The Tea Chest

The Tea Chest by Heidi Chiavaroli is a split time novel. It features two strong women from two different centuries. Emma Malcolm is interested in politics despite being told it is unladylike and inappropriate. While her father is loyal to the King in 1773 Boston, Emma sides with those who are against the tyranny of the crown with their endless taxes. Emma has fallen for printer’s apprentice, Noah Winslow. Unfortunately, her father has betrothed Emma to Samuel Clarke whose father is an importer. Emma finds herself making a terrible choice if she wishes to protect those she loves. Hayley Ashworth is in the Navy and will soon begin SEAL training. She wants her mind clear for the upcoming rigorous training, so she journeys home to Medford, Massachusetts to talk with her mother (a drug addict). Hayley runs into her old flame, Ethan which brings up feelings that she has buried for the last six years. After being gifted an old tea chest, Hayley discovers a secret hidden within it that sends her searching for answers. Hayley learns about the tea chest and so much more. I enjoyed reading The Tea Chest. It is a compelling novel featuring two women who must have strength if they are get through what lies ahead for them. I thought The Tea Chest was well-written with developed characters. The author captured the 1770s beautifully with the language, the clothing, and people’s attitudes. Heidi Chiavaroli depicts the events that led up to the American Revolution. We see people tired of the excessive taxes, tarring and feathering, the Boston Tea Party, and Bunker Hill. It was a violent time and the author did not hold back. Faith is interwoven into the story. Emma is a woman of faith along with Noah, while Hayley still needs to find God. I like how we are shown the importance of prayer and believing in God. It is wonderful how the two sections came together into one complete story. The Tea Chest is a riveting novel that will have staying up into the wee hours to finish it (prepare for book hangover the next day). The Tea Chest has an unfeeling father, a tea chest, a reprobate husband-to-be, an intrepid printer’s apprentice, a round robin, and heroic women.

The Tea Chest by Heidi Chiavaroli is a magnificent time-slip novel that interweaves the excitement and uncertainty of a woman Patriot in the Revolutionary period with the life of a woman who is attempting to be the first female U.S. Navy SEAL. This is only the second time-slip novel I’ve read, and it quickly became my favorite. Although the timeline jumps a couple of hundred years between Emma’s story of fighting for liberty with the Patriots in and around Boston and Hayley’s quest to prove herself strong and brave enough to be a SEAL, there is a definite connection between the two characters that grows as the novel progresses. I felt the amount of time spent in each time period was perfect. I never felt jerked around or confused about where I was in the novel. And although I am a huge historical fiction fan, I found myself intrigued by Hayley’s contemporary story and her journey in finding herself. I couldn’t wait to see how it would all come together! Which is more honorable--loyalty or liberty? Being a patriotic person myself and total lover of American history, I quickly became immersed in Emma’s story during the Revolutionary period. This story highlights several doubts about the time. Was freedom worth the loss of life? Was it right to gain freedom through dishonorable acts? Where should your loyalty truly lie--king, country, family? Ms. Chiavaroli does a magnificent job of bringing many of these issues to light and in effect adding such a richness to her characters and the story overall. While in a contemporary setting, Hayley’s life has many similarities with Emma, and as she strives to overcome the brokenness of her past she is haunted by similar questions about liberty. Is freedom really being independent? Is independence worth the cost of being disloyal? Are courage and strength merely the by-product of training? I loved how the tea chest served as a connection between the two women separated by time but not by circumstances. It was thrilling to discover the history of the chest with Hayley and Ethan and experience the heart-stopping danger of living the life of a Patriot with Emma and Noah. If you are a fan of time-slip novels, then you will enjoy this book. I personally think historical fiction fans will enjoy it, too, as even the contemporary story has so much history in every detail. And although the romance is not at the forefront of the story, it will still satisfy those who are romantic at heart and who enjoy clean romance. I was given a copy of this book by the author/publisher with no expectation of a positive review. All opinions are my own.