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The Last Garden in England

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The Last Garden in England

Written by: Julia Kelly
Narrated by: Shiromi Arserio, Marisa Calin, Danielle Cohen, Katherine Littrell, Siobhan Waring
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About this listen

 From the author of the international bestsellers The Light Over London and The Whispers of War comes “a compelling read, filled with lovable characters and an alluring twist of fates” (Ellen Keith, author of The Dutch Wife) about five women living across three different times whose lives are all connected by one very special garden.

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 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.

“Gorgeously written and rooted in meticulous period detail, this novel is vibrant as it is stirring. Fans of historical fiction will fall in love with The Last Garden in England” (Roxanne Veletzos, author of The Girl They Left Behind). 20th Century Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Romance Women's Fiction War England Historical Fiction England

What the critics say

"The inviting performances of Marisa Calin, Shiromi Arserio, Katherine Littrell, Danielle Cohen, and Siobhan Waring add to the immersive pleasure of this engaging historical novel by bestselling author Julia Kelly. Set alternately in 1907, 1944, and the present day, the plot centers on the women of England's Highbury House. Venetia, the estate's 1907 garden designer, struggles to balance social expectations with her career desires. When WWII turns the estate into a convalescent hospital, estate owner Diana, cook Stella, and land girl Beth fight to preserve the gardens while building fulfilling lives. Modern-day garden restorer Emma uncovers the past's hidden secrets while navigating challenges that echo Venetia's. They are all compellingly written characters with affecting lives and interesting personal challenges, making this a listening experience to savor."
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This book was a very good read. The story takes place in three different times, are the characters are twined by gardens.

The characters are well described and the author made it easy for the reader to keep track of where the reader is by giving the year every time the story went to another time. Very informative about gardens.

The last Garden in England.

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A lovely book that made me want to get into my garden! Lots of interesting history from different backgrounds. I struggled a bit with the different voices but overall a nice read!

Great winter reading

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l loved this book. The story, the characters and all done through different time periods.

Delightful book!

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I'm a keen gardener so this book appealed to me right away, and then when I saw different readers were doing the different main characters, I was even more pleased - I love audio books like that. It's a great story, set in three different eras, and once I had the characters all straight in my head, it was easy to follow when it switched back and forth between the different eras. Having read a lot about garden design and history, and having travelled to some of the famous gardens in England made me relate to the garden angle even more. I also appreciated the angle of women working to become independent. I was sorry when the book ended as I enjoyed it so much.

Wonderful Book!

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Loved it right from the start. An absolutely beautiful story stretching across 7 generations

beautiful story

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