★ ★ ★ ★ ★
It is no easy feat to write a book with two timelines and do it well, let alone three. Kelly did such a wonderful job. I have to admit that I did get a little confused by the different characters, but after taking some time to learn their names, I easily enjoyed the story.
1907, 1944 and 2021. In 1907, we meet Venetia Smith, the designer of the garden that ties all the three timelines together. The people surrounding Highbury House where the garden is located make her job as a female garden designer all the more difficult and challenging. In 1944, in the midst of war, we learn of how Highbury House has been transformed into a convalescent hospital. The mistress of the house, Diana Symonds, finds that her grasp of her home is gradually lost even as she deals with grief. In this timeline, there are two other characters we will read about: Beth, a land girl, and Stella, Highbury's cook. The story of 1944 was the most impactful to me, even if it was the hardest to get into at the beginning from having so many POVs. Last of all, it's 2021, and Emma Lovett has been hired as a garden designer for Highbury House's new generation of owners. As a big fan of Smith's, it's a dream come true for her. Secrets of the past gradually comes to light as she spends more time in the gardens.
I don't know about you, but this has got to be one of the most original stories I've ever read. It is not often I come across books with a concept surrounding plants and a garden. To add on to its uniqueness, there's also the history behind how houses could be requisitioned during wars to set up for training grounds, hospitals and the like. I only first knew of such a notion when I watched Downton Abbey. It made me think of how WWII was like for Singapore, how quickly the country was taken over by the Japanese and there wasn't even a choice to transform homes into hospitals.
I adored every single character. They were realistic, engaging, and likeable. All of them faced the challenges given to them bravely, but not without difficulty. Diana stood out to me the most. The growth she faced was the most significant in my eyes, having to get back the life she once had, learning of the possible abuse she had experienced, and standing up for herself. And oh, the grief... it wrenched at my heart. I was really glad everything turned out well for her at the end.
As a lover of historical fiction, I'd highly recommend this to fellow readers whose interest lies in the genre as well. A huge kudos to the designer of the book cover. It definitely played a huge part in my giving this a second look.