I went into this book only knowing it was about a gardener who was also a mother and unhappy wife. This is all true - but I did not know that about half way through the story screeches to a halt and changes gears. I was not prepared for this and it seemed out of place compared to how the story had been going. I did not want to stop reading however, I needed to know how everything turned out. It was happy, sad, depressing and uplifting at different points. I compromised giving it a 3 star rating, some parts I really did not enjoy while others I did. If you like unpredictable storylines and can handle dark and sad scenarios give it a shot.
Thank you Netgalley and Zibby Books for the digital ARC.

Thank you Zibby books, this is an intriguing, reflective novel about motherhood, female identity, and all the things that come together and also fall apart at the same time; it is a story about a failing marriage, wanting something more/different, and being still pulled to care for others (via mothering). I personally think having the MC be an academic focused on a lost garden/historian focused on gardens was a fascinating symbolic message about caring, nurturing, pruning but also uncovering, rejuvenating, and revitalizing. I hope others consider the symbolism there.
At times for me the writing did get a bit dense or overly self reflective but I also think this honors truly what is means to be an academic woman at midlife and facing a crossroads (for me this is very very relatable). Midlife is a chance to see what is next, what the next chapter is, of reconciling past goals and hopes with new ones, and I feel that this story of Maud, messy though her life is, really embraces what it means to be a mother but also more than a mother.

Thank you for the chance to read this book, but I didn't enjoy it. The description and the beginning paragraphs were not aligned. I did not finish it.

An engaging book that explores what it is to be a woman, mother, wife, and professional. I enjoyed the gardening references and appreciated that the main character was complicated. My one complaint: don’t portray archivists wearing gloves and working next to large windows!

A deeply interesting read that delves into motherhood and the inner fight between doing what is best for yourself or for your loved ones. This was a interesting read and I liked seeing the inner turmoil that Maude has to go through although I did find it too introspective at times and slightly annoying but overall I think it has an important message for mothers and it did make a good quick read.

I devoured Hedge by @JaneDelury in one day, and I’m still chewing on what to say about it, other than that I couldn’t put it down.

This book touched me deeply. I felt like there was so much I could relate to. Like how a woman lives her life in a tug of war between desire and obligation.

No longer in love with her husband, Maud uses the opportunity of a summer away, a job restoring the garden of a historic estate in the Hudson Valley, as the separation from her unsuccessful marriage she is craving. Alone, Maud develops a friendship with a handsome colleague that soon becomes more. When her children come to join her at the end of their school year, the fledgling relationship is strained under the watchful eye of her daughters, and then something unexpected happens that changes everything.

“When you married, you did nothing but compromise.” The book depicts with heartbreaking realism the quotidian melancholy of a relationship held together by nothing more than the shared love for their children and the overwhelming desire to keep them safe. Caught between her own needs and her desire to be a good mother, Maude prioritizes the love she has for her children over herself. In the end, though, there is hope for Maude as she begins to build a life on her own terms.

I could not recommend this book more strongly.

Thank you to @netgalley @zibbybooks and @jane.delury for an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. #Hedge #NetGalley

I went into this book expecting one thing and reading something completely different. It was a much softer, touching and relatable read. I really felt myself relating to it as a wife and a mother. It really pulled at my mother’s instinct. I truly felt that the author of this book was super effective in developing the characters and the plot and really was wonderfully descriptive in their development and the settings. It was truly a beautiful story about families and focused on the various complexities of mother and daughter relationships. Bravo.

'When you married, you did nothing but compromise. And you lost your ability to make a home exactly as you wanted, down to the last detail'.

Realising her marriage is floundering, Maud welcomes taking a summer job, restoring a historic garden, across the country from her family, and letting her husband know she wants a separation. She relishes her freedom and independence; increasingly flirting with a co-worker and fantasising about how great her new life will be. Once her daughters arrive for a visit though, the juggle of a working mother begins. When Ella starts to act out, Maud isn't sure if it's typical teenage behaviour, resentment, or suspicion of Maud. However, a sudden scare for her daughter's safety has Maud reassessing all her recent decisions and reevaluating the balance between being a wife, mother, and herself, 'How had she ever thought she could leave her marriage without wrecking devastation?'

