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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
Took me some time to finish it but that's no fault of the book. I started it in the end of February hoping it would get me through the last leg of winter, that's how i read half of it and it totally worked.
I did go on a heavy fantasy "streak" shortly after and a book that has WWII as one of the timelines just wasn't good idea for me. But i found myself interested in real world again this weekend and i got back to it.
It's a nice and delicate book. It doesn't carry any dramatic messages, or dwells on suffering, it has a subtle "Downton Abbey" vibe to it that way, bit of stiff upper lip, but still tells very real and very believable stories of different women.
I did go on a heavy fantasy "streak" shortly after and a book that has WWII as one of the timelines just wasn't good idea for me. But i found myself interested in real world again this weekend and i got back to it.
It's a nice and delicate book. It doesn't carry any dramatic messages, or dwells on suffering, it has a subtle "Downton Abbey" vibe to it that way, bit of stiff upper lip, but still tells very real and very believable stories of different women.
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Note: I was given early access to this novel in exchange for writing an impartial review. Scheduled Publication: 1/21/21.
Despite loving historical fiction, I'm sorry to say this one did not do much for me. Perhaps it's because I'm not a gardener. Despite what the book description promises, I did not find this either "poignant" or "unforgettable".
Like many new fiction books written these days, this one uses that tried-and-true (in my opinion, overused) device of telling multiple narratives, from different periods of time, that only come altogether at the very end of the book.
• 1907. A little-known-but-soon-to-be-famous garden designer, Venetia Smith, specializes in long-neglected gardens. She is working to design elaborate gardens for famous Highbury House, a Downtown Abbey type home for British landed aristocrats.
• 1944. Like many large homes, Highbury House has been requisitioned by the government for use as a convalescent hospital for injured World War II soldiers. Recently-widowed homeowner Diana Symonds is not only dealing with her own grief, her young son, and a domineering sister-in-law, she is also managing the house staff and trying to maintain some semblance of a normal home life. And she is working with a number of "land girls", small town civilians working in agriculture to contribute to the war effort.
• 2020. Emma Lovett, a deep lover of history, runs a small gardening company specializing in restoring overgrown gardens to their original design. The opportunity to work at Highbury House is a dream come true. As is the looming prospect of a job offer that would free Emma from all the business-owning tasks she hates doing.
Weaving back and forth between time, we follow the stories of these three women and a few others as they navigate war, tragedy, dances, romances, pregnancy, and all manner of secrets and British class prejudice.
It sounds like a decent enough premise. Only, for at least half the book, I found it difficult to remember who was who as the author jumped back and forth in time. There are lots of people, multiple romances to track, and too many of the characters didn't seem particularly distinctive to me. I rarely felt any emotion for any of them.
BUT, I will close by suggesting that reading this novel might be a totally different experience... if you love gardening.
Despite loving historical fiction, I'm sorry to say this one did not do much for me. Perhaps it's because I'm not a gardener. Despite what the book description promises, I did not find this either "poignant" or "unforgettable".
Like many new fiction books written these days, this one uses that tried-and-true (in my opinion, overused) device of telling multiple narratives, from different periods of time, that only come altogether at the very end of the book.
• 1907. A little-known-but-soon-to-be-famous garden designer, Venetia Smith, specializes in long-neglected gardens. She is working to design elaborate gardens for famous Highbury House, a Downtown Abbey type home for British landed aristocrats.
• 1944. Like many large homes, Highbury House has been requisitioned by the government for use as a convalescent hospital for injured World War II soldiers. Recently-widowed homeowner Diana Symonds is not only dealing with her own grief, her young son, and a domineering sister-in-law, she is also managing the house staff and trying to maintain some semblance of a normal home life. And she is working with a number of "land girls", small town civilians working in agriculture to contribute to the war effort.
• 2020. Emma Lovett, a deep lover of history, runs a small gardening company specializing in restoring overgrown gardens to their original design. The opportunity to work at Highbury House is a dream come true. As is the looming prospect of a job offer that would free Emma from all the business-owning tasks she hates doing.
Weaving back and forth between time, we follow the stories of these three women and a few others as they navigate war, tragedy, dances, romances, pregnancy, and all manner of secrets and British class prejudice.
It sounds like a decent enough premise. Only, for at least half the book, I found it difficult to remember who was who as the author jumped back and forth in time. There are lots of people, multiple romances to track, and too many of the characters didn't seem particularly distinctive to me. I rarely felt any emotion for any of them.
BUT, I will close by suggesting that reading this novel might be a totally different experience... if you love gardening.
Lovely story showing not only how things have changed for women over several generations but how we are all connected to one another
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A neat story, I enjoyed the different timelines all relating to the same garden and how they all intertwined. The characters were all fine but the gentleness of the book was a bit over the top. There was no drama. There was lots of build up to drama in all the timelines but only the 1907 strain got remotely close to having some heart in it. The other two were very ho-hum and easily resolved like nothing. I did appreciate how the characters were so connected to each other and how the mystery was wrapped up neatly at the end. I just would have liked a little more confrontation that was being teased.
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
reflective
medium-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
This was a delicious escape, even if the "present time" storyline (set in 2021) reflects nothing of our current reality.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced