THE MEMORY GARDEN by RACHEL HORE

THE MEMORY GARDEN

BY RACHEL HORE

THE BLURB:-

Magical Cornwall, a lost garden, a love story from long ago...

Lamorna Cove- a tiny bay in Cornwall, picturesque, unspoilt. A hundred years ago it was the haunt of a colony of artists. Today, Mel Pentreath hopes it is a place where she can escape the pain of her mother's death and a broken love affair, and gradually put her life back together.

Renting a cottage in the enchanting but overgrown grounds of Merryn Hall, Mel embraces her new surroundings and offers to help her landlord, Patrick Winterton, restore the garden. Soon she is daring to believe her life can be rebuilt. Then Patrick finds some old paintings in an attic, and as he and Mel investigate the identity of the artist, they are drawn into an extraordinary tale of illicit passion and thwarted ambition from a century ago, a tale that resonates in their own lives. But how long can Mel's idyll last before reality breaks in and everything is devastated?

THE REALITY:-

Rachel Hore is a novelist whose works I can't resist reading. She is one of a distinguished group of only a few, for me. That group also includes Kate Morton (I've read all but one of hers), Judith Lennox (I've read most of hers) and the Kathy Reichs Temperance Brennan series (I've read all but one of those.) Katherine Webb is another author who will also, at some point, reach that distinction, as will Lisa Jewell and Maggie O' Farrell.

I have always longed to visit Cornwall, this almost ethereal, haunted part of England, which is often referred to as, “the oldest part of Britain.” I might just do so, later in the year (I have a holiday in Norfolk to get through first!)

This novel takes you out into a dream world of relaxed bucolic life and historical, abandoned buildings and gardens. The descriptives regarding the characters and the interest involving the time-slip element of the novel, and the way the characters entwine together is really magical. I also like that Rachel Hore offers up a variety of persona types in her novels and, generally speaking, a feel-good happy ending. The Memory Garden certainly evoked pathos... of school holidays and lazy summer days (although the book starts in Spring and the main characters all have work to do!)

The one thing that grated was the fact that the majority of the characters are all middle class with well paid jobs. In these difficult times where myself (and many others) are struggling, this distance from the realities of life does tend to get annoying but it's me who's got the problem, not the author.

I'm glad that the identity of the artist P.T. was discovered but I sometimes wanted to shake Mel and Patrick, both of whom seemed way too absorbed with their miserable recent pasts. They needed to move on, and much faster (or am I being too harsh? You read the book and tell me for yourselves.) I also hated Patrick's ex fiancée, the manipulative cow that was Bella- another middle class twit who appeared to have spent her life living on Easy Street. This little bitch wanted to have her cake and eat it and I'm glad the author gave her the sheep's face that she deserved.

A great read, showing England at its nicest- it would be fantastic to take on a British summer holiday.