When I was first asked to suggest titles for the British Library Women Writers series, one of the first titles that came to my mind was Tea is So Intoxicating by Mary Essex. Some authors are loved because they are great prose stylists. Others because they have something profound to say about contemporary society. And then there are people like Mary Essex who just know how to write a rattlingly enjoyable story. I say Mary Essex – her real name was Ursula Bloom, and Mary Essex was one of a handful of pseudonyms she used for her hundreds of books. Truly, an extraordinarily prolific woman.
I’ve read a few of the books she wrote as Mary Essex, and this was the first – back in 2003, I think. I bought it because of that wonderfully beguiling title, which I’m hopeful will also attract book shoppers when bookshops are open again.
The novel is about David and Germayne, who decide to open a tea garden in a village just after World War 2. David has some experience in teashops – albeit the business side rather than any hands-on experience – and Germayne is willing to come along, though obviously a little less enthusiastic. They met when she was married to someone else, and Essex is very witty about their coming together – how Germayne wanted somebody spontaneous and more exciting than her first husband. It’s that spontaneity that leads to this ill-fated plan.
The village are not very pleased to have these outsiders coming in, and they have to try and placate various other people – from the doyenne of the village to the pub owners who claim the tea garden is stealing their business. Many things in village life have not changed since 1950, when this book was published, and I certainly recognise a lot of the sparring. Things only get more animated when Mimi is hired as a cook. She is a refugee from Vienna, and not above using her feminine wiles to get attention. As the narrator drily notes, her English gets more broken the more she wishes to charm her interlocutor.
Essex handles the whole thing wonderfully – it’s just a joyful romp, with quite an unexpected ending that I shan’t spoil here. It was quite difficult to find any contemporary issue to write about in the afterword, so I chose to write a bit about rationing. But this isn’t in any way an ‘issue novel’ – rather, it is a dollop of fun in a year that needs all the fun it can get.
This sounds a perfect bit of light hearted village intrigue, which is as Dark as I feel willing to go at the moment. I’ll look out for this – thanks.
Really hope you enjoy it, Margaret!
I just read this book last week. It was a lot of fun. Review in a while.
I look forward to it!
I’m looking forward to this one Simon – it sounds like the most wonderful escapism! :D
Absolutely that!
I really enjoyed this one, it’s perfect for cheering up the present gloomy winter days. I loved the portrayal of village life, and I can see how perhaps some things don’t change much.
Lovely :) And I could imagine so many of the reactions being the same if someone opened a teashop in my village today!
I love the sound of this. It seems almost Pym-like with the gentle comedy of village life!
Yes, the writing style is quite different, but definitely the same sort of world!
This arrived last week but, as I have plenty of other unread books around, I’m saving it for when I really need cheering up in the run-up to Christmas.
I think it’ll definitely be fun in the busyness of Christmas.
I think you mean ‘unexpected ending’ which I thought was quite unusual for the 1950s. I enjoyed this, but felt it ended a bit abruptly. I would have liked her to have shown what happened to some of the other characters. Can’t say more without spoilers!
Oh good catch, thanks Michelle! Yes, it is a bit sudden – though the hints are lined up through the book…
Oh… oh, oh, oh… this sounds fantastic!
I still haven’t read this and feel awful about it, November got away from me somehow. But soon, and then I will read this piece properly …
And I have read and reviewed, I think you spotted my review. It was a good one and rolled along at a pace, didn’t it!