The Book Bag: On Tour: #The Forbidden Garden by Ellen Herrick ~ My Thoughts #TLCBookTours

Monday, April 10, 2017

On Tour: #The Forbidden Garden by Ellen Herrick ~ My Thoughts #TLCBookTours

The Forbidden Garden

The Forbidden Garden by Ellen Herrick
Paperback, 400 pages
Published April 4th 2017 by William Morrow Paperbacks

“Captivating [...] Herrick weaves a rich tapestry of family lore, dark secrets, and love.” —Brunonia Barry, New York Times bestselling author of The Lace Reader and The Fifth Petal

Perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Sarah Jio, comes a lush imaginative novel that takes readers into the heart of a mysterious English country garden, waiting to spring to life.

Every garden is a story, waiting to be told…

At the nursery she runs with her sisters on the New England coast, Sorrel Sparrow has honed her rare gift for nurturing plants and flowers. Now that reputation, and a stroke of good timing, lands Sorrel an unexpected opportunity: reviving a long-dormant Shakespearean garden on an English country estate.

Arriving at Kirkwood Hall, ancestral home of Sir Graham Kirkwood and his wife Stella, Sorrel is shocked by the desolate state of the walled garden. Generations have tried—and failed—to bring it back to glory. Sorrel senses heartbreak and betrayal here, perhaps even enchantment. Intrigued by the house’s history—especially the haunting tapestries that grace its walls—and increasingly drawn to Stella’s enigmatic brother, Sorrel sets to work. And though she knows her true home is across the sea with her sisters, instinct tells her that the English garden’s destiny is entwined with her own, if she can only unravel its secrets…

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(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First line—"The garden waited. Behind the yew hedges, beyond the crumbling brick wall, within sight of the ancient house, under skies both heavy and light, the garden waited for someone to save it."

This story is truly magical. The Sparrow sisters are able to work their special magic on their gardens; growing flowers and vegetables like no one else can. The Forbidden Garden takes place after our introduction to the sisters in the first book, The Sparrow Sisters. Sorrel is feeling restless after everything has finally settled down at home and she jumps at the chance to travel to save an old Shakespearean garden in England.

I loved the first book and this one was just as delightful. I never knew what twists and turns the story was going to take and figuring out how it was all going to end was intriguing. Ellen does a wonderful job keeping the reader interested by doling out bits and pieces that just draw you in.

I don't know if the author plans to write more books about the Sparrow sisters but I look forward to reading them if she does.

I previously read Ellen's other book, The Sparrow Sisters.

It was great visiting the sisters again.

You can read my thoughts here.

About the author

Ellen Herrick was a publishing professional in New York City until she and her husband moved to London for a brief stint; they returned nearly twenty years later with three children (her own, it must be said). She now divides her time between Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a small town on Cape Cod very much like Granite Point.

Connect with Ellen

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