Paperback: 412 pages
Genre: Contemporary Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction,
Publisher: Harper Collins 2024
Source: Tywyn Public Library
First Sentences: The scent of the rain summons the memory. Uninvited. Unwanted.
Review Quote: 'A gorgeous, gorgeous book.This is such an engaging read, packed with light, colour and kindness.' Hazel Prior, author of Away with the Penguins
My Opinion:
A friend recommended Sally Page to me last year and I have now read and throughly enjoyed all three of the titles she has so far published.
In 'The Secrets of Flowers' the protagonist Emma is finding it hard, one year on to come to terms with the death of her husband. In an effort to move on she gives up a scientific research career to work in a garden centre and train as a florist. Emma's love of flowers and an unexpected interest in the Titanic make for an emotional read as she unravels the mysteries she discovers. The parallel storyline about the real life person, Violet Jessop who worked on the Titanic ties this heartwarming tale together perfectly.
What a captivating read this is with such believable characters involved in an interesting Titanic storyline. Highly recommend to readers that enjoy a heartwarming read and love flowers. As you read you can almost smell them.
Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:
From the author of the phenomenal bestsellers The Keeper of Stories and The Book of Beginningscomes an utterly beautiful and uplifting novel.
One year on from the death of her husband, Emma feels no closer to moving forward with her life. Seeking distraction, she quits her job and begins working at the local garden centre.
Here, Emma begins to open up and finds herself attending boss Les’ talk on the Titanic. Intrigued, Emma sets out to research who would have arranged the flowers on-board.
Alongside her story unfolds the tale of a stewardess on the Titanic, who Emma can’t help but feel connected to…
With an array of inspiring and heart-warming characters, this is a novel of friendship, unexpected connections, and of hope.
Previous Review: The Keeper of Stories. The Book of Beginnings
Author Profile:
After studying history at university, Sally moved to London to work in advertising. In her spare time she studied floristry at night school and eventually opened her own flower shop. Sally came to appreciate that flower shops offer a unique window into people’s stories and she began to photograph and write about this floral life in a series of non-fiction books. Later, she continued her interest in writing when she founded her fountain pen company, Plooms.co.uk.
In her debut novel, The Keeper of Stories, Sally combines her love of history and writing with her abiding interest in the stories people have to tell. Sally now lives in Dorset. Her eldest daughter, Alex, is a doctor and her younger daughter is the author, Libby Page. Both are keen wild swimmers.
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