Overview

A captivating story of a garden, interwoven with the lives and loves of the people connected to it. Beautifully illustrated by Jenny Methven. A love story reaching from Victorian times through to the present day in Ireland. A novel about the importance of place to people of all kinds; of a sanctuary and how a garden can hold the lives and loves of all those connected with it through good times and bad. A history of place: the passions and the heartache, tragedies and triumph of the people involved. ""This book captivated and stunned and delighted me."" Rosie O'Hara. No more bingo dresses. It is 1869 in Belfast; a fast changing city responding to the pressing demands of the Industrial Revolution. Amelia Henderson, the strong willed, independent young wife of an up and coming linen manufacturer has a passion: she wants to create a formal Victorian garden on their newly acquired Garraiblagh estate in the north-east of Ireland, but she must learn to work with James Black, the renowned Scottish head gardener and plant hunter brought to Ireland to oversee Amelia's ambitious project As the years pass the garden and those living and working in it become bound together by the magic of the place. While at the same time they are forced to deal with pressing events outside the sanctuary of the tranquil garden and its small community, dangers within the troubled island of Ireland and further afield. Still the garden remains a sanctuary for many and for some, the cause of resentment. Frank, a young gardener, holds firmly to the memory of Garraiblagh as he struggles to survive the battlefields of France in World War I. Daisy and Tom find themselves thrown into helping people escaping from the Belfast Blitz. For Rose the garden is everything she hates and she has the power to destroy it. During 'the Troubles' of the 1970s and 1980s the garden loses its immunity from the outside world. In one awful moment the outside horror visits Garraiblagh Can the garden recover? Can it help negotiate difference and love across the divide as the Good Friday Agreement is signed The spirits of the past are ever present in the garden and the garden is a force of nature itself If you love gardens and historical romance, then this is for you. An uplifting, feel good story, haunting and atmospheric.

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9780993395086

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'This book captivated and stunned and delighted me.' Rosie O'Hara author of No More Bingo Dresses

Author Information

Jenny lives in Fermanagh in Northern Ireland with her writer husband Willie, George the cat and Rosie, the collie. She is inspired by the beautiful countryside she lives in and draws inspiration from it for her writing and art. Jenny grew up in Scotland though her family are from Ireland. She returned to live in Ireland in her twenties following Art college and teacher training in Wales. Jenny spent many years as a social worker and teacher, working with both adults and children and has an MA Education among her qualifications. Her MSc dissertation in Peace and Conflict studies is focused on the peace building powers of gardens and the natural world. She has had poetry published in both online journals and print anthologies. Jenny's poetry collection 'Dancing in puddles with the Cailleach' published in 2016 is a combination of her poetry and artwork.

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