Jane Delury has drawn parallels between creating and caring for a garden and maintaining a mother's sense of self and worth, 'She wanted to resurrect the original garden, not some inauthentic, shrunken version.' Just as the historical gardens Maud tends to have been lost and buried over time; choked out by weeds, her life has been lost somewhere between being a young woman with dreams, falling in love, to dismantling her identity in order to ameliorate what others in her family needed. 'Hedge' tells the story of a woman whose gardens are painstakingly nurtured but her own has been neglected and as the weeds threaten to choke the beauty from it, she needs to draw upon the original blueprint to bring it back to life.

This quietly stunning book is an unexpected swell of beauty and passion. It is a mother's love and a woman seeking love. From the abundance of love for earthly delights to the pain of a fractured family so unsettling it hurts. The messages learned sprout from the pages with an eloquence that is as ethereal as the historical botany you’ll come away with.

Trapped in a loveless marriage, a man who barely knows his wife, nor does he acknowledge the work that is so important to her. While separated and on a job on the east coast, Maud has an encounter with a man who gently opens up her spirits. When her children arrive for summer break, there is a rift.

Back on the west coast and now deep in a new project, Maud meets Alice, an older, reclusive woman, an artist, with whom an unexpected friendship develops.

HEDGE is much more than a story about a broken marriage or the toll it takes on the children, it is a tale that speaks to human nature, the complications of life, mistakes made, secrets kept, and the lingering pain that is not always neatly resolved. Yet there are resilient characters who plow through. And the symbolism of ancient gardens given a second chance shows the true meaning of hope springs eternal.

Read it for the eloquent language, stay for the portrayal of a woman learning how to make her desires a priority while taking the best care of her children, and savor the time you’ll spend in the lush gardens.

Thank you very much to NetGalley, Zibby Books, and Jane Delury for the chance to read an advance copy of this gorgeous book.

I went into this book thinking it was a “light, easy, breezy” read, and that was not the case.
A husband and wife separated, and a wife ready to move on and a daughter in crisis.
I wondered at first if was to be a story about a garden historian diving into research and the restoration of a lost garden in upstate New York? (Great career choice for a character and the author gives a very specific and detailed account of what it entails). I found there was a lot going on here. A troubled marriage, a tryst with a fellow colleague, the reuniting of husband and wife, a very serious issue with one of the daughters, the dealing with said issue, and a friendship that is misinterpreted. All the while Maud is trying to come to terms with who she is in midlife.
As events become unearthed in the second half, I found I was actually quite invested to see how Maud’s life would turn out. An honest and sometimes frustrating examination of relationships between spouses, friends, kids and siblings. Overall this was an engaging novel with well developed characters which I read over the course of a couple days.
3.5/5


Many thanks to @zibbybooks and @netgalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.

I think many mothers can relate to Maud's story of missing parts of their old life when they have children, and then experiencing a change when they get parts back. While this concept is relatable, I did not feel a connection to Maud. I found it really hard to get through this one, and would have stopped if it weren't an ARC. I would like loved to read more interiority, as it would have created greater depth. While I always appreciate an honest ending, I would have liked to have a further glimpse into the future to see things more resolved.

Thank you to NetGalley, Zibby Books and Jane Delury for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An enthralling read with a mother’s instinct in question. This book was effective in its plot and descriptive in its settings. A story about families and the complexities of mother daughter relationships.

Oh, my goodness, this book took my heart by storm. I started the book thinking I’d learn about gardening and new beginnings and turned the last page with a new understanding of motherhood, marriage and much, much more. The novel begins with Maud leaving her California home for a landscaping job in upstate New York. But this move isn’t just for her career, it’s a trial separation from her husband, too. When she’s there, she throws herself into her work, imagines a new life for herself and even meets someone she might share it with. But an unexpected event changes everything and Maud is left reeling from the damage. This book will leave you wondering if and how a family can heal and what the price of staying quiet will cost everyone. I can’t stop thinking about the lessons inside the pages of this book.

In Hedge, Maud is a garden historian who takes a summer job restoring an estate in the Hudson Valley. While there, Maud connects with an archaeologist, her coworker, Gabriel. Maud is separated from her husband, Peter, and her daughters, Ella and Louise, come to the East Coast to visit her once school is out.

