The Rose Garden

I picked this one because I have previously enjoyed all of Tracy Rees’ books.

Set in late 1800s London and told from the perspective of 4 or 5 different women’s perspectives.

Mabs is from a very poor family of 7 children and her mother died very recently. Her farther spiralled into depression and hasn’t worked in some time so she is trying to bring in the money they need to survive. 

Olive is an only child from a very rich, but loving and prosperous family in London and she feels like she at 28 is never going to get married due to her plainness. So she wants to adopt a child.

Otty is 12 and moves into the same street as Olive with her family who have left their home and come to London for their father to make money on the canals and to help their mother get over her mental illness.

These characters all meet and make each other’s lives better and for a while the story moves along with their lives continuing to improve. Just when I thought all would be well, the past becomes clear, people go missing, others show their true colours and lives and futures are in danger.

A wonderful story and written so well that swapping between the different characters perspectives was part of the story rather than something you noticed while reading.