora’s house is now in a desperate need of a revamp with tiles missing and the windows paint has cracked.

We are taken through Eleanora’s lovely memories of her with her late brother.

In February 1965, Eleanora arrived in Dum Dum airport in India to visit her nephew.

Dum Dum airport in India, was a real name for the airport, but the 5th most busiest airport in India changed its name in 1995.

I personally liked reading about Eleanora’s past as a little girl in 1904 with her mother and Pa. At the age of four she was given the most best birthday present ever. And on that morning of her fourth birthday her Pa led her along the main road through the estate until they could see the iron roof of the tea-processing factory through the trees.

I would like to say a huge thank you to literally pr for sending me a printed paperback copy to read and review and for inviting me to take part in the blog tour.

About the Author

Abi Oliver (pseudonym of Annie Murray, bestselling novelist) has spent much of her life in the Thames Valley. At boarding school, Abi met a teacher who became a friend and mentor for 30 years, who had been a nun in Bangladesh, prompting a visit to Barishal in 1980, and sparking a life-long interest in South Asia.
She studied at Oxford and London Universities, has worked for a charity, on Indian Railways, as a nurse and as a writer. In 1991, she won the SHE/This Morning (Richard and Judy) short story competition, securing a literary agent and her first novel was accepted in 1993. She has since written 30 novels, raised four children and lives in Dorchester-on-Thames.

https://www.abioliver.co.uk/

Twitter: @AbiWriterOliver