★★★ Tea With Elephants by Robin Jones Gunn - A Beautiful Contemporary Fiction Novel Of Travel and Friendship
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.
I’m an Amazon Affiliate and this blog post includes affiliate links. You can view my affiliate disclaimer here.
About This Book:
Ever since they met as teenagers volunteering at a conference center in Costa Rica 20 years ago, Fern Espinoza and Lily Graden have shared a close friendship, even though they live in different states. They can hardly believe it when their teen dream of traveling to Africa together becomes a reality. It's the trip of a lifetime--but life sure isn't what they thought it would be back when they were young.
Along with their suitcases, each woman brings along emotional baggage that weighs heavily on them. Yet the people they meet and the places they experience have the power to change their hearts--but only if they surrender to the lessons God wants to teach them in this unexpected land of emerald tea fields, graceful giraffes, and rambunctious elephants.
Pack your bags and get ready for adventure as Robin Jones Gunn invites you on a safari of the heart in this vulnerable exploration of how to move forward in faith even when the future is uncertain.
MY REVIEW: ★★★ 3/5
Author Robin Jones Gunn expertly delivers a beautiful, layered narrative in this story, revealing it one layer at a time to unfold a sweet story of friendship and travel.
It was refreshing to read a story that featured characters who were in their late 30's and I adored the elegant, insightful observations made in the first person POV. Gunn has an eloquent way of describing the wonder, beauty and magnificence of Africa, making the reader feel as they are there in person. This novel was short enough to enjoy in an afternoon and filled me with a sense of joy upon completion.
Throughout the story, I did not feel a deep connection with the characters or their inner turmoil, but I did find their friendship to be something of value and appreciated the care with which they treated each other. Also, for most of the story, the narrative felt like a movie montage (they napped a lot!) and at points, I was tempted to gloss over parts of it. There are elements of faith in the story, but they were light.
In the end, I had hopes that the women would find a deeper purpose for their trip, their inner struggles and perhaps be changed forever after their time overseas, maybe even to the point of returning to serve on the mission field as the result of a deepened faith. Unfortunately, that was not the case and their lives continued in normal fashion.
Overall, this was a light, beautiful read, enjoyable as a story of travel and friendship.
About the Author:
Photo Credit: David Hessemer | Image courtesy of Baker Publishing Group
Robin Jones Gunn is the bestselling and award-winning author of more than 100 books, including Tea with Elephants, the Sisterchicks series, and the Christy Miller series for teen girls. Her books have sold more than 6 million copies worldwide. Robin and her husband have two grown children and four grandchildren and live in southern California, where she co-hosts the Women Worth Knowing podcast. Learn more at RobinGunn.com.
