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    The Fever Tree
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    The Fever Tree
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    The Fever Tree
    Audiobook12 hours

    The Fever Tree

    Written by Jennifer McVeigh

    Narrated by Jayne Paterson

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Having drawn comparisons to Gone with the Wind and Out of Africa, The Fever Tree is a page-turner of the very first order.

    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. 

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateApr 4, 2013
    ISBN9781101605011
    Unavailable
    The Fever Tree
    Author

    Jennifer McVeigh

    Jennifer McVeigh graduated from Oxford University in 2002 with a First in English literature. She went on to work in film, television, radio, and publishing, before giving up her day job to write fiction.

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    Reviews for The Fever Tree

    3.5/5

    139 ratings38 reviews

    What did you think?

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    • 5/5
      I was up all night finishing this book. I loved it. I went from man to man just like Frances.
    • 4/5
      When Frances Irvine's father dies in Victorian London, she discovers that her father was bankrupt and has left her penniless. She reluctantly accepts the wedding proposal of a distant cousin, Edwin Matthews, who is a struggling physician in South Africa. During her ocean journey, she meets a handsome fellow traveler, William Westbrook, an ambitious diamond trader returning to South Africa. His adventitious and devil-may-care nature enthralling. Before the ship ports, he promises to send for and marry her. However, when this does not happen, she is again finds herself traveling to a remote and desolate area of the country where her husband is currently working to stem a smallpox epidemic. Although Edwin is patient and kind, Frances finds the spartan life difficult for one who is more acclimated to London's social life and longs for the affluent life offered by William.

