Kayte Nunn
Reviewed by Helen
What a story this one is but I picked the worst time to start reading it I was so busy and didn’t get a lot of reading time in but when the book wasn’t in my hands my mind never stopped thinking about it and trying to rush back to it, fabulous story, beautifully written, I loved it, I wanted to get to then end but I didn’t want it to finish, this is one that I suggest do not miss reading.
This story spans from Victorian England Cornwall when a young woman named Elizabeth daughter of botanist John Trebithick takes up where her father sadly couldn’t finish and that is searching for a very rare and dangerous plant in Chile, unknown for woman in this era to do so but stubborn Elizabeth with her maid Daisy, set off on a dangerous journey that will bring many changes to this gifted painter’s life, with danger and other people after the plant there is danger lurking close by and a secret to uncover.
Years on 2017 and Anna Jenkins who is a horticulturist, (this love of plants she got from her grandmother) is now renovating her beloved late grandmother’s home in Sydney when she discovers a gorgeous tin which has treasures packed inside, and here starts another journey but this time to discover the true owners of the paintings and the truth about the seeds that have been found. Anna uncovers a lot on her journey to Cornwall England more family and the truth about the journey to Australia by a woman and a child back in 1888.
This is a story that pulled me in from page one, the characters come to life on the pages, I loved Anna and Elizabeth and getting to know them was wonderful, the settings so very beautiful and the story threaded through two time lines had me devouring the words, and the flowers that are described had me thinking about my Nana’s garden with some of them, this the first of MS Nunn’s books I have read but it won’t be the last, this one ticks all of the boxes for a book that is engrossing and so very enjoyable and one that I highly recommend, fabulous story, truly don’t miss this one.
5/5 stars for a fabulous story
Published
July 31st 2018
by Hachette Australia
