Helpful Score: 6
A remarkable little gem. If you are searching for something thought-provoking for your next airplane ride or lazy afternoon, I recommend "A Cup of Tea." The ending sneaked up on me. Exquisitely structured!
Helpful Score: 6
What a surprising delight this short novel was. It tells a story in a very minimalist style. You get to know the characters, as the story builds, through their actions and thoughts rather than detailed descriptions of traits and physical qualities. A self-involved woman decides to do a kind deed, but for narcissistic reasons, and this decision sets off a slow chain of events that impacts the lives of many. At its core, this is a short and powerful story of the impact of selfish decisions. You will find it hard to put down, as you'll sense the impending train wreck, and it's easily finished in one sitting. Highly recommended.
Helpful Score: 5
Set in 1917, when the world is profoundly changing, this book tells the story of two women from totally different circumstances and the man they both love. It has a bit of an "Upstairs, Downstairs" feel. It is inspired by the famous Katherine Mansfield short story, by the same name. Darkly romantic and compelling.
Helpful Score: 2
a sweet story of ill fated love in New York circa World War One. a charming slip of a book - I really enjoyed it.
Helpful Score: 2
This book is truly worth reading, but it keep in mind it is short about 200 pages and it was written by Amy Ephron.
Amy is a screen writer. She wrote for the Electric company and was the producer for The Secret Garden. She comes from a Hollywood background so her book reads more like a movie in some ways.
For instance in a movie there is foreshadowing. The beginning relates to the end. Not all writers do this. This doesnt make the writing bad, just different. I could see another author using the same story and it would be written very different. No big twists or turns in this book. But not every book needs that either.
I do like that there are some themes about Duty and honor, and crumbling rolls of women around the time of world war one.
Amy is a screen writer. She wrote for the Electric company and was the producer for The Secret Garden. She comes from a Hollywood background so her book reads more like a movie in some ways.
For instance in a movie there is foreshadowing. The beginning relates to the end. Not all writers do this. This doesnt make the writing bad, just different. I could see another author using the same story and it would be written very different. No big twists or turns in this book. But not every book needs that either.
I do like that there are some themes about Duty and honor, and crumbling rolls of women around the time of world war one.
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed this book--a light read and entertaining--a period piece.
Helpful Score: 1
Held my interest from beginning to end; good short book for book discussion groups. Plenty to talk about!
Helpful Score: 1
A slim volume but loaded with interest! I simply couldn't put it down. It has depth,true love and tragedy, immorality and deceit, and an ending that will shock you. I should have seen it coming, but I didn't. I can't quite categorize this novel, it has something of everything. But I guarantee you will read it in one or two sittings, non-stop.
This was a wonderful love story, including 4 main characters, which is true to the era. Very enjoyable reading.
While the story line kept me reading, I wasn't all that pleased with the book. Mainly because the set of morals that was lacking in this book made me uneasy. It was hard to imagine some of these things. But, as I said, it was interesting story, just not one that I hope to ever hear from a reality perspective.
This book takes place in New York city in the turbulent year of 1917. This darkly romantic novel engages us with impeccable plotting and a deep sense of foreboding, propelling us toward its shocking conclusion.
An okay read. Something short to pass the time.
This is a book about how circumstances in one's life can change by making one little decision. A good story with interesting twists.
From Amazon.com: A Cup of Tea adds a touch of class--and a love triangle--to the classic theme of parallel lives and their accidental crossing. New York City, in the uncertain days of World War I, is home to Rosemary Fells, who is the sort of woman with the time to strike stunning poses and rearrange her curls; Eleanor Smith, whom Rosemary finds under a street lamp, miserable and shivering, is certainly not. Miss Fells indulges a whim of beneficence, whisking "the creature" home to share warmth, tea, and a change of clothing. Once clean and dry--fortified with sandwiches and brandy--young Eleanor and Rosemary's fiancé meet in the hallway and exchange a look, the kind of look that will forever change the course of their lives.
A Cup of Tea is a well-crafted, terse novel that reads like a good short story. It's a refreshing step back to yesterday, a time when the fates picnicked on the glass slopes of privilege.
A Cup of Tea is a well-crafted, terse novel that reads like a good short story. It's a refreshing step back to yesterday, a time when the fates picnicked on the glass slopes of privilege.
One of the best books I'v read this year.
a jewel of a novel, set in 1917 new York City. Darly romantic and a great since a foreboding throughout.
Read in one sitting - enjoyable read.
WONDERFUL!!!!!
Excellent elegant love story. A Ballantine Readers Circle book.
I thought this book was boring.
Set in New York in 1917, this is a sentimental tale deftly told. Detailed and elegant.
Great book! Quick Read!!