      This novel typifies the "grass is always greener" dilemma that humanity frequently experiences. The novel is essentially how Frances' character transitions from from selfishness and dependency to a self-assured woman who learns to love the country. Although initially I felt like slapping some sense in her for not seeing the jewel she had in Edwin, her character did grow on me as she matured. The environment of colonial South Africa as depicted by the author was so vivid, the reader is very easily transported to the time of early diamond mining and its often cruel and brutal realities.
    • 3/5
      In my opinion The Fever Tree is slightly better than a romance novel because of the historic content such as the smallpox epidemic in Kimberly, South Africa, the diamond smuggling and the drought. Frances is left penniless and without family or options. her only choice to marry a man she does not love and join him in South Africa. She travels by ship, meets a handsome stranger who she falls for but he leaves her at the dockside and off she goes to the barren wilderness to her husband to be Edwin. Edwin is silent but more of a man than Frances realizes. This part of the novel is rather silly but as I said , the historic aspects are there. In the end Frances learns a lot about herself and realizes after running away with William that he is a brute and a coward and the husband she left, a good , honest and upright man. Off she goes to get him back and after suffering as a maid in a Boer household, Edwin comes back for her. The end.
    • 5/5
      During the late nineteenth-century, South Africa is a country rife with unrest and torn apart by greed. Socialite Frances Irvine is rendered destitute in the wake of her father's sudden death and forced to abandon her life of wealth and privilege in London, in favor of emigration to the Southern Cape of Africa. Shunned by polite society and cast aside by her titled relatives, Frances reluctantly accepts a marriage proposal from a man she previously rejected - a man she is not even certain she could ever like, let alone love.South Africa in 1880 is a remote and inhospitable land, yet Frances is absolutely amazed by the amount of personal freedom that she finds there. While she lived in London, Frances had once thought herself horribly constrained by the rules of society; grudgingly accepting her position, but unable to break out of the situation. Her life in South Africa is so different from life as she knew it in London; filled with a dangerously enticing freedom that Frances has never experienced before.In this brutal and unknown land, Frances will become entangled with two very different men - one driven by his ideals, the other by his ambition. Edwin Matthews is a distant cousin - a serious, but dedicated doctor who makes his living in the diamond fields of South Africa. He is a careful man, determined to do whatever he can to get ahead in life. To Frances' mind, Edwin is taking blatant advantage of her reduced circumstances; and she is convinced that his sudden interest in her is largely due to her dramatic fall in fortune, rather than any sense of romantic feelings for her.Reluctantly traveling by steamship to South Africa to be married, Frances is abruptly thrown in to the company of William Westbrook. William is the polar opposite of Edwin, and Frances is absolutely enchanted by him from their first meeting. He is a dashing and ambitious diamond trader, whose tales of his thrilling exploits capture Frances' imagination. Magnetically attractive, spontaneous and courageous, William is everything that Edwin is not, and she is swept away by an intoxicating, all-consuming love. Stunned by the strength of her attraction, Frances secretly begins to hope that she has found a viable alternative to a loveless marriage with Edwin.However, Frances' idyllic dreams are suddenly met by harsh, unvarnished reality. Removed from civilization and disillusioned by her isolation, she soon finds herself living in the middle of a tremendous dilemma - forced to choose between passion and integrity. Her choice has the potential to change her life forever. South Africa is not quite the colonial paradise that Frances expected it might be - the desolate, seemingly barren landscape does contain a certain hidden beauty - but nothing else is as it seems.Only when the rumor of a smallpox epidemic takes Frances into the dark heart of the diamond mines does she see her true path to happiness. She soon realizes that she has so much to learn about herself, as well as this strange new land. This strange land that has become her home.Despite this story's initially slow pace, I still very much enjoyed reading it. In my opinion, the story was slightly difficult to get into and I found that it dragged slightly in certain parts. Once I got past the slow points though, the pace picked up considerably and I really got into the story. I appreciated reading about the mining conditions of South Africa, and was stunned by the brutal reality of the colonial era. I would give this book an A!
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 3/5
      Debut author, Jennifer McVeigh has traveled across Africa, free-camping in desolate, as well as, beautiful areas of the country. Her love for Africa shows through in her story of Frances Irvine, the small pox epidemic, and the diamond trade in her first book, THE FEVER TREE.Frances is a privileged woman in England until her father dies. Before his death, he arranges for Frances to marry Edwin, a doctor from South Africa whom she knew as a child. During the long trip across the sea, Frances meets a handsome businessman on the ship and even though she is married to Edwin, she engages in an affair with him. Upon her arrival in Cape Town, Frances realizes her life is not what she expected it to be. Her husband has angered the top diamond traffickers by claiming there is a small pox epidemic. Frances' life is lonely and at times, in danger. She becomes challenged by the rumors and the truth and eventually has to make a choice to either follow her husband or her passion. Will her naivety place her in danger and banish her from happiness forever?I started this book and then, somewhere in the middle, I found more interesting books to read. I knew I would go back to it and did eventually, but it wasn't something I was rushing to finish. Frances was not a likable character. Her pouting, her unfaithfulness, and her naivety were draining on the story and I found I didn't want to read anymore. Once I did pick the book back up, I found the last third of the book to be enjoyable again. There was a bit of drama and danger involving other characters, mostly at the fault of Frances. Frances did find a way to redeem herself and seemed to come to terms with her faults and betrayals. I was surprised with the ending and the future for Frances because I'm not sure it was truly deserved.What kept me interested in the book were the descriptions of the African people and their communities, the secrets of diamond mining, and the history of the small pox vaccine. I will never look at the diamond ring on my finger the same way after reading the horrors of diamond mining. McVeigh did her research and shared the brutal and horrific sides to this business. I also loved the cover on this paperback reprint. As Frances was walking across the hot sands of Africa, this was the image I had in mind. The symbolism of the title of the book appears both early in the novel and then appears again at the end in a different way, much in the way Frances had changed since the beginning pages.The first and last third of the book were great but the author kind of lost me in the middle. Overall, I'm still glad I read it because, as with most historical fiction that is based on factual events, I did learn something about Africa, diamond mining, and the medical crisis in Africa at the time.
    • 4/5
      More romance that I expected. :) But it was a really good story! It was one of those books that makes you keep reading to find out what happens at the end.
    • 4/5
      South Africa, 1880. Frances Irvine, destitute in the wake of her father's sudden death, is forced to abandon her life of wealth and privilege in London and emigrate to the Cape. In this remote and inhospitable land she becomes entangled with two very different men, leading her into the dark heart of the diamond mines. Torn between passion and integrity, she makes a choice that has devastating consequences.
    • 5/5
      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. 5/5This book was given to me free of charge by the publisher in return for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      I really, really enjoyed this book--the plot is a bit predictable and soap-y (young woman forced into marriage out of financial necessity and then torn between two men), but the quality of McVeigh's writing and the fascinating setting of the late 19th century South African diamond mines kept me engaged and turning the pages. I can see that Frances may be an overly frustrating heroine to some, as her immaturity and naivete result in her being *painfully* slow to accept her new circumstances and throw herself into her new life in South Africa. But for me, my frustration with her just made me all the more eager to keep reading so I could find out what would finally make her change!

