The Rose Garden

By: Tracy Rees

Narrated by: Emma Fenney

The Rose Garden is a richly imagined historical novel full of intrigue and secrets, spanning the luxury and poverty of Victorian England. Perfect for fans of Dinah Jefferies and Rachel Hore.

Every house has its secrets . . .

For twelve-year-old Ottilie Finch, London is an exciting playground to explore. Her family have recently arrived in Hampstead from Durham, under a cloud of scandal that Otty is blissfully unaware of. The only shadow over her days is her mother’s mysterious illness, which keeps her to her room.

When young local girl Mabs is offered the chance to become Mrs Finch’s companion, it saves her from a desperate life on the canals. Little does she know that all is not as picture-perfect as it seems. Mabs is about to become tangled in the secrets that chased the Finches from their last home, and trapped in an impossible dilemma . . .

‘Tracy Rees is a natural storyteller . . . What a treat it is!’ – Rachel Hore, author of A Gathering Storm.

'In this engrossing novel Tracy Rees takes the reader directly into the drama and action . . . the roles and attitudes to women at the end of the Victorian period and the emerging women’s movement were riveting. Totally unputdownable' – Dinah Jefferies, author of The Tea-Planter’s Wife.

Critic reviews

In this engrossing novel Tracy Rees takes the reader directly into the drama and action, her writing bringing every scene to sparkling vivid life. The rich use of language meant I was fully immersed in the Victorian world of the main women protagonists and didn’t want to leave. Written with empathy and revealing differing sides to even more minor characters, the roles and attitudes to women at the end of the Victorian period and the emerging women’s movement were riveting. Totally unputdownable. (Dinah Jefferies, author of The Sapphire Widow)

A warm, original and upbeat novel. Tracy Rees is a natural storyteller and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I loved the setting of Victorian Hampstead and its vivid range of characters. What a treat it is! (Rachel Hore, author of A Place of Secrets, on The Rose Garden)

Tracy Rees has a rare gift for creating characters you are rooting for from the first page. The writing is fresh and engaging, with a gentle humour...the research is meticulous, and the women’s stories are told with immense compassion. This is a novel that immerses you in its world as if by magic, and keeps you enthralled till the very end. (Gill Paul, author of The Secret Wife, on The Rose Garden)

Beautifully written and vividly imagined, The Rose Garden strikes the perfect balance between period drama to savour and compelling escapism to devour. Tracy Rees has such a talent for writing engaging characters who stay with you. I loved it! (Hazel Gaynor, author of The Girl Who Came Home, on The Rose Garden)

A rich, compelling and intricate tapestry of women’s lives . . . their wants, needs and dreams through the characters diverse lives. I couldn’t put it down. (Liz Fenwick, author of The Cornish House, on The Rose Garden)

A rich historical drama that is both a subtle study of the treatment of women and an entertaining escape. Pure joy. (Jo Spain, author of Dirty Little Secrets, on The Rose Garden)

such a treat ... I loved Tracy’s elegant writing and the vivid and relatable characters, and historically-rich story...wonderful and uplifting. (Nicola Cornick, author of House of Shadows on The Rose Garden)

It’s so wonderful, so poignant and oh, the history. I loved delving into these women’s lives, their loves, their individual and very different and difficult plights. It’s eye opening and entertaining and moving all at the same time. Bravo to Tracy. I can’t wait to see this book fly. (Lorna Cook, author of The Forgotten Village, on The Rose Garden)

[A] truly captivating tale of female friendship, courage and empowerment, all wrapped up in the wonderful escapism of an exquisite period drama (Samantha King on The Rose Garden)

No diminishing returns with Tracy Rees

‘Love at first listen’ is how I would characterise any of Tracy’s books. Her stories are never predictable, but enchanting and uplifting. This book is yet another example of her ability to create rich characters with storylines that can stand alone. I love her creative use of words, often combined in unexpected and interesting ways. The narration of this book was outstanding too. Each accent was delivered authentically and could have been an entire cast of different readers. Great story, excellent narration and totally worth the credit.

Most Amazing narration and story!!!

The narrator brought the story and personalities to life like nothing I have ever heard and the story was captivating from beginning to end!

Another wonderful story by Tracy Rees!

I never wanted it to end. What a wonderful story. Keep these types of stories coming, please.

Unlikely heroes in deep seated society of classes & early emergence of women’s rights

Brilliant voices and acting, very believable, exquisite character development. Held my attention every second and has many intelligent, clever, surprising plots. Bravo Tracy Rees!!

Spellbound story

The first few chapters I wasn’t sure I would stick with it and then I became addicted. It’s really quite appropriate for even today. It’s long but I couldn’t stop listening thank you to the author. The production was wonderful! Thanks

Great story

I could not leave it for more than a day. Great sroryline and intriguing. I loved that it's about women and for women

Awesome!!

I can only practice Tracy writes a follow up to this novel would love it!

So good!!!

I am sad to finish this audio book. The plot was interesting. The characters were interesting and endearing. The audio was perfect! I really enjoyed this tale.

Worth the listen

There were times that the story seemed to get bogged down but it was worth hearing through it all. I like Tracy Rees as an author. She develops her characters very well and makes complicated stories. It’s a good listen.

Sweet, but Unlikely

As a rule, I love Tracy Ree’s stories, but in this one, it is my opinion that she tried to tackle too many social issues in one story: adoption, women’s rights, racism, male dominance, and class distinctions. The neatly tied up situations at the end seemed rather improbable. That said, I still enjoyed the story for the most part.