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A review by cajun_reader
The Last Garden in England by Julia Kelly
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley. I had no idea what it was about, but I love historical fiction so I decided to give a try. I am very glad that I did. This is a beautifully written story about a garden and the women that are linked by its history.
The novel begins from the perspective of Emma, a woman who is hired to restore a garden at an estate in England. The garden was created by a famous garden designer from the early 1900's, Venetia Smith. As Emma restores the garden, the book flashes back to 1907 and 1944 and tells the story of three other women with connections to the garden, including Venetia. Through their perspectives we learn about not only the garden but the time period and social climate of the past.
All of the women from the past in this book have hopes and dreams that are limited by their gender, but they persevere to make a life that will bring them joy. There are instances of love, family obligations, motherhood, marriage, war, and more. Each woman has strength in her own way. I enjoyed their stories. It was interesting too to see how their different stories all came to be connected in the end.
The details of the garden itself and all the different kinds of plants and flowers was a bit boring to me. I am not really into gardens, so I just wasn't interested in that aspect of the story. However, for a reader that is fascinated by gardens, this will prove to be a positive quality of this book.
Overall, I would say that this book delivers what is usually desired in a historical fiction. It has multiple points of view across different time periods. The characters are strong and survive through difficult times. The historical context offers the reader a learning experience about the time and culture. I would definitely recommend it to fans of the genre.
The novel begins from the perspective of Emma, a woman who is hired to restore a garden at an estate in England. The garden was created by a famous garden designer from the early 1900's, Venetia Smith. As Emma restores the garden, the book flashes back to 1907 and 1944 and tells the story of three other women with connections to the garden, including Venetia. Through their perspectives we learn about not only the garden but the time period and social climate of the past.
All of the women from the past in this book have hopes and dreams that are limited by their gender, but they persevere to make a life that will bring them joy. There are instances of love, family obligations, motherhood, marriage, war, and more. Each woman has strength in her own way. I enjoyed their stories. It was interesting too to see how their different stories all came to be connected in the end.
The details of the garden itself and all the different kinds of plants and flowers was a bit boring to me. I am not really into gardens, so I just wasn't interested in that aspect of the story. However, for a reader that is fascinated by gardens, this will prove to be a positive quality of this book.
Overall, I would say that this book delivers what is usually desired in a historical fiction. It has multiple points of view across different time periods. The characters are strong and survive through difficult times. The historical context offers the reader a learning experience about the time and culture. I would definitely recommend it to fans of the genre.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Miscarriage