A review by knitter22
Hedge by Jane Delury

2.0

I was incredibly disappointed to find that the best thing about The Hedge was the main character's job. Maud is a garden historian, someone who restores historically significant gardens, and for the first few chapters, this unique and interesting premise is explored as Maud works on an estate in the Hudson Valley. Gabriel is an archaeologist working on the same estate, and of course, Maud finds herself falling for him. She has separated from her husband in California but her daughters are coming to stay with her for the summer.

Other reviewers have said that here the novel turns a corner; I thought it fell apart completely.

Spoiler

When Maud's moody 13-year-old daughter, Ella, disappears, she immediately suspects Gabriel of sexually abusing Ella. The novel becomes a litany of Maud wondering if this could really have happened, and her boorish and demanding husband Peter making demands. I chose to read this book because of Maud's garden historian job, but it quickly devolved into one about Maud as an indecisive doormat, a manipulative and lying teenager, and some poor choices on everyone's part.

I'd love to read a novel about a garden historian who doesn't have a deceptive and devious teenage daughter, but this is not that novel.