The book cycles between three different time periods: 1907, 1944, and 2021. The author completed this well before the pandemic, as it gets not a single mention. I hope that will not dissuade future readers. The book provides three touching stories woven together by one garden. In 1907, Venetia Smith designs a garden for Highbury House. Her plans and her behavior are nouveau and daring. The garden ends up holding personal significance for her in a way that goes beyond simple execution of imaginative ideas. In 1944, the story centers on Diana Symonds who owns Highbury House after the death of her husband in the war. The house, now requisitioned, serves as a hospital. Diana's story weaves along with that of her cook, Stella, and a land girl named Beth Pedley. In 2021, Emma Lovell is now attempting to restore the garden to its original luster. Frustrated with a locked section called the "Winter Garden," Emma seeks to uncover the plans and the true story of its creator.
I expected to encounter difficulty keeping the names and characters separate. I believe that is why the audio book selected several narrators (a few I found grating). This wasn't a problem. The character name and date introduce each section. Plus, the tale includes some promiscuity, yet I would still consider it a fairly clean read. The author handled it with utmost discretion and didn't wane into gratuitous sensual scenes. Just enough for you to fill in the gaps on your own, my personal preference. I enjoyed this story so much, I will look for more from Julia Kelly.
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