    • 4/5
      Frances Irvine is left penniless when her father dies. He had made some risky investments in railroads. She agrees to marry Edwin Matthews, a doctor in South Africa, to avoid a life as a nurse for a relative and her children. On the ship to South Africa, she meets William Westbrook, the nephew of one of the leading businessmen in the diamond industry in South Africa. Without giving away further details of the plot regarding the "romance" in the review, she follows the man who becomes her husband to Rietfontein and to Kimberly. She struggles with her feelings for the man. There is a small pox epidemic in the country which Edwin is being covered up by William's uncle. We see Frances interacting with Anne, a woman she met aboard the ship who had come to be a nurse in the country. We also deal with a drought in the country. Generally, I am not fond of books set in Africa with snakes popping up in the story line so often. This book, however, is an exception. Even though there are far more snake appearances than I would like, the story is very moving and compelling. She does a great job describing the landscape. I found a map to make sure I understand the locations being described. It's not perfect. I found the second half to be much more absorbing than the first half. It's an excellent debut novel, and I do believe that McVeigh has a promising future as a writer.
    • 4/5
      A most enjoyable debut historical novel, set in upper-middle-class London and colonial South Africa in 1880. Frances Irvine, left without any good options by the death of her bankrupt father, agrees to marry a man she has no feelings for and sets off for South Africa. Aboard the ship, however, another man, very much unlike her husband-to-be, catches her eye, and a novel ensues. While the general narrative arc may be somewhat expected, McVeigh's writing is a delight to read, and she does a marvelous job at setting the scene, probably unfamiliar to most.Enlivened by historical detail and all-too-human (and thus not always like-able) characters, this is a book to savor, written by an author to watch.
    • 4/5
      The story of Frances, an English girl, who find herself I'm the middle of the diamond trade in Africa. She must come to terms with love, tragedy, and the truth. Good story. Good characters. Would recommend to those who like historical fiction.
    • 4/5
      Upon the death of her father, Frances Irvine finds that she is now penniless and her life of privilege is gone. Shunned by her relatives she finds she must accept the marriage proposal of Edwin Matthews, a doctor, who has been making his living in the diamond fields of South Africa. During her journey to Africa Frances comes under the spell of William Westbrook, an ambitious diamond trader. Life in the desolate, barren landscape of Africa is a huge change from her life in London and Frances has a lot of learn about herself and her husband. It is in the rough mining camps surrounding the Kimberley mine that Frances see the single mindedness of her husband as he fights mine owners over a smallpox epidemic.

      I enjoyed this debut work of historical fiction. It lays out characters and actions which are not always what they seem at first view. I look forward to future books from this new writer.
    • 4/5
      Won via Goodreads First Reads.

      I wasn't sure what to think when I first started this book.

      Frances did not appeal to me at all and she is the main character.

      A couple chapters in I was frustrated by her - she opted for paints and an easel over essentials she was told she'd need for her new life. She couldn't understand Edwin's frustration at her when she arrived with no material, no sewing machine.

      The whole ship journey got to me too - because this is where we meet William. William is a foul character and I know Frances lived a sheltered and naive life but really? Did she really think he was god's gift to man? So his actions on the Cape finally jolted her a little, but she still longed for him even though on the ship... Well, you should read it, it may be a spoiler if I say.

      I liked the conservation messages subtly strewn throughout the text - they highlight the dangers that Africa still faces today in terms of everything being wiped out.

      "Were there ever lions here?"
      "Reitz's father shot the last one thirty years ago..."

