Perennials

By: Julie Cantrell

Narrated by: Brittany Pressley

Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Eva - known to all as Lovey - grew up safe and secure in Oxford, Mississippi, surrounded by a rich literary history and her mother's stunning flower gardens. But a shed fire, and the injuries that it caused, seemed to change everything...especially when her older sister, Bitsy, blamed Lovey for the irreparable damage.

Bitsy became the cheerleader. The homecoming queen. The perfect Southern belle who could do no wrong. All the while, Lovey served as the family scapegoat, always bearing the brunt when Bitsy threw blame her way.

At 18, suffocating in her sister's shadow, Lovey turned down a marriage proposal and fled to Arizona - a place as far from Mississippi as she could find.

In time, she became a successful advertising executive and a weekend yoga instructor, carving a satisfying life for herself, free from Bitsy's vicious lies. But now that she's turning 45, Lovey is feeling more alone than ever and questioning the choices that have led her here.

When she gets a call from her father insisting that she come home three weeks early for her parents' fiftieth anniversary, Lovey is at wits' end. She's about to close the biggest contract of her career, and there's a lot on the line. But despite the risks, her father's words, "family first", draw her right back to the red dirt roads of Mississippi.

Lovey is welcomed home by a secret project - a memory garden her father has planned as an anniversary surprise for her mother. As she helps create this sacred space, Lovey begins to rediscover her roots, learning to live perennially in spite of life's many trials and tragedies.

Years ago, Lovey chose to leave her family and the South far behind. But now that she's returned, she's realizing things at home were not always what they seemed.

Southern Living Magazine Pick for Most Anticipated Books for Fall. Redbook Magazine Pick of 20 Must-Read Books by Women.

©2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc. (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Memory Garden = Memory Lane

Perennials was a walk down memory lane with the trip to Jackson and the Welty home visit. The detailed accounts of the Faulkner grounds, the gardens of the mother’s home, and the meaning of each of the flowers made listening a joy. The accent of the reader was also authenticity performed which is much appreciated. I highly recommend the story!!

Lovely Story of Flowers and Family

As a gardener, I loved this story of flowers, family, friends, and the fears that we all have deep inside.
A book that reminded me that we need to look to the choices we all make it life and how they are not just for us but also how they effect others. Good book and good life lessons.

Cut a few branches off

I ended up really liking this story. Felt there were a few storylines left underdeveloped and a few that could have evolved. Overall good.

Loved this book!

Such a great story and I think everyone could learn a little something about yourself! If not, it will hold your attention throughout.

Beautiful

Beautifully written
Beautifully narrated
Beautiful story
Touching and tenderly told, life endured and enjoyed. I will listen to this one again.

Relatable, thoughtful and inspiring !

A well written comparison of the growth of a garden with the cycle of life. This story goes beyond the obvious and examines the nature of wounded human souls and their ability to find natural healing.

Tear jerker towards the end

Sibling hatefulness This book captured it very well. Goes through the whole gambit of emotions. The love, hate, loss, and forgiveness all wrapped up neatly in the end. Wish the happy ending could of come for me and my older sibling but he passed away 3 years ago, before we made up.

Purely Good

As has often happened in my lifetime, the 'perfect' book comes along at the 'perfect' time; 'Perennials' fits that category. Feels like I would be sullying the story to give too many details. Suffice to say, Julie Cantrell is a writer whose books I will seek to devour, again. The Christian slant may not appeal to some but, for me, I found the overall purity of the story uplifting and hopeful.

Amazing Narration

Brittany Presley mastered the voices of all the characters. With a variety of Mississippi accents she smoothly from one to the next.

Beautiful Story

I’m going to buy several copies of this book to give to family and friends anytime they are going through something.

All too relatable. Spooky. Beautiful. It’s essentially a bible of some sort. It spoke directly to me.