The Garden by Nick Newman

Book Blurb

In a place and time unknown, two elderly sisters live in a walled garden, secluded from the outside world. For as long as they can remember, Evelyn and Lily have only had each other. What was before the garden, they have forgotten; what lies beyond it, they do not know.

Each day is spent in languid service to their home: tending the bees, planting the crops, and dutifully following the instructions of the almanac written by their mother. So, when a nameless boy is found hiding in the boarded house at the centre of this new Eden, the reality of their existence is irrevocably shattered. Who is he? And where did he come from?

My Review
The Garden is the first adult book by Nick Newman, a pseudonym for acclaimed children’s author Nicholas Bowling. What drew me to the blog tour for this book was the opening six words from the book blurb, In a place and time unknown, it was like an open invitation to enter the world of The Garden and of Evelyn and Lily. This is a world where there has been a catastrophic climate episode, that has seen the sister’s world shrink to just the garden and the kitchen of the house they live in. They are scared of what lies beyond, so when a young boy appears they fear for their existence, and others that may be out there.

The Garden is a fascinating read, set in no specific time or place, which gives it a timeless quality, like a fairytale or fable. Evelyn and Lily have their own timeless quality, we know they are older but not their age, and their memories seem to tangle with reality so it’s sometimes hard to know which is which. The sisters are intriguing, eccentric but have a childhood innocence about them, their world is confined to the garden, and to each other. Their relationship also has a childlike feel, Evelyn the elder sister, taking charge and looking out for the younger, and Lily who defers to Evelyn but has her moments of rebellion. The only other significant relationship was with their mother, who left them an almanac of what to do in the garden each day, each month, and even though she is dead she still has an influence in their lives. When the unknown boy appears I felt like a voyuer watching their relationship change, and in parts fall apart.

The writing of this book is beautiful, the way Nick Newman gets into the psyche of his characters and their relationships. The ethereal prose adds to the timeless quality, the mystery and otherworldly feel to the plot. The garden is like the sister’s Eden, the place that keeps them safe, provides their food, and is their sanctuary from the world outside, who their mother said was evil. The air of mystery, of why the house is boarded up, why they live only in the kitchen, and what happened to bring them to this point adds to the intrigue of the plot, keeping my attention as I tried to work it all out.

I loved the atmosphere of The Garden, it’s unknowm quality of time and place, giving it a fairytale quality of ‘Once Upon a Time. The sister’s and their relationship is at the heart of this book, their bond and how the dynamics change when the unknown boy turns up. This is a haunting, compelling and beautiful read, that kept me thinkng about the characters long after I finished reading.

I’d like to thank Doubleday Books and Anne Cater for inviting me to be part of the blog tour for this book in return for my honest review.