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  • Published: 25 February 2016
  • ISBN: 9780241975909
  • Imprint: Penguin eBooks
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 400

The Silk Merchant's Daughter




War, secrets and an unbearable choice: your sister or your lover?

1952, French Indochina. Since her mother's death, eighteen-year-old half-French, half-Vietnamese Nicole has been living in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Sylvie. When Sylvie is handed control of the family silk business, Nicole is given an abandoned silk shop in the Vietnamese quarter of Hanoi. But the area is teeming with militant rebels who want to end French rule. For the first time, Nicole is awakened to the corruption of colonial rule - and her own family's involvement shocks her to the core...

Tran, a notorious Vietnamese insurgent, seems to offer the perfect escape from her troubles, while Mark, a charming American trader, is the man she's always dreamed of. But who can she trust in this world where no one is what they seem?

  • Published: 25 February 2016
  • ISBN: 9780241975909
  • Imprint: Penguin eBooks
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 400

About the author

Dinah Jefferies

Dinah Jefferies was born in Malaya in 1948 and moved to England at the age of nine. She has worked in education, once lived in a rock n roll commune and, more recently, been an exhibiting artist. She spends her days writing, with time off to make tiaras and dinosaurs with her grandchildren. She has previously published The Separation with Viking, and The Tea Planter's Wife is her second novel.

Also by Dinah Jefferies

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Praise for The Silk Merchant's Daughter

A captivating story, an exotic and richly imagined setting, sibling rivalry, romance, l couldn't put it down

Julia Gregson

What a vivid and well-researched story! It's an exquisite depiction of colonial Vietnam on the brink of a new area; I could feel the humidity and the sweet scent of frangipani trees... Dinah's writing is incredibly suspenseful and did not shy away from the harsh realities of warfare. I fevered with Nicole to the very last page; the tension is as taut as the silk that winds through it.

Lucinda Riley

Put everything else on hold. Turn off the phone. Be prepared to be swept away by this wonderful book. I couldn't put it down and loved every delicious page. Dinah Jefferies has a remarkable gift for conjuring up another time and place with lush descriptions, full of power and intensity. I was totally captivated by its passionate and dangerous story of Nicole, as she fights to find her place in the turmoil of 1950s Vietnam, torn between loyalty and love. Deeply layered, full of twists and surprises, but with an edge of darkness, this book is an exciting, exhilarating, extraordinary story that is beautifully written. I loved it. A must read

Kate Furnivall

Beautifully written and heart-rending, this has a magical setting with a real sense of period

Katie Fforde on 'The Tea Planter's Wife'

A terrific emotional and atmospheric read

Elizabeth Buchan on 'The Tea Planter's Wife'

Dinah Jefferies has once again created a gloriously atmospheric and tension-filled novel. Immensely enjoyable, poignant and compelling.

Isabel Wolff on 'The Tea Planter's Wife'

My ideal read; mystery, love heart-break and joy - I couldn't put it down

Santa Montefiore on 'The Tea Planter's Wife'

The ideal book...always wanting to know what happens next, together with the description of the period and characters, all make this a compelling read

Woman's Weekly

Beautifully atmospheric, with twists to keep you enthralled

My Weekly

Lush and romantic, with an authentic feel of place and period, Jefferies should have another hit on her hands here

Sunday Mirror