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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
-ARC provided by publisher in exchange for honest review-
Wonderful historical novel that takes place in three different timelines: the present day, 1907 and 1944.
It tells the story of a magnificent garden and its secrets, from the point of view of different women: Emma, in charge of the restoration of the garden in the present day, Venetia Smith (1907), the original designer of the gardens of Highbury House. Beth, a land girl that delivers the produce to Highbury House that, during the war (1944) is functioning as a Hospital. Stella, the Highbury House cooker who dreams with a life full of travels. Diana, a widow and mistress of the house.
Who would have thought that the history and different types of gardens would be so fascinating! And of course the highly appealing historical background of the novel makes it an amazing reading. The plot and situations in which every one of these women find themselves are fascinating. I love Julia Kelly prose. She masters the use of language in her dialogues and descriptions.
I would highly recommend this book for those readers who loves Historical Fiction. Is a must read!
Wonderful historical novel that takes place in three different timelines: the present day, 1907 and 1944.
It tells the story of a magnificent garden and its secrets, from the point of view of different women: Emma, in charge of the restoration of the garden in the present day, Venetia Smith (1907), the original designer of the gardens of Highbury House. Beth, a land girl that delivers the produce to Highbury House that, during the war (1944) is functioning as a Hospital. Stella, the Highbury House cooker who dreams with a life full of travels. Diana, a widow and mistress of the house.
Who would have thought that the history and different types of gardens would be so fascinating! And of course the highly appealing historical background of the novel makes it an amazing reading. The plot and situations in which every one of these women find themselves are fascinating. I love Julia Kelly prose. She masters the use of language in her dialogues and descriptions.
I would highly recommend this book for those readers who loves Historical Fiction. Is a must read!
I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet and endearing story weaving the lives of these women of different generations around one garden. It reminded me very much of Kate Morton’s works, but far shorter. A very charming book.
“I believe that, much like books, gardens are organic, unpredictable things, revealing their beauty how and when they choose. It is up to us to remember to pause and enjoy that beauty every day.”
“I believe that, much like books, gardens are organic, unpredictable things, revealing their beauty how and when they choose. It is up to us to remember to pause and enjoy that beauty every day.”
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This story follows the effects of a garden on the lives of several women. The setting is Highbury House—a manor house held by several generations.
The first storyline is set in 2020 and centers on Emma Lovat—a young garden designer and owner of “Turn Back Time” garden restorers. Emma has been contracted by Highbury House’s current owners, who want to restore the garden to its original glory. In the process, Emma finds drawings and writings of the garden’s original designer, Venetia Smith, a talented artist making a name and reputation for herself that will become a legacy.
In 1907, Venetia Smith accepts a job to design a suitable garden for Highbury House. The new industrialist owners who wants a showcase that will put their stamp on the old house. Venetia designs a series of garden rooms that open up separate sections of the garden to extend from the House to the lake.
Diana Symonds is the widowed lady of the House in 1944. Diana’s husband is killed early in the war, leaving Diana and his son as owners of Highbury House. In this timeline, Stella Adderton is a cook in Mrs. Symonds’ kitchen. Beth Pedley is a land girl at a farm adjoining the lands of Highbury House. These three women are linked to the gardens and a secret which will be lost for generations.
This book is a steaming cup of tea before a warm, crackling fire. The three timelines blend into a cozy shawl that you can relax into. Although the three timelines run parallel to each other, the careful balancing the sections between times and women’s stories work together to advance the plots. One of the best WWII stories I have read in a while.
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
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
The Last Garden in England is three separate stories that all take place around the gardens of Highbury Estate. Each story is from three different time periods, the design of the gardens in 1907, life during WWII, and the garden’s restoration in present day. Julia Kelly weaves all of the characters so beautifully together, unveiling secrets that carry love and heartache.
4.25⭐️
4.25⭐️
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
medium-paced
I enjoyed parts of this book, but had difficulty with the “present day “ time frame which when we last hear from Emma is October 2021 the future. I realize this is fiction but if you are writing about different time periods and are including historical events, all the time periods should be historically accurate.It was jarring to read about a pub quiz in Winter 2021.Due to the times we are currently living in this is not historically accurate. I just found this odd so in my mind I put Emma in 2019.
slow-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
Three alternating timeframes, five alternating POVs, one garden. How do these stories intertwine and what was the intention for the Winter Garden at Highbury House?
I liked this, but didn't love it. It was well-written, and I don't really have any complaints about it, I just found that by the end I didn't really care about any of the stories. There are a LOT of characters, which was confusing for awhile, but it was easy enough to pick up on, so that's not even a negative for me.
I wonder if I would have connected to it more if I'd read it instead of listened to it? Either way, while it was good, I think I'm going to ultimately find it forgettable.