Tea with Elephants (#01 in Suitcase Sisters Series)

Tea with Elephants: A Safari of the Heart  

When longtime friends Fern and Lily get the chance to fulfill their dream of going on safari in Kenya, they welcome the break from their complicated worlds back home. But the journey will provide more than a change of scenery; it just might give them a new perspective on the lives they'll return to.  

Summary  

Ever since they met as teenagers volunteering at a conference centre in Costa Rica 20 years ago, Fern Espinoza and Lily Graden have shared a close friendship, even though they live in different states. They can hardly believe it when their teen dream of traveling to Africa together becomes a reality. It’s the trip of a lifetime—but life sure isn’t what they thought it would be back when they were young.  

Along with their suitcases, each woman brings along emotional baggage that weighs heavily on them. Yet the people they meet and the places they experience have the power to change their hearts—but only if they surrender to the lessons God wants to teach them in this unexpected land of emerald tea fields, graceful giraffes, and rambunctious elephants.  

Pack your bags and get ready for adventure as Robin Jones Gunn invites you on a safari of the heart in this vulnerable exploration of how to move forward in faith even when the future is uncertain.  

Endorsements

"Only a well-seasoned traveler like Robin could pen such a lovely tale of two kindred spirits exploring a beautiful slice of Africa. I've enjoyed a couple of interesting trips with Robin myself, and her words ring wise and true about the preciousness of friendships shared between women. And the descriptions of wildlife and scenery on safari were amazing. My only complaint: now I want to go to Kenya too! Well done, Robin!"
— Melody Carlson, recipient of a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, author of Just for the Summer and A Royal Christmas

"Robin Jones Gunn brings the ravishing wilderness of Africa to life in Tea with Elephants. This gentle, beautifully written story laps around you like the warm waves of the sea, soothing away the day's stress, whispering a soft promise of hope and lasting friendship. An altogether delightful read."
— Tessa Afshar, Publishers Weekly bestselling author of The Hidden Prince and The Peasant King

"It is a widely acknowledged fact that Robin Jones Gunn has a knack for creating unforgettable characters. Just ask anyone who grew up with Christy Miller, and no doubt they'll go on and on about what those books have meant to them over the years. Now those fans have two new characters to grow with. Fern and Lily, aka the Suitcase Sisters, will work their way into the hearts of readers from the very beginning of Tea with Elephants. As I read the story of these charming characters, I couldn't help but smile at their joys, grieve for their hardships, and wish that I could go on adventures with them."
— Susie Finkbeiner, author of The All-American and The Nature of Small Birds

"Robin Jones Gunn pens a tender tale about the realization of dreams deferred by the twists and turns of life in this love letter to the beauty of Africa. Readers will be swept off their feet by this faith-forward celebration of friendship."
— Amanda Cox, Christy Award-winning author of Between the Sound and Sea and He Should Have Told the Bees

"Robin Jones Gunn masterfully intertwines the splendor of the African wilderness with a captivating story of two friends on a trip that promises to transform them in more ways than one. Through the lens of faith, friendship, and the majestic wonders of nature, Tea with Elephants is a testament to the enduring power of love and the divine beauty that awaits those who seek it."
— Sara Brunsvold, Christy Award-winning author of The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip

"Robin Jones Gunn sets the standard in books about female friendships. Thought-provoking, stirring, and often funny, Tea with Elephants is the moving read you've been waiting for. Gunn brings African settings to life and writes characters who will leap off the page and straight into your heart."
— Liz Johnson, bestselling author of The Red Door Inn and Meddling with Mistletoe

Robin Jones Gunn is the bestselling and award-winning author of more than 100 books, including *Tea with Elephants*, the *Sisterchicks* series, and the *Christy Miller* series for teen girls. Her books have sold more than 6 million copies worldwide. Robin and her husband have two grown children and four grandchildren and live in southern California, where she co-hosts the *Women Worth Knowing* podcast.Read less