The Last Garden

Product Information

In a war-torn city, a little girl tends to the last garden. But everyone is leaving and soon the girl has to leave too. The garden is all alone now but soon the seeds scatter throughout the city and the roots take hold. Inspired by true events in Syria and war gardens around the world and throughout history, The Last Garden is a thoughtful, tender story of hope, touching on issues of conflict and migration, from a talented debut picture book pairing. Text Rationale: Like the petals of Highbury House's enchanting roses, Julia Kelly's latest novel unfurls to reveal layered stories of long-lost secrets. The Last Garden in Englandis a compelling read, filled with loveable characters and an alluring twist of fates." —Ellen Keith, author of The Dutch Wife The Last Garden in England is a poignant and heartwrenching tale of five women in three eras, whose lives are tied together by one very special place.

In this sweeping novel reminiscent of Kate Morton’sTHE LAKE HOUSE and Kristin Harmel’s THE ROOM ON RUE AMÉLIE, Julia Kelly explores the unexpected connections that cross time and the special places that bring people together forever. She stops at the edge of the stone path, sorrow clawing at her like a feral beast desperate to break free. She wipes away a half-frozen tear. She should not be here, yet she could not leave without once again seeing this place of love and loss. Setting descriptions, advertisement/poster, retelling, instructional flyer, social media updates, dialogue Length: There were many things about this novel that I loved. Not least the two little boys in the WWII story. The descriptions of the gardens and the grueling farm work was vividly portrayed.A little-known-but-soon-to-be-famous garden designer, Venetia Smith, specializes in long-neglected gardens. She is working to design elaborate gardens for famous Highbury House, a Downtown Abbey type home for British landed aristocrats. The book highlights the way that the socioeconomic status of women has changed over the years by giving the reader a first hand look at some strong female protagonists.

Along with the beautiful writing of Ms. Kelly, the gardens, and the story line, there also is some romance in each time period. even though romance does play a role in this story, it didn't feel so overwhelming as it did in Kelly's book The Light Over London. The garden is front and center in all the plots. Kelly does an accurate job describing various trees, shrubs, and perennials, as well as gardening techniques, such as grafting and cross-pollination;An avowed bachelorette at thirty five, Venetia is focused on designing, her love of gardening, and being outdoors. When Mrs. Melcourt insists that Venetia incorporate her brother's roses into the garden plans, Venetia silently seethes but meets with Mr. Goddard as requested. I also enjoyed the Author’s note at the end to give a bit more context as to what was fact vs fiction vs inspiration. I enjoyed that as well. Beth Pedley, 1944, worked on a nearby farm. She would deliver goods to Highbury House and loved the gardens. She also wanted to and did sketch the gardens. These sketches were helpful to Emma. In 1944 at the height of the war, Highbury House was requisitioned to be used as a military hospital. A place for wounded soldiers to recuperate. The beloved gardens designed by the now famous Venetia Smith are in danger of being torn up and used as crop land.

This book tells the story of 3 different generations of women who were the architects of the gardens on one large country estate. Julia Kelly’s captivating novel, The Last Garden in England, is as immersive as it is enchanting...Historical fiction at its very best." — Patti Callahan, New York Times bestselling author of Becoming Mrs. Lewis When land girl Beth Pedley arrives at a farm on the outskirts of the village of Highbury, all she wants is to find a place she can call home. Cook Stella Adderton, on the other hand, is desperate to leave Highbury House to pursue her own dreams. And widow Diana Symonds, the mistress of the grand house, is anxiously trying to cling to her pre-war life now that her home has been requisitioned and transformed into a convalescent hospital for wounded soldiers. But when war threatens Highbury House’s treasured gardens, these three very different women are drawn together by a secret that will last for decades.

What is the garden waste service?

Diana suffers a great deal of loss during the war, losing both her husband and her son. Her grief is acute, and it becomes clear that she also felt she lost a part of herself when she married and became a mother. What do you think of Bobby’s adoption? Of her choice to call him Robert, the given name he shared with Robin? Of the choice to bury the adoption papers and keep his true ancestry a secret? Do you think she ultimately finds peace? If so, do you agree with how she found it?

Many thanks to NetGalley, Gallery Books and the author for the opportunity to read The Last Garden in England in advance of its January 12, 2021 publication date. Overall, the prose is enjoyable. The pace is good. If you enjoy romance stories, there is plenty of it in this book. I found this book to be an interesting addition to the historical fiction shelf. Even with WW2 books, it was nice to see a unique tale of the people left home rather than on the front. As I said, though, this is more than just the 1940's. It is interesting to see the lives and restrictions on women's lives and expectations and how they have changed over the years. Interesting to compare the differences yet similarities of women throughout time. Julia Kelly’s captivating novel, The Last Garden in England is as immersive as it is enchanting...Historical fiction at its very best." —Patti Callahan, New York Times bestselling author of Becoming Mrs. LewisThis was a lighter, wholesome kind of read with a beautiful setting and an interesting blend of story lines that has a bit of everything - romance, heartache, friendship, loss and a dose of botany - but a green thumb is not required! (phew!). This was an enjoyable, if a bit predictable read that focuses on an array of strong female characters who show the importance of friendship and resiliency during tumultuous times. I've always been an admirer of gardens, so this novel appealed to me right away. The stunning cover also attracted my attention. Unlike many historical novels that feature a 'dual timeline', this one has a 'triple timeline' which the author skillfully weaves together. I really enjoyed learning about historical concepts and events centered around a passion of mine - gardening! The story is told in three eras - modern day, 1944 and 1907 by five women whose POVs are woven well together. I'll admit that it took me a bit to distinguish Venetia and Emma whose lives overlap a bit with their similar careers and romantic connections, but it didn't take long for each character - Venetia, Emma, Stella, Beth and Diana - to show their unique personalities as they find their voices, strength and resiliency despite the limitations put upon them by society and their differing social status.