A 2002 novel delves into the furious world of Irish women scorned. Jennifer Donnelly's saga "The Tea Rose" introduces one tough protagonist in Fiona Finnegan. Donnelly's doorstopper-sized epic is the story of 1880s Irish immigrants to London, who battle to become respectable. When Fiona's beloved Dad ends up on the wrong side of a union feud, however, the Finnegans must flee to America. Fiona - forced even to leave the love of her life - vows to avenge her father's death. She builds up a business empire based on the tea trade and acquires the muscle to return to London in search of vengeance. This ain't your average docile Victorian women. And with her first adult historical novel (she's written a children's book called "Humble Pie" and a young adult novel called "The Northern Light") Donnelly has shown she's a historical novelist worth reading. ($24.95 / 560 pages / Dunne Books)