The Silk Merchant's Daughter

Our pick for August is the stunning new novel from number one bestselling author, Dinah Jefferies. The Silk Merchant's Daughter is a gripping, unforgettable tale of a woman torn between two worlds, a story of dark secrets, sisterly rivalry and love against the odds, enchantingly set in colonial era Vietnam.

1952, French Indochina. Since her mother's death, eighteen-year-old half-French, half-Vietnamese Nicole has been living in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Sylvie. When Sylvie is handed control of the family silk business, Nicole is given an abandoned silk shop in the Vietnamese quarter of Hanoi. But the area is teeming with militant rebels who want to end French rule, by any means possible. For the first time, Nicole is awakened to the corruption of colonial rule - and her own family's involvement shocks her to the core...

Tran, a notorious Vietnamese insurgent, seems to offer the perfect escape from her troubles, while Mark, a charming American trader, is the man she's always dreamed of. But who can she trust in this world where no one is what they seem?

"An exquisite depiction of colonial Vietnam on the brink of a new era; I could feel the humidity and the sweet scent of frangipani trees...the tension is as taut as the silk that winds through it." Lucinda Riley

Dinah Jefferies was born in Malaysia and moved to England at the age of nine. She worked in education, lived in a commune and exhibited work as an artist before deciding to follow her dream of becoming a writer, after losing her retirement fund in the financial crash. To motivate herself, Dinah stuck post-it notes around her house saying, "You will write a bestseller!" Dinah is the author of three novels: The Separation, The Tea Planter's Wife (a number one Sunday Times bestseller) and The Silk Merchant’s Daughter. She lives in Gloucestershire.

The Silk Merchant's Daughter is published by Penguin and is available online and from all good booksellers. Please don't forget that if you do receive one of our free copies you will need to add your questions and comments for Dinah to the thread by the end of August.
 

For more book-related discussions, check out our forums