I love tea. I enjoyed this book. Claire Hopley demonstrates well, that as much as tea time has often been the realm of the feminine, the thirst for tea has played a pivotal role in the development of nations and their economy. The ritual of tea shapes culture. I appreciate the way Hopley uses examples of the tea ritual from literature to highlight tea’s role in fostering relationships, educating children about adult culture and it’s ability to illustrate the power dynamic and class position of the host and guests.
To be nit-picky, and to explain the loss of a star, I’d point out that it lacks in references outside of Britain. We get some historical perspective from China & Japan, but no modern day literary example of tea in either culture. We receive an interesting modern example from literature of tea time in India, but the historical support is missing. Chaiwallah, which Hopley adorably translates as “tea bloke” doesn’t capture that a chaiwallah could only be from a lower class, for example. There must be some great story that could support a conversation about the history of tea in India. Not to mention tea has been important to other cultures as well France, Morocco, Nepal . . . you get the point. I might change the title to the British History of Tea or perhaps make it volume 1 in a series. That said the British references are delightful. Some of my very favorite books appear and I was able to add a couple to me “to read list.”
If history and/or literature are not your cup of tea, you may need a strong one to get through this book, but have a sweet ready too because the recipes sound delicious. Hopley did a nice job selecting recipes that complemented her literature references including some very traditional British tea time fare. I’m most keen to try Mrs. Gaskell’s Coconut cakes from North & South. The measurements are provided for both a UK and American audience.
Check out my other reviews of tea related books on goodreads.com.