The Last Garden In England by Julia Kelly.
Thank you to Gallery Books and Simon & Schuster for the copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Book Synopsis
Present day: Emma Lovett, who has dedicated her career to breathing new life into long-neglected gardens, has just been given the opportunity of a lifetime: to restore the gardens of the famed Highbury House estate, designed in 1907 by her hero Venetia Smith. But as Emma dives deeper into the gardens’ past, she begins to uncover secrets that have long lain hidden.
1907: A talented artist with a growing reputation for her ambitious work, Venetia Smith has carved out a niche for herself as a garden designer to industrialists, solicitors, and bankers looking to show off their wealth with sumptuous country houses. When she is hired to design the gardens of Highbury House, she is determined to make them a triumph, but the gardens—and the people she meets—promise to change her life forever.
1944: When land girl Beth Pedley arrives at a farm on the outskirts of the village of Highbury, all she wants is to find a place she can call home. Cook Stella Adderton, on the other hand, is desperate to leave Highbury House to pursue her own dreams. And widow Diana Symonds, the mistress of the grand house, is anxiously trying to cling to her pre-war life now that her home has been requisitioned and transformed into a convalescent hospital for wounded soldiers. But when war threatens Highbury House’s treasured gardens, these three very different women are drawn together by a secret that will last for decades.
My Review
The Last Garden In England is a historical fiction with a mystery and is told in three timelines and with multiple points of view. This book is very much focused on the characters and their story. The three women in this novel are all connected to each other across time through a garden. This book is very character driven and, for me, this made for a slower read, but having stated this, I am happy that I read this book and immersed myself in the story.
I really enjoyed the historical aspect of this novel and how the author definitely weaved the garden into the story, almost as if the garden were a character of the story on its own. The authors description of the details of the garden made it possible for me to envision the garden in my head as I was reading and made me feel like I was there right along with the characters. I look forward to reading more books by Julia Kelly in the future.
My Rating: 4/5
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Book Details
Author: Julia Kelly.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster.
Publication Date: January 12, 2021.
Genre: Historical Fiction. Fiction. Mystery. Romance.
Edition: Paperback.
Pages: 384.
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