The Nightingale Sings

The Garden Of Lost And Found by Harriet Evans is the most beautiful historical and contemporary epic novel that will ‘speak’ to your heart and soul.

The novel follows the generations of a family from 1880-1918 and then in present day. The bonds between a granddaughter and a grandmother are strong, surviving the grave.

Motherhood and the role of the female are explored. As the novel opens it is pre the suffragette movement, however little changes for females down the generations as the males dominate. The females are inwardly strong and this inner strength is their saving grace.

Our childhood influences the adults we become. Childhood nightmares and curses follow a character down the years.

Being a mother can be hard. I recognised myself in some of the contemporary breakfast scenes! – Trying to please all but ending up pleasing none.

One set of characters lived through World War I. It was billed as ‘exciting’ and ‘an adventure’. The reality was a bloodbath, from which, if you survived would haunt you for the rest of your life.

Nightingale House links the generations. It becomes a character in its own right. Harriet Evans painted its picture with her words so that I could ‘see’ the house.

I adored The Garden Of Lost And Found. I could not put it down, pausing only to sleep. Harriet Evans is a new author to me and oh how I adored her style of writing. She has been added to my ever growing list of favourite authors. I cannot wait to read more by her.

JULIA WILSON