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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this multi-layered novel and the garden imagery was quite beautiful! There were lots of characters to keep track of and the novel would have benefitted from a "list of characters" at the beginning of the novel! I love the way Julia Kelly writes and her novels are always a delight to read!
This was a 3.5 for me, rounded down. It just didn't hold all of my attention. And it seemed like there were too many storylines to follow that didn't enhance the final outcome.
3.5 stars. The Last Garden in England was a novel idea: the story of a garden and the lives it touched over three generations. The ancestry of the garden was just as much a part of the story as that of the characters. Kelly did a nice job of describing the gardens and landscape.
There are many books that have a dual time period but this one had three time periods: 1907, 1941, and present day. Is there a word analogous to “dual” for three? 1907 and present day had one primary female character and 1941 had three. I often had to stop and remind myself who a character was or what time period we were in. A bit confusing but not terrible. I craved more character depth.
Present day Emma has been hired to restore a garden built by a famous garden designer from 1907. This isn’t just any garden. It has a tea garden, a children’s garden, a poets garden, a white garden, so many gardens! She easily finds original sketches and drawings of the garden without really trying and sets out on her way to rebuild. Simultaneously, we meet the characters in 1944 and 1907 and the history of the home and gardens plays out.
In 1944, the home has been requisitioned as a convalescent home for soldiers and there are land girls in town doing jobs to support the war effort. I wish more time had been spent on these two themes.
In 1907, the garden is being built. Despite this being the start of the garden, this portion isn’t as meaty. It would have been interesting to learn more about Venetia as a pioneer, a woman ahead of her time.
This is a light, enjoyable read, perfect for in between the heavier books. It has a little bit of everything. The romance is silly but not all consuming and most everything works out in the end.
There are many books that have a dual time period but this one had three time periods: 1907, 1941, and present day. Is there a word analogous to “dual” for three? 1907 and present day had one primary female character and 1941 had three. I often had to stop and remind myself who a character was or what time period we were in. A bit confusing but not terrible. I craved more character depth.
Present day Emma has been hired to restore a garden built by a famous garden designer from 1907. This isn’t just any garden. It has a tea garden, a children’s garden, a poets garden, a white garden, so many gardens! She easily finds original sketches and drawings of the garden without really trying and sets out on her way to rebuild. Simultaneously, we meet the characters in 1944 and 1907 and the history of the home and gardens plays out.
In 1944, the home has been requisitioned as a convalescent home for soldiers and there are land girls in town doing jobs to support the war effort. I wish more time had been spent on these two themes.
In 1907, the garden is being built. Despite this being the start of the garden, this portion isn’t as meaty. It would have been interesting to learn more about Venetia as a pioneer, a woman ahead of her time.
This is a light, enjoyable read, perfect for in between the heavier books. It has a little bit of everything. The romance is silly but not all consuming and most everything works out in the end.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This took me forever! But I actually liked it in the end. I suppose it was a bit slow in parts and didn’t always hold my attention.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! I wasn’t really expecting much from the description on the back cover, but this was such an interesting story that I couldn’t finish it fast enough!
This book centres on the gardens at Highbury House, and tell the stories of three women throughout time. Venetia Smith, the garden designer in 1907, struggles to complete her designs while dealing with her biased employers; Beth Pedley is a farm girl in 1944, and is on her own for the first time, and discovers her own talents and passions; and Emma Lovell, the owner of a garden restoration company, has been hired to restore the gardens at Highbury House, after years of neglect and overgrowth.
Historical fiction isn’t my prefered genre, but this book was a wonderful read! The way the three time periods linked together made the story flow really well, and the challenges the characters faced during each time period seemed to bond the characters together for me. While there was a couple predictable moments, the way the book ended for each of the characters felt very satisfying for me. I don’t think my mom got to read this book before she passed, but I think this is a story she would have enjoyed as well.
This book centres on the gardens at Highbury House, and tell the stories of three women throughout time. Venetia Smith, the garden designer in 1907, struggles to complete her designs while dealing with her biased employers; Beth Pedley is a farm girl in 1944, and is on her own for the first time, and discovers her own talents and passions; and Emma Lovell, the owner of a garden restoration company, has been hired to restore the gardens at Highbury House, after years of neglect and overgrowth.
Historical fiction isn’t my prefered genre, but this book was a wonderful read! The way the three time periods linked together made the story flow really well, and the challenges the characters faced during each time period seemed to bond the characters together for me. While there was a couple predictable moments, the way the book ended for each of the characters felt very satisfying for me. I don’t think my mom got to read this book before she passed, but I think this is a story she would have enjoyed as well.