The Garden of Lost Secrets by Kerry Barrett
Genre: Dual timeline, Contemporary fiction, Historical fiction, WW2
Read: 17th January 2024
Published: 18th January 2024
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
A forgotten past. A garden full of secrets. A mystery to be uncovered.
1943.
With her best friend having recently joined the Land Army and her mother lost in grief after the death of her father early in the war, Gloria is lonely. When she finds an unlikely kindred spirit in Jerome, an American soldier stationed in her Cotswolds village, Gloria begins to fall in love. But conflict between the soldiers and the villagers lead to an impossible choice with devastating consequences.
Present day.
After their dreams of starting a family are crushed, Philippa and her husband Marco need a fresh start. Focusing on repairing the crumbling walls and leaking roof of the Cotswolds house they impulsively bought seems easier work than repairing their relationship. When Philippa finds a hidden memorial hidden deep in the garden, the discovery only pushes them further apart. But as Philippa determines to uncover the truth behind the memorial, could the secrets it reveals be the key to finally putting their heartbreak to rest?
Don’t miss this sweeping dual-timeline historical novel from the author of The Girl in the Picture and The Book of Last Letters, perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy and Lorna Cook.
MY THOUGHTS:
A forgotten past. A garden full of secrets. A mystery to be uncovered...
It's 1943 and Gloria Henry has just finished school, returning home to Honeyford House in the sleepy Cotswolds, just as the American GIs are flooding their village. Her friend Patty had joined the Land Army but Gloria still didn't know what she wanted to do.
And then she met Corporal Jerome Scott, one of the American GIs. But he wasn't like the GIs that roamed their village. He wasn't even billeted at the nearby Eaton air base. No, Jerome was black so therefore he was not given the same entitlements or privileges as the white GIs.
But Gloria didn't care. She loved Jerome and he loved her. But it could only end in tears...and it did.
Present day, Honeyford House
After a string of miscarriages, Philippa and Marco have just bought the crumbling ruins that is Honeyford House with dreams of opening a restaurant and a bed and breakfast whilst they lived in the old servant's quarters. It was quite a task they had set themselves but this was to be their new beginning.
As they stood on the terrace overlooking the garden and the woods beyond, Philippa and Marco decided to plant a deluge of bluebells in the woods in memory of their lost babies. And so one day while walking through that very wood, Philippa comes across what appears to be a grave...or a memorial at least.
Suddenly, she is on a mission to uncover the mysteries of Honeyford House and the memorial stone in its garden. But what she finds is a bittersweet tale that was as heartwrenching as it was unexpected.
I love dual timelines, being swept away between the two timelines and following two separate stories until they collide in a cleverly woven tapestry. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale, though maybe not as much as "The Missing Wife" but it was still a wonderful read that moves seamlessly between the two timelines.
Overall, this story is captivating and enthralling and a thoroughly delightful read with a satisfying end.
I would like to thank #KerryBarrett, #Netgalley and #HQDigital for an ARC of #TheGardenOfLostSecrets in exchange for an honest review.
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