      I loved the imagery. I could feel my skin drying, blistering, burning. And the descriptions of small pox were quite horrific. I could taste the fetid water, smell the spilled blood, feel the dust coating everything.
    • 3/5
      Unfortunately, for me this book didn't live up to its hype. While it contains a lot of historical value, the characters were frustrating and unlikeable. The story was way to predictable to be engaging. Frances Irvine was immature and boring, Edwin Matthews a saint and and William Westbrooke a mediocre villian.
    • 4/5
      I was so excited to read this book. It didn't disappoint. I enjoyed the character of Frances, even if I didn't agree with all of her choices. Colonial South Africa was a hard and interesting place to read about. I enjoyed this.
    • 4/5
      I wasn't sure what to expect from this novel as this is my first experience with McVeigh. I can tell you that I think I enjoyed listening to it much more than if I would have actually read it. This book kind of reminded me of the historical romances I read as a young mother, and since romances really are no longer one of my preferred reading genres, I wasn't sure how I would like it once completed. Well Paterson did a wonderful job narrating, helping to enhance my listening pleasure.Young Frances is our main character, who once lived a privileged life in England with her father. When her father passes on he leaves behind a financial disaster that doesn't allow Frances the lifestyle she has been accustomed to. In an effort to secure her future she accepts a wedding proposal from a doctor she has known for years. So she is a young girl who has never experienced love, already engaged to a man she is to meet in South Africa.Her journey is mapped out in front of her as she leaves the comforts of England for the savagery of South Africa. The only mode of transportation to the country where she will be meeting her husband is by ship, and unfortunately she cannot afford a first-class ticket. It becomes a long and arduous journey for young Frances, allowing her the opportunity to make many acquaintances. When she captures the attention of the roguish William Wentworth, she feels a new awakening within herself making it difficult to control her actions.Life in Africa is not what Frances expected by any means. Her doctor husband makes a meager salary as he is still making a name for himself. Food on the table is not bountiful, their clothing is ragged, and their belongings are dirty all the time. Hard times have her questioning her life with her husband, making the fantasy she created about William that much more enticing.Everything really went full circle for Frances in this novel and I can tell you that I enjoyed it more than I expected. With themes of love, choices, and forgiveness I think many of you would also enjoy this book for personal leisure or as a book club selection. I don't hesitate in recommending this audiobook.
    • 4/5
      Frances is a privileged young woman in late nineteenth century England. Her father makes a bad investment which ruins him right before he dies, and Frances is forced to marry her cousin Edwin and join him in South Africa. On the boat from England she meets the dashing William and falls in love with him. The rest of the book is about Frances feeling stuck and miserable in her marriage to Edwin, and her longing for William, who she can't have. McVeigh's descriptions about the Kimberly diamond mines, the drought, and general life in South Africa were all very interesting. But I grew more and more annoyed with Frances as the book went on. She acted like a spoiled brat for most of the book and made one dumb decision after another. I felt mostly satisfied at the end, but I never did find Frances to be a likable character.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book. Frances was a real character - I liked her at times and was exasperated with her at others. I enjoyed seeing her mature and come to realize the err of her previous ways. The book also brought home the precarious station of women in the past.South Africa was a definite character in the book. While I do not like too many descriptions of landscape in my books, there was just enough here to give a strong sense of place, which was crucial to the story.
    • 3/5
      This book was not a big favorite. It was just too similar to the Painted Veil ---which I made the mistake of watching right before I read this book. Just not original enough.I received this book for free in return for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      Frances Irvine has been raised in a life of privilege, but at nineteen her father dies suddenly, leaving behind a bankrupted estate that leaves Frances with few choices. She decides that the least horrible choice is to marry someone that she does not love - Edwin Matthews. She feels that he has taken advantage of the situation by proposing again, even though she had previously turned him down. Now she must make her way to the Southern Cape of Africa where Edwin is waiting, and where together they will make a life that will be very different from anything that Frances has ever known."Panic made her skin crawl. She pulled her hand out from under the sheets and looked at its whiteness in the dark, reassuring herself that she was still there, as a ship might fix