We will be discussing, "For All the Tea in China: How England Stole the World's Favorite Drink and Changed History," by Sara Rose

 In the dramatic story of one of the greatest acts of corporate espionage ever committed, Sarah Rose recounts the fascinating, unlikely circumstances surrounding a turning point in economic history. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the British East India Company faced the loss of its monopoly on the fantastically lucrative tea trade with China, forcing it to make the drastic decision of sending Scottish botanist Robert Fortune to steal the crop from deep

within China and bring it back to British plantations in India. Fortune's danger-filled odyssey, magnificently recounted here, reads like adventure fiction, revealing a long-forgotten chapter of the past and the wondrous origins of a seemingly ordinary beverage.

The Books & Bagels Book Club meets monthly at the Lake Hiawatha Branch Library to discuss various genres of fiction, non-fiction, and more.

Photographs and/or video may be taken at this event. By taking part in this event you grant the library full rights to use the images for fundraising, publicity or other purposes. This might include (but is not limited to) the right to use them in the library’s printed and online publicity, website, social media, and press releases. If you do not wish to be photographed during this event, please inform a library staff member.