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melissasbookshelf 's review for:
All the Pretty Places: A Novel of the Gilded Age
by Joy Callaway
The gorgeous cover is what first drew me to this book. When I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version, I jumped at the chance. Based on the compelling true story of her great, great grandmother, Joy Callaway delivers a beautiful story of sacrifice, romance, community, and gardening all during the Gilded Age in upstate New York.
Sadie Fremd is the only daughter of a middle class German immigrant whose well known flower and plant nursery has earned him a place in high society. With older brothers uninterested in carrying on the family business, Sadie tries to convince her father she’s the best person to take over. However, in 1893, New York, women don’t run businesses. Despite her knowledge and love of plants, her father’s only wish is for her to marry well to keep the family legacy alive especially with the recent economic downturn.
When a former love comes back into her life, Sadie’s forced to confront her own circumstances. She sees the need for sharing flowers and plants not only with the wealthy, but the downtrodden in most need of a little beauty. As Sadie attempts to spread her love of plants and create new opportunities for the nursery, she risks not only her father’s anger, but her heart as well. When the nursery is threatened, will she be willing to sacrifice true love for her family and the people she’s come to care about?
I could hardly put the audiobook version down. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing these characters to life all with various accents. I enjoyed the emotion she interjected into the story. Her pleasant voice made for easy listening as well.
I enjoyed Sadie’s story. At times, I was frustrated with the confines of the Gilded Age. It’s clear Sadie’s vision and talent are what the nursery needed, however her father’s insistence that she marry for money made this a nail-biter as to who she’d end up marrying. It came down to the last few chapters, and even then I wasn’t sure if she would choose convention or find a way out of her circumstances. Loved the descriptions of the plants and flowers. Each time an unfamiliar plant was mentioned, I wanted to google it to see what it looked like.
It’s a vividly written romantic story I recommend to garden and historical fiction lovers. I received an advanced listener copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.
Sadie Fremd is the only daughter of a middle class German immigrant whose well known flower and plant nursery has earned him a place in high society. With older brothers uninterested in carrying on the family business, Sadie tries to convince her father she’s the best person to take over. However, in 1893, New York, women don’t run businesses. Despite her knowledge and love of plants, her father’s only wish is for her to marry well to keep the family legacy alive especially with the recent economic downturn.
When a former love comes back into her life, Sadie’s forced to confront her own circumstances. She sees the need for sharing flowers and plants not only with the wealthy, but the downtrodden in most need of a little beauty. As Sadie attempts to spread her love of plants and create new opportunities for the nursery, she risks not only her father’s anger, but her heart as well. When the nursery is threatened, will she be willing to sacrifice true love for her family and the people she’s come to care about?
I could hardly put the audiobook version down. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing these characters to life all with various accents. I enjoyed the emotion she interjected into the story. Her pleasant voice made for easy listening as well.
I enjoyed Sadie’s story. At times, I was frustrated with the confines of the Gilded Age. It’s clear Sadie’s vision and talent are what the nursery needed, however her father’s insistence that she marry for money made this a nail-biter as to who she’d end up marrying. It came down to the last few chapters, and even then I wasn’t sure if she would choose convention or find a way out of her circumstances. Loved the descriptions of the plants and flowers. Each time an unfamiliar plant was mentioned, I wanted to google it to see what it looked like.
It’s a vividly written romantic story I recommend to garden and historical fiction lovers. I received an advanced listener copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.