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adventurous
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
My mother-in-law recommended this book to me and lent it to me from her collection. This is a lovely novel, written for children, but which can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. I enjoyed the story, a gentle adventure, and was amazed to find it contained an element of time travel. It was written in 1958, but I think it would still resonate today, especially with people who are interested in history.
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I never knew about this book as a kid, but wish I had! This is a lovely book, I felt as though it had been written much more recently, and had no idea it was from the 50s when I initially began reading it.
I really loved the descriptions of the garden and the magic of being transported there. The grief of losing such tranquil places to urban development is of course so relevant to today too.
It was a compelling read, sometimes a little clumsy perhaps but I enjoyed it regardless, and found the ending satisfying even though the time travel mechanisms were only partially explained, but who cares?! It was fun disappearing into this world with Tom and rooting for him to be able to return to the garden each night.
I enjoyed Tom’s enjoyment of the garden, and didn’t find it slow or boring at all like other reviews have mentioned. I think I just love the idea of having a secret haven to disappear into, away from the drudgery of everyday life. It’s simple in a lot of ways but a nice quick read as an adult.
I really loved the descriptions of the garden and the magic of being transported there. The grief of losing such tranquil places to urban development is of course so relevant to today too.
It was a compelling read, sometimes a little clumsy perhaps but I enjoyed it regardless, and found the ending satisfying even though the time travel mechanisms were only partially explained, but who cares?! It was fun disappearing into this world with Tom and rooting for him to be able to return to the garden each night.
I enjoyed Tom’s enjoyment of the garden, and didn’t find it slow or boring at all like other reviews have mentioned. I think I just love the idea of having a secret haven to disappear into, away from the drudgery of everyday life. It’s simple in a lot of ways but a nice quick read as an adult.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Id like a modernised version that would make toms personal timeline life more relatable to todays readers. With it being set 75 years ago its a struggle to meet this as well as then hattys even earlier time period
Read to Chapter 5. I was getting a bit bored, there is a lot of description of the garden, and I can see Chapter 6 appears to be doing the same. I need more action and dialogue to remain engaged, and while I know that there is more of that to come in this book, I'm just a bit bored. I do enjoy Philippa Pearce's writing in general though.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No