With Ella and Louise onsite, Maud keeps her interactions with Gabriel friendly, he joins them for dinner sometimes, or limited to late at night, once the girls have gone to sleep. Ella begins to act out and her dark moods take a toll on everyone.

As Ella’s behavior intensifies, Maud is forced to balance her roles as a mom, a professional, and a woman in a separated marriage. Hedge did not follow the path of the story I predicted, and while different, it kept me engaged. I needed to know what decisions Maud made and find out how her family was impacted.

I know very little about garden historians or garden restoration — I think Hedge is the first book I’ve read featuring this as a career or aspect of the story. It was original, which I appreciated.

This beautifully written book is about a wife and mother who leaves her family for a summer to take a job in her field. She loves her work, but she is also trying to figure out how to leave her husband and be able to support herself and her children. I enjoyed the pacing of the story. It kept me engaged and wanting more. I need to go to Jane Delury’s backlist. Thank you Zibby Books!

Beautifully written an emotional look at a woman’s life her wants and needs her not perfect marriage her daughter who she adores.This is well written so real I hated having to put it down.An author and book I will be recommending.#netgalley #zippybooks

Hedge by Jane Delury is an emotional look into the life of Maud; a garden historian, mother, wife, and woman. Unhappy in her marriage and after her husband reluctantly agrees to a separation for the summer, Maud takes a job restoring a garden in the Hudson Valley, and befriends an archeologist, Gabriel. While her daughters and husband are across the country in California, Maud begins to picture a different, and happier life for herself. After an unexpected and unnerving event takes place after her family arrives in New York, everything she had pictured for her future life has changed. I absolutely loved this book because it makes you ponder so many questions, especially as a mother. How much do others needs and happiness come before your own? How well do you really know someone you love? How far do you go to protect your children's feelings over your own truth? How much of what goes on between two parents do children need to know? I would highly recommend this book, especially to other mothers and I think it would make for an excellent book club discussion! Thank you to Zibby Books and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

Maud is a garden historian with a successful, fulfilling career at Monk’s House in Sussex. Then her husband Peter loses his job and the couple, with their daughters Ella and Louise, relocate to Marin, California. Their marriage has not been a strong one but this move exposes all the weaknesses. Peter and Maud decide on a trial separation and she is hired to do garden restoration at Montgomery Place on the Hudson River in New York. Maud is happy again, satisfied with her work and living in a bubble of love/lust with Gabriel, an archeologist. Then Ella and Louise come for a scheduled visit. Real life explosively interrupts, changing futures forever.

Hedge is simply exquisite. It’s the story of a woman who submerges her desires in marriage and motherhood. Just as she sees a glimmer of what could be, she’s ripped back into her old life and must deal with the consequences of her behavior. This beautifully written novel should be on everyone’s reading list. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Zibby Books and Jane Delury for this ARC.

This is one of those books that pushes my buttons, all in a bad way. The main character is about as interesting and has about the same amount of interiority as a barn door, and the errors throughout the book make me think it hasn't been edited very well. Soem examples: archivists or people working in archives DO NOT wear gloves when handling archival documents--gloves do more damage to paper than bare hands. "Antiquarian" does not mean old (the author writes "antiquarian stove"); an antiquarian is someone who does research on or deals in antiques or old books. "Inuendo" is used incorrectly, and is missing an n. Adding lemon juice to milk DOES NOT make it buttermilk. There are issues with tech and chronology. I could go on. And then there's the main character's flaccidity, her absolute lack of wit, and doormat tendencies. I guess we're supposed to think she rises heroically and overcomes these things? But she doesn't. She reacts rather than acts, and I, as a reader, find this incredibly annoying and infuriating....especially because most of the other characters are much the same, and they're possibly worse, because they're very two-dimensional.

This novel beautifully captures the ebbs and flows of long-term marriage, the (often unnoticed and unseen) challenges of parenting, longing and heartbreak. The landscape/gardening backdrop adds to the vibrancy. Honest albeit bittersweet ending. Would love to see Maud 5 years from now once her kids are almost grown.