THE Mount Gambier Library will host the launch of renowned author Fiona McIntosh’s latest release titled The Tea Gardens tomorrow night.
Known for her masterful storytelling abilities, Ms McIntosh will showcase her latest creation from 7pm, Thursday night at the library.
Ms McIntosh roams the world to some of the most beautiful countries to draw inspiration for her historical sagas, evident in her descriptive writing.
She is also highly respected by many Australian authors who owe their success to her, having completed her Master Class writing course, which she runs on the insistence of her mentor and friend, the legendary late author Bryce Courtenay.
From the seaside town of Brighton, England to the slums of Calcutta and the breathtaking Himalayan Mountains in India, The Tea Gardens is a wildly adventurous and heartbreaking novel of heroism, heartache and hope.
Set in the 1930s, The Tea Gardens is based on a young female British doctor, Isla, whom has come from a privileged background, but is also very grounded, fiercely independent and welcoming of modern life.
She makes plans to travel to India and follow the legacy of her late mother’s work by teaching in a hospital.
This decision falls heavily on her father who is very protective of his only daughter and is all too aware of the dangers of India, especially of the tropical disease which is rampant in the country and is ultimately responsible for taking his wife far too early in life.
“I had no concept of the Himalayas and the foothills of the mountains and just how extraordinary they are. It was such hard work to get to there, everything is a challenge, there’s this crush of people on trains, in the streets, you feel every inch the foreigner,” Ms McIntosh said.
“Then you take this, what seems like a vertical road, which zig-zags precariously on the way up. It’s like you’re in heaven but you wonder if you’ll get there alive”.
Tickets for Fiona’s launch are $6 and available from the Mount Gambier Library prior to the event or over the phone by credit card (08) 8721 2540.
Attendees will receive a specialised tea blend which Penguin Books have released specifically for this event, as well as a light supper.
For further information please contact City of Mount Gambier Library Community Engagement Coordinator Kristi Leamey, 08 8721 2540.