its coordinates on a star. What does a person become when they have nothing left to hold on to?"I really wanted to love this book. It's supposed to be a sweeping saga set in Africa in the 1880s. It's supposed to be a page-turner. Although the writing is lovely, and the descriptions and setting are fabulous, the story fell flat for me. The main problem was the predictability - I felt like I always knew exactly what was going to happen next. The second problem was the main character - I didn't like her for the most part; she was selfish and lazy and while I felt sorry that as a woman she did not have more choices, she certainly made a mess of the few choices that she did have. I do think that this author has promise. I would gladly try something else by her, but this is her very first book, so I will have to wait.
    • 4/5
      This is a compelling historical romantic fiction novel set in England and South Africa in the 1880s.The heroine is forced into a loveless marriage due to financial circumstances and must adapt to a new life in South Africa. I enjoyed the writer's style and would definitely recommend this to all lovers of this genre. As some people have noted, the plot may seem a little predictable at times but McVeigh is very good at depicting settings and characters and so succeeds in creating a memorable novel.
    • 4/5
      The Fever Tree attempts to explore a woman's unhappy choices in life; however, we are led throughout the book to believe that the woman doesn't have any choices, that she is an unlucky victim of life's circumstances. My total dislike for the main character made it difficult to enjoy this book; she is vain, narcissistic, ungrateful, and completely dependent on other people.
    • 5/5
      I am so sorry this is her FIRST novel!!! I would immediately look for more books by McVeigh if only they were there! Although she describes in the author notes her efforts to learn about the history of what she was writing it is still incredible to me how people can write with such an amazing amount of description so that you can see, hear, and feel not only what the characters are feeling but their surroundings as well. McVeigh is truly masterful in her writing and the story!!!---my goodness!!! I loved her charter development---the twists and turns. I would love for her to write a sequel---or two about the people in this novel.
    • 3/5
      This was a free early reviewers book so not to be ungrateful I have to say that this wasn't one of my favorite reads. I enjoyed the authors style of writing but I just am not into romance novels where the poor litte rich girl doesn't really want to marry the not so rich guy but has no real options and treats him like dirt only to find that she really does love him- and of course, he takes her back and everyone lives happily thereafter. This could have been a great novel with its setting in Africa during the diamond rush in the 1800's but for me the love story was just too familiar. Maybe if I were 20 and read this I would have liked it more? As it was, it was mostly what to me was a sillly romance story and the story itself I think a waste of this authors great writing skills. I would recommend it to anyone who is into silly romance novels.
    • 4/5
      This was fantastic read, and I wasn't able to put it down once I started. Historical novel set in South Africa, about a displaced young English woman, who is forced into marriage.
    • 4/5
      First time author's historical novel that takes place in 1880's in South Africa. Well researched and a highly recommended read.
    • 3/5
      Frances is a wealthy and spoiled young woman who is orphaned after her father loses all his money in a bad investment. After his death, she has to choose between an unwelcome marriage or becoming a nursemaid to her aunt's children. She chooses the marriage and leaves London and her former privileged life for marriage to her cousin, a poor, but principled doctor in South Africa. The idea is good, the setting is interesting. The historical aspects seem to have been fairly well researched. The writing felt a little forced at times and I had a terrible time liking Frances at all. She spends 98% of her story waving her hands around helplessly, complaining about her poverty and doing absolutely nothing to adapt to her new life. Only after she loses everything (through a Biblical series of calamities brought on by her own bad choices) her desperation to not return to London (and the nursemaid job) as a failure finally prompts her to change. Then, miraculously, everything turns out perfectly for her in the end. I really despise characters who can't adapt. I also don't like books with unrealistic endings, unless they've been sort of unrealistic all along and we've grown to expect it. The only thing missing from the neatly wrapped up ending of this tale was the demise of the villain. We don't actually know what happened to him...
    • 3/5
      I felt sorry for Frances for the fact that, in that era, she was so dependent on a man to provide for her and I sympathised with her having to endure such a drastic change of lifestyle. I began to realise how spoilt and selfish she was when living in the cottage but, despite that, I still wanted a happy ending for both her and Edwin. Did I get my wish? I hate to spoil a good story so I'll leave it there!