Book Summary and Reviews of A Cup of Tea by Amy Ephron

A Cup of Tea by Amy Ephron

A Cup of Tea

A Novel of 1917

by Amy Ephron

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  • Published:
  • Aug 1997, 200 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

A seductive romance, set in New York Citys high society during the period of World War I A Cup of Tea is about two very different women and their pursuit of one man.

Inspired by the classic Katherine Mansfield short story, Amy Ephrons novel begins when a privileged socialite, Rosemary Fell, invites Eleanor Smith, a penniless young woman, to her home to warm herself by the fire and to have a cup of tea. When Rosemary sees her fiancé Phillip, exchange a look with Eleanor, she gives the young woman a few dollars and sends her on her way, thinking she has cast Eleanor out of their lives. Instead, this chance encounter sets into play a tempestuous and all-consuming triangle in the great romantic tradition. Rosemary will marry Phillip, but can she stop the passion between Eleanor and Phillip? As the war builds in Europe, Phillip is conscripted to fight abroad, throwing all of their lives further off-balance.

Amy Ephron's beautifully written tale is brought to life by its vivid (and often amusing) cast of characters, its wonderful period detail of New York's drawing rooms and hat shops, and its delightfully spare and picturesque sense of story.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"A jewel…. This novel will plunge you into New York City in the turbulent year of 1917 and will keep you enthralled…. A page turner from start to finish, Ms. Ephron's spare novel has classic proportions." —West Coast Review of Books

"This book is smooth and seamlessly written witha screenwriter's sure hand for manipulation in short spaces." —Los Angeles Times

This information about A Cup of Tea was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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Author Information

Amy Ephron

Amy Ephron is the bestselling author of the acclaimed novels One Sunday Morning and A Cup of Tea. Her magazine pieces and essays have appeared in Vogue; Saveur; House Beautiful; the National Lampoon; the Los Angeles Times; the Huffington Post; Defamer; her own online magazine, One for the Table; and various other print and online publications. She recently directed a short film, Chloe@3AM, which was featured at the American Cinematheque's Focus on Female Directors Short Film Showcase in January 2011. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Alan Rader, and any of their five children who happen to drop in.

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