The fever tree cover

The fever tree

by Jennifer McVeigh

It's the late 1870s. 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 South Africa. In the Cape, a land that's remote and inhospitable, she becomes entangled with two very different men. One driven by ambition, the other by his ideals. Only when the rumour of a smallpox epidemic takes her into the dark heart of the diamond mines, does she see her path to happiness. But in a ruthless world of greed and exploitation, the spoils of the rich come at a terrible human price: powerful men will keep the mines in operation - at any cost. Torn between passion and integrity, she makes a choice that has devastating consequences...

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?