The Color of Tea by Hannah Tunnicliffe

How do you pick yourself up after being shattered into a thousand pieces? This is what scarlet-haired Grace asks herself after following her husband, Pete, across the world from London to the gaudy stress of Macau, China. A stranger in an exotic land, Grace must confront the devastating news of her infertility as she is forced to abandon her dreams of motherhood and family. While Pete throws himself into his work, Grace is left alone with her thoughts, haunted nightly by dreams of her mother and the child she is unable to conceive.

Yet THE COLOR OF TEA is not a story of longing for the unattainable, but rather a tale of finding strength in unexpected places. To fill the void in her heart, Grace opens Lillian’s, a French patisserie filled with coffee, tea, and most importantly: macrons— delectable, colorful French cookies with names like Prenez ce Baiser (Have This Kiss: honeycomb with milk chocolate ganache) and Vere de Mer (Sea Glass: pistachio with butter cream filling). Lillian’s offers a world of delectable flavors, electric colors, and warm cups of tea.

There, among fellow expatriates and locals alike, Grace carves out a new definition of family, allowing her painful memories to wash away in a sea of sugar. At Lillian’s we meet fascinating women who come together in sharing their heartaches and stories. From Rilla and Gigi, the café employees, to Grace’s best customer and friend, Marjory, each character is a unique but necessary ingredient in Grace’s new life.  Secrets are revealed, tears are shed, but ultimately the beauty of Tunnicliffe’s story comes from the lesson that strength can be gleaned from the unlikeliest of places.

About the author:

Hannah Tunnicliffe was born in New Zealand but is a self-confessed nomad. After finishing a degree in social sciences, she lived in Australia, England, and Macau. A career in human resources temporarily put her dream of becoming a writer on the backburner. She currently lives in New Zealand with her husband, Matthew, and their two daughters. The Color of Tea is her first novel.

The Color of Tea by Hannah Tunnicliffe

June 5, 2012; $15.00

9781451682823

9781451682830 e-book

Published by Scribner

*I received a free copy of this book from publishing company in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.