Jennifer Donnelly, Newsletters from Jennifer Donnelly. A Northern Light, The Tea Rose, The Winter Rose, and Humble Pie

January 2008
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Dear Readers,

New year, new book!

On January 8, my new novel The Winter Rose, will be published in the US by Hyperion!

The Winter Rose, second book in The Tea Rose trilogy, reunites readers with the much-loved Finnegan family. Beginning where The Tea Rose ended, on the river Thames, the novel follows the story of Charlie Finnegan – now Sid Malone – and a new female character – India Selwyn Jones.

Here's a bit of scene setting...

The year is 1900 and the dangerous streets of East London are no place for a well-bred woman. But India Selwyn Jones is headstrong: she has trained as one of a new breed, a woman doctor, and is determined to practice where the need is greatest.

It is on these grim streets where India meets – and saves the life of – London’s most notorious gangster, Sid Malone. Hard, violent, devastatingly attractive, Malone is the opposite of India’s cool, aristocratic fiancé, a rising star in the House of Commons. Though Malone represents all she despises, India finds herself unwillingly drawn ever closer to him – enticed by his charm, intrigued by his hidden, mysterious past.

The Winter Rose brings the beginning of the turbulent twentieth century vividly to life, drawing the reader into its wretched underworld, its privileged society, and the shadowland between the two, where the strict rules of the time blur into secret passions.

Early response to the book has been excellent!

Booklist says:

…the action never lets up, from back-alley beatings and gunrunning, to bordellos, society drawing rooms, and the corridors of elitist government. This is a page-turner…Mix Gangs of New York, Romeo and Juliet, and Oliver Twist, and get a passionate tale propelled by sophisticated plotting, cleverly disguised motives, and intriguingly entangled characters.

And Publishers Weekly says:

In epic style, Donnelly alternates India’s story with Sid’s, Freddie’s, Joseph’s and Fiona’s, leading the reader through turn-of- the-century England from the Houses of Parliament to ale houses and whore houses, and from London to Africa and beyond… Donnelly’s passion and energy will keep readers turning the many pages, rooting for India and the gruff underworld boss she loves.

And one of my favorite writers, Barbara Taylor Bradford has this to say:

“I loved this book. It is truly seductive, hard to put down, filled with mystery, secret passions, unique locations, and a most engaging heroine. India Selwyn Jones is a new breed of woman in London in 1900, a doctor practicing in the grim East End, and she captivates from the first page to the last.”

(Okay, okay…I know I put Barbara’s quote in my last newsletter, but I’m so chuffed that she likes the book that I just had to put it in this month’s, too.)

I loved writing The Winter Rose. Loved catching up with old characters, and loved getting to know new ones. I hope that you enjoy it, too. Many UK readers – the book is already out there – have emailed to say that they like it as much as, and sometimes even more than, The Tea Rose. If you have a minute or two, email me at jen@jenniferdonnelly.com to let me know what you think.

Happy reading, and best wishes for a Happy New Year!