Name: The Last Garden in England
ISBN: 9781982107833

Julia Kelly

"From the author of The Light Over London and the "gripping, moving" (Kelly Rimmer) The Whispers of War comes a poignant and heartwrenching tale of five women in three eras, whose lives are tied together by one very special garden"--

The Last Garden in England

From the author of the international bestseller The Light Over London and The Whispers of War comes a poignant and unforgettable tale of five women living across three different times whose lives are all connected by one very special place. Present day: Emma Lovett, who has dedicated her career to breathing new life into long-neglected gardens, has just been given the opportunity of a lifetime: to restore the gardens of the famed Highbury House estate, designed in 1907 by her hero Venetia Smith. But as Emma dives deeper into the gardens’ past, she begins to uncover secrets that have long lain hidden. 1907: A talented artist with a growing reputation for her ambitious work, Venetia Smith has carved out a niche for herself as a garden designer to industrialists, solicitors, and bankers looking to show off their wealth with sumptuous country houses. When she is hired to design the gardens of Highbury House, she is determined to make them a triumph, but the gardens—and the people she meets—promise to change her life forever. 1944: 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. In this sweeping novel reminiscent of Kate Morton’s The 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.

Jasmine Stanway

I can’t remember the last time I read a historical fiction that I’ve enjoyed this much. The the Last Garden in England is a true testament to those of us who feel the pull to nature, and how we can relate it to so many aspects of our life.

This book covers the lives of 5 young women over the span of 114 years, who are connected to the Highbury House garden in one way or another. Of the 5, I found Beth’s story to be the most heartwarming, and she’s definitely my favourite of the main characters! However, every shifting perspective lends something to the narrative of this book; there aren’t any unnecessary chapters. It’s clear that the author took her time to really plan out this story in order for the impact to be that much stronger. There’s a mixture of intrigue, romance, sorrow, and humour throughout the novel, and it kept me on my toes until the very end.

I HIGHLY recommend you read this book. If you’re a gardener, botanist, or a botany hobbyist like myself, you’ll definitely find something about this book to love.

elif sinem

What a nice celebration of white women... an easy read and perfect to go back to novels, but that said I felt like the drama felt disconnected to the character arcs for a greater part of the novel. They were there because... reasons? 😭 The men felt swappable throughout but I loved Matthew the best. Diana and Venetia are the standouts of the book and the only two with an arc to match. Overall good nice celebration of white women and that great garden.

Cécile

4.5. Very lovely read. I didn’t think I’d enjoy historical fiction but I was so consumed by the story. Love my ladies Venetia, Beth, Stella, Diana and Emma <3

Kayla 

One of my most anticipated reads this year is The Last Garden in England by @juliakellywrites . She is definitely one of my favourite historical fiction writers and I was so surprised and excited to have this appear on my door step from @simonschusterca . There were actual happy tears!
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We follow quite a few perspectives of women from different time periods. We have Venetia Smith in 1907, who is a reputable garden designer. She arrives at Highbury House ready to design a magical garden. I loved reading this character and seeing the garden come to life.
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In 1944 we have three women who are connected in an unimaginable way. Beth is a land girl who has come to do her part in the war. She meets Stella, a cook at Highbury House whose dreams of travelling come to halt. My favourite from this time period was Diana, the Lady of the house. She starts off as a character you don’t think will make much of an impact on anything but you are proven wrong very soon.
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In the present day, Emma, a garden designer like Venetia, is at Highbury House to bring the garden back to life and help it look like it once did back in 1907. She continues to discover long buried secrets as she makes her way through the garden.
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I think this might be my new favourite historical fiction! I loved the intertwining of storylines and the uncovering of secrets.

The Last Garden in England

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