The Kew Gardens Girls
A heart-warming novel inspired by real life events, about the brave women during WWI who worked in the historic grounds of London's Kew Gardens.
Can the women of Kew keep the gardens alive in the midst of war?
London, 1916. England is at war. Desperate to help in whatever way they can, Ivy and Louisa enlist as gardeners at Kew, the Royal Botanic Gardens, taking on the jobs of the men who have gone to fight. Under their care, the gardens begin to flourish and become a safe haven for those seeking solace--but not everyone wants women working at Kew.
The pair begin to face challenges on the home front. When a tragedy overseas affects the people closest to them, can the women of Kew pull together to support themselves and their country through the darkest of times?
Can the women of Kew keep the gardens alive in the midst of war?
London, 1916. England is at war. Desperate to help in whatever way they can, Ivy and Louisa enlist as gardeners at Kew, the Royal Botanic Gardens, taking on the jobs of the men who have gone to fight. Under their care, the gardens begin to flourish and become a safe haven for those seeking solace--but not everyone wants women working at Kew.
The pair begin to face challenges on the home front. When a tragedy overseas affects the people closest to them, can the women of Kew pull together to support themselves and their country through the darkest of times?
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Community Reviews
This was such a pleasure to read. The plot and characters really captured my heart - there were so many good ones to love. This work of historical fiction, set in England during the First World War, focuses on a group of women who take up the places of the male gardeners who have gone off to fight. The men who remain behind (for various reasons) also add some interesting angles to the story. The Kew Garden Girls covers some interesting topics: conscientious objectors; workplace inequality; domestic abuse; the work of the suffragettes. I learned a lot and enjoyed it along the way. Bernie was my favourite character. Without giving too much away, I can quite imagine that there were many Bernies in real life. The characters frequently discuss the symbolism of various English plants and flowers, which appealed to my inner gardener.
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