What a fun book to add a review of after my last post about the fruit smoothie and our garden. I finished The Gardener by Prue Leith over the weekend. I spent hours reading this while sitting in the shade in our city garden and that at Cranberry Cottage. It perhaps enhanced the feeling of this book to sit in a garden reading it.
Lotte is looking for a whole new start with her three children after feeling unsettled and unhappy in London following her divorce. She applies for a job as head gardener at Maddon Park in Oxfordshire. Her past as an architect as well as her new education in garden history have made her very qualified for this position. She begins to research the house and garden for her employer...the wealthy Brody Keegan. During her research, friendships develop between herself and Maddon Park, Brody, and Peter, the archive librarian. The garden is constantly revealing its past mysteries while I felt that Lotte was also finding herself blossoming in her new life.
I enjoyed the gardening references in the book. They made me want to run to visit any nearby historical gardens.
I also found myself involved with Lotte in wanting to smack Amber (Brody's spoiled young wife) into reality and cheered Peter on throughout the book. I wanted Lotte to succeed in each endevour to uncover more of Maddon Park.
A perfect summer read!
Happy reading!
Heidi
