"Beautifully moving tale that shares the story of London's flower sellers"
A Memory Of Violets
By: Hazel Gaynor
Genres: Historical
Posted: January 18, 2015
A MEMORY OF VIOLETS is set in 1912 with flashbacks to both 1876 as well as earlier periods in Tilly's life. Journal entries are also interspersed throughout the storyline as well as a few letters. I like that not just one method is utilized to share the past with us as it makes the transitions flow seamlessly along while allowing us to see the different voices of each character.
I love the concept of the Training Homes for Watercress and Flower Girls and am thrilled to discover that the character of Mr. Shaw is based on a true historical figure, John Grooms. Hazel Gaynor does a magnificent job at showing both the poverty and the total lack of disregard that was given to an entire populace. Some of the descriptions and situations are nothing short of heart-wrenching.
A MEMORY OF VIOLETS is a beautifully moving tale that shows how people can transcend even the darkest of situations or perceptions. In particular, I love how Tilly initially identifies each of the women in the home by their handicaps but eventually learns that a person is more than a disability. Hazel Gaynor ties all of the threads together as the story comes full circle to produce a hopeful and inspiring tale that resonates with the reader long after the last page is turned. A MEMORY OF VIOLETS is highly recommended!
Book Summary
The author of the USA Today and New York Times bestselling novel The Girl Who Came Home has once again created an unforgettable historical novel. Step into the world of Victorian London, where the wealth and poverty exist side by side. This is the story of two long-lost sisters, whose lives take different paths, and the young woman who will be transformed by their experiences.
In 1912, twenty-year-old Tilly Harper leaves the peace and beauty of her native Lake District for London, to become assistant housemother at Mr. Shaw’s Home for Watercress and Flower Girls. For years, the home has cared for London’s flower girls—orphaned and crippled children living on the grimy streets and selling posies of violets and watercress to survive.
Soon after she arrives, Tilly discovers a diary written by an orphan named Florrie—a young Irish flower girl who died of a broken heart after she and her sister, Rosie, were separated. Moved by Florrie’s pain and all she endured in her brief life, Tilly sets out to discover what happened to Rosie. But the search will not be easy. Full of twists and surprises, it leads the caring and determined young woman into unexpected places, including the depths of her own heart.
by: Hazel Gaynor
A Novel of London's Flower Sellers William Morrow
February 1, 2015
On Sale: February 3, 2015
Featuring: Tilly Harper
432 pages
ISBN: 0062316893
EAN: 9780062316899
Kindle: B00JOG4TOY
Paperback / e-Book