sarahemartin 's review for:

The Last Garden in England by Julia Kelly

4.0

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This book was so beautiful, but a bit different from my usual reads, and I am very glad I decided to read it. The women drove the book, all so passionate and expressive in their own ways that they gave the gardens and themes of the book their power. This book was exuberant and tragic simultaneously as the characters experienced much loss and heartbreak, but so determined to change their own worlds for the better. The beginning was slow, but further on it was difficult to put down. Although I found it quite difficult to imagine the gardens and the home as magnificently as they were described, I still found myself enjoying the detail put into the meaning behind each action taken in the garden and the way these enormously changed the way the women lived. I absolutely adored Venetia’s character and story, and really loved Diana and Beth as well. The differences between the time periods are striking with each point of view, but it molds and evolves so well with each of the passing days. The modern tie to Emma comes across well, and in a few years I would love to reread this.