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BOOK REVIEW: The English Garden
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by: Vickie McDonough Dancing Word Reviewer
Title: The English Garden Author: Jill Stengl, Gail Gaymer Martin, DiAnn Mills and Kathleen Y’Barbo Publisher: Barbour Publications, Inc. ISBN: 1-586-60389-2 Genre: Inspirational/Historical/Romance "A Woman of Valor " by Jill Stengl Being the new governess to her cousin’s three children is more difficult than Helen Walker expected. Withdrawn, and neglected by their father after their mother’s death, the young children test Helen’s patience as she finds one nasty creature after another in her bed each night. As the children respond to Helen’s kindness and warm spirit, she discovers an ally in the caretaker of her cousin’s prize horses. Oliver Kirby lives a life of solitude. Once a wealthy landowner, Oliver now cares for his cousin’s horses--horses that once belonged to him. Thanks to a greedy neighbor and a false accusation, the Kirby family lands and possessions were lost. Now all Oliver cares about is tending his horses and watching out for his dead sister’s children. Oliver finds his cold heart thawing as he spends time with Helen. But when his brother-in-law suggests marriage, Oliver distances himself from Helen, leaving her confused and alone. Will Oliver overcome his pride and find God’s healing hand and accept Helen’s love for him in the beautiful English garden? "Apple of His Eye" by Gail Gaymer Martin Sarah Hampton is coming of age, but she loathes the demands of society. Though no man has turned her heart, Sarah’s mother insists she attends balls and entertains available gentlemen. Seeking solace in her family’s beautiful English garden, Sarah encounters John Banning, the new orchard keeper. Though social opposites, she can’t resist spending time with the quiet gentleman giant. John Banning knows Sarah is off limits and way above his station. He struggles to maintain the proper rules of propriety, but Sarah seems determined to ignore them. John quickly loses his heart to the beautiful girl who shows him Gods loves as well as offering her own. John wonders if the God of the rich is concerned with the heart’s desire of the lower class. Can even God break down the social barriers that threaten to separate John and Sarah forever? "A Flower Amidst the Ashes" by DiAnn Mills As a driver for the Royal Air Force in war torn London, Corporal Margaret Walker has seen many horrible sights. Because of the devastation around her and the heartbreak of already losing a loved one to the war, Margaret is determined to not to lose her heart to a man until the war is over. But that was before she met the charming Lieutenant Andrew Stuart and seen his beautiful drawings of an enchanted English garden. Lt. Andrew Stuart is smitten with the lovely Corporal Walker, but she refuses to see him again. He understands her fears of a relationship during the uncertainties of war but feels God is drawing them together. As Margaret’s heart softens, they become close friends. When Andrew takes her home to see his English garden in person, he is caught up in the enchantment of being in the garden with the one he loves and he proposes. Andrew is devastated when Margaret refuses him and races back to London where she is severely injured during a bombing attack. Is it possible for two lonely hearts to find love during the throes of war? "Robyn’s Garden" by Kathleen Y’Barbo The English garden that has been passed down through Robyn Locksley’s family for generations is a place of love and nature. Robyn uses the peaceful garden to teach disabled children about nature and self-worth by allowing them to earn money for camp in exchange for tending the garden. She is devastated to discover the money the children have been saving for two years has been stolen. Her plans to recoup the money by temporarily hawking her the ancestral longbow go terrible awry when the bow is mistakenly sold. To make matters worse, the man who bought the bow is her new security specialist, an American who has stolen her heart. But did he concoct this whole plan just to officially make off with her family’s ancient heirloom? When Travis Gentry, a security specialist and collector of antiquities, travels to England in hopes of obtaining one of the rarest medieval longbows in the world, he never expects to discover a treasure of another sort. Robyn Locksley, the lovely owner of the bow and only living descendant of its original owner, quickly captures his heart. Now he must decide between the two. Keep the bow and lose Robyn’s love and respect or return the treasure he’s wanted for years, a treasure he bought in good faith. The authors of The English Garden have done a masterful job of telling the story of the beautiful garden over the centuries. Four women during four eras find God’s nurturing and healing in the garden. Laced with humor, soul searching and romance, I found this book a delightful to read. I highly recommend it. | |
