What do You think about A Cup Of Tea: A Novel Of 1917 (2005)?
Well, here is a book that would deter anyone from doing a good deed. Rose is about to get married when she comes across a woman in the street. When the woman asks for some money for a cup of tea, she decides to take her home and feed her. She gives her some dry clothes, when her fiancé walks in. Philip is instantly smitten and it basically deteriorated from this point. The entire book is filled with shit-bags. Rose was ok, up until the last few pages and then she also gets thrown on the shit-bag list. I think I despised Philip the most- he should have taken responsibility for his actions earlier and saved everyone the pain and anguish. Frankly, this book was short and terrible- like giving blood at the lab. It doesn't take long, but it's not a pleasant experience. Not something I recommend.
—Sara
The ending of this book was so unecessary and so upsetting I wanted to throw it across the room - I will never read another book by this author. I would have given it only 1 star but I did enjoy the atmosphere and it had an interesting short story feel to it that I did like. I just don't understand why the author thought it neccesary to end the book in the way she did ruining the atmosphere and leaving me with a horrible taste in my mouth - totally trashed its potential. I am not familiar with the short story this is based on but I wonder how many liberties the author took with it in creating her novel.
—Jennefer
I can’t believe how much I loved this book. Amy Ephron penned this story in the style of some of the classic writers, almost reminding me of the Bronte sisters. It’s so enthralling, I finished it in one day … I absolutely could not put it down!The story concerns only a handful of characters living in New York City in 1917. The U.S. has entered the war and there is a different sort of atmosphere – people are trying desperately to add some excitement to their lives and pretend the war doesn’t exist. However, with families receiving telegrams and visits from the war department on a daily basis to tell them of lost loved ones, there is an underlying desperation that leads them to react to things differently than they normally would.And that’s exactly the basis of this story.Rosemary has always lived somewhat in her own world of wealth and prestige, often spending much of her time alone or with a select group of friends. On rainy night, she spots a young woman huddled under a lamp post in the rain. The woman is cold and hungry. Rosemary invites the woman, Eleanor, to her home to have a cup of tea and warm her weary bones. She also provides her with some clean clothes. Rosemary’s fiancé Philip shows up and is immediately smitten by this lovely young lady he finds sitting in front of the fireplace and comments to Rosemary about her. He simply cannot take his eyes off Eleanor.This concerns Rosemary, who tells Eleanor she must leave. She hands Eleanor a few dollars and sends her on her way. However, her friend, who is also at the house, follows Eleanor and gives her a lead on a job. Setting off a chain reaction, this series of acts changes all of their lives forever – leading up to the surprise ending of the book.
—LuAnn
