South Africa - a land torn apart by greed... Frances Irvine, left penniless after her father's sudden death, is forced to emigrate to the Cape. In this barren country, she meets two very different men - one driven by ambition, the other by ideals.



The critically acclaimed debut novel The Fever Tree, by Jennifer McVeigh, a Richard and Judy bookclub pick.

1880, South Africa - a land torn apart by greed...

Frances Irvine, left penniless after her father's sudden death, is forced to emigrate to the Cape. In this barren country, she meets two very different men - one driven by ambition, the other by ideals. When a smallpox outbreak sends her to the diamond mines, she is drawn into a ruthless world of greed and exploitation, of human lives crushed in the scramble for power. But here - at last - she sees her path to happiness. Torn between passion and integrity, she makes a choice that has devastating consequences...

'Place and people come alive in this book... a gripping story' Kim Edwards, author of The Memory Keeper's Daughter

'I loved it. It's a beautifully written novel of great feeling' Rachel Hore, best-selling author of The Place of Secrets

'Engrossing, emotionally poised and elegantly written - I absolutely loved it' Vanora Bennett, author of The People's Queen

'A compelling read with a Gone with the Wind feel to it - I was hooked' Katharine McMahon, author of The Alchemist's Daughter

'An epic story of love, deception and courage' Patricia Wastvedt, author of The German Boy