The Restoration Garden

A Novel

De: Sara Blaydes

Narrado por: Soneela Nankani, Mia Hutchinson-Shaw

A landscape architect unearths the tangled history of a once-celebrated English garden—and all its mysteries—in a captivating novel by the author of The Last Secret of Lily Adams.

Julia Esdaile is hired to restore the historic gardens at Havenworth Manor—the grounds of which are now an abandoned snarl of bramble and weeds—to their original splendor. For the enigmatic lady of the manor, ninety-two-year-old Margaret Clarke, the reason for the restoration is the deeply private story of a promise made a lifetime ago, and a vow to keep it before she dies.

It’s 1940, and Margaret’s older half sister, Irene, an aspiring artist, dreams of an exciting world beyond Havenworth. Her only escapes are James Atherton, a handsome officer in the RAF, and her sketchbook of flower drawings. Bonding over their disdain for war, Irene follows James to London, where, irrevocably in love, she is forced to make a choice she never imagined. With that, Irene vanishes from Margaret’s life forever.

Now, with the help of Margaret’s godson, Andrew, Julia is determined to uncover both the long-buried secrets of the past and the truth behind a heartbreaking mystery that only restoring the gardens of Havenworth can solve.

©2025 by Sara O’Shaughnessy. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Blaydes uses the language of flowers for more intimate conversations, but doesn’t shy away from bigger ideas like the varied ways in which war impacts people of different economic statuses, offering plenty of opportunity for discussion. A good choice for readers of Kate Morton, Beatriz Williams, or Lisa Wingate.”—Booklist (starred review)

“The author cleverly ties her protagonists together. This is an easy novel to get lost in. It tickled my personal love of gardens, and stoked memories of the stunning Lost (and recovered) Gardens of Heligan.”—Historical Novels Review

Perfection

I love everything about this book. The characters, story line(s) and vivid descriptions left nothing more to be desired. It isn't filled with word count fluff, meaningless narrative and annoying repetition.

Fabulous story

Absolutely fabulous book!! Ending will leave you in tears. Highly recommend listening to this one. I finished it in one day!

Historical point of view

I love getting an insight into what life was like for my grandparents who were young in the 1920s since my parents were born in that year.

Interesting story

I really enjoyed this book. The story was a different story line and truly enjoyable. Definitely worth the read or listen!

Wonderful story!

Loved the intertwining of historical narrative and present day narrative. Well crafted story and characters! Enjoyed every word!