This was a sweet book about a retiree who lets people plant, plants in the garden her deceased husband started. Those plants hold memories for each person. As the garden grows new and old friends are drawn to it. The garden is a healing place for everyone. All these people end up becoming a wonderful community happy to support one another along life’s journey. At times it moved very slowly, but it was a good, clean and thoughtful book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I am on a roll this month! This book is a joyful, emotional, and comforting read that I really didn't want to end. I feel fortunate to share my thoughts just in time for its publication day 🌞

CW: please be aware this book could contain mentions of death, grief, overdose, suicide attempt, dementia, addiction, toxic relationship, emotional abuse.

My Bookish Thoughts 💬
Where to start!
A group of people from all walks of life come together through newly retired nurse Rose's late husband’s garden.

I adored this book; the Cornish coast, the garden, the places, the scents and sounds and the characters' personalities and emotions are vividly written. My heart leapt and plummeted countless times. Without giving anything away, all the characters have endured tough times, and like a spring garden, they find hope and joy through nurturing friendships and contributing to Rose's memory garden. It’s a beautiful story of healing and remembrance. I highly recommend it!

Huge thanks to One More Chapter, Harper Fiction and NetGalley for the gifted ebook and having me on the readalong it's been so much fun!! And Amanda James for writing this beautiful novel.

Inspirational book dealing with grief in a positive way. Promoting resilience and growth in the healing garden of life. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

The Garden of Memories by Amanda James is an uplifting story that revolves around themes of friendship and community, self-discovery and personal growth, new beginnings and the therapeutic power of nature.

Widowed after her husband Glen passed two years ago and with her daughter Bella busy with her own family, sixty-two-year-old Rose Lanyon is trying to figure out how to fill her days after retiring from her nursing career of forty years. Rose finds herself drawn to her garden, which used to be Glen’s pride and joy. As she begins to tend to her garden, she is comforted by happy memories and soon her garden begins to attract the attention of friends, neighbors and new acquaintances – among whom are her childhood friend Daisy, her former colleague Sally and her neighbor Flora, a retired schoolteacher - who share their own memories and/or knowledge of gardening with her. With Rose’s encouragement, they begin to participate in the care of the garden, planting flowers/decorating the garden in ways that they associate with their own significant memories. Soon, her “memory garden” becomes a sanctuary for those looking for friendship, solace, or a safe place to ponder over their own life difficulties.

As the narrative progresses, we follow the characters as they build a supportive community around their memory garden and how the same inspires them to effect positive changes in their lives.

The narrative, shared from multiple perspectives, is slower-paced yet immersive with characters you would want to root for - relatable and well thought out with backstories as distinctive as their personalities. The author addresses several important issues such as loneliness, addiction, dysfunctional family dynamics, infidelity, emotional abuse and mental health, among others, realistically and with compassion. I loved the vivid descriptions of the garden and the stories behind the personal connections between the characters and their favorite flowers. Full of heart, with splashes of humor and romance, this is a beautifully penned, evocative story that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. I also must mention that I loved the cover art!

Many thanks to HarperCollins UK /One More Chapter for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Another Amanda James corker!
Set in Cornwall, we follow the story of Rose, a retired nurse and widow. She's not sure what she will do with her life; now, she has no work to go to, and some unexpected friendships bubble up, along with her best friend Daisy, bringing meaning back into her life.
This was a truly beautiful read. We see Rose's development as well as Daisy's and Flora's. Flora is a woman in her late 70s who has always been held back in certain areas of life by an overbearing mother who, even in death, won't leave her alone. But she still manages to stir it up with her hippie-dippy wardrobe and crazy hair colour!
We meet Louise, or Weez, as she is christened by Rose's grandson. She lived only for her husband and turned into somewhat of a hermit after his death.
There are so many other characters, young and old, including Josh, Lily, Sally, James, and Tristan, who are all affected by a magic that captivates them in Rose's garden.
The garden in question was tended by Rose's late husband, Glen. She begins by giving it some of her new free time as a retired woman, and slowly, the tranquillity of the space, along with her calming nature, brings her friends, new and old, to her garden, urging them to plant flowers and shrubs as memories that will live on.
I loved the premise of stepping out of those boxes we seem to put ourselves into and learning to live again without the constant worry of what others may think, no matter your age.
Beautifully told and immersive. It makes me want to become greenfingered... but I'm terrible with plants!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for an ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this eCopy to review

The Garden of Memories is a beautiful book that explores the nature of grief, how you can come to terms with it, and the healing power of nature. The setting in Cornwell is beautifully described and a real sense of place is created. Rose's garden helps bring the community together and is very inspirational

A wonderful feel good book

I really loved this book with the inspirational Rose dealing with her impending retirement, the loss of her partner and remaining positive. I loved the found family aspect and the way all of the characters related to the garden.

Amanda James’ The Garden of Memories is a charming feast for the senses set in picturesque Cornwall, England, known for its gardens. As two-year widow Rose still feels the loss of her husband Glen, she faces retirement from a 40-year nursing career dedicated to healing the sick. Needing something to occupy herself, she turns to the garden Glen had so loved and decides to plant flowers their grown daughter Bella had loved as a child.

With the idea of a memory garden, Rose invites others to join her, each able to contribute personal memories to the garden. Before long, community members with their own problems and memories have joined Rose’s once solitary project, bringing healing, growth, friendship, and community spirit.

This is a sweet book, sometimes too sweet for my personal tastes, but perhaps I have been lucky in life. While the story is sweet, happy, and uplifting, Amanda James does address several important issues—grief, drug use, dementia, and more--as she fills in her characters’ back stories. The Garden of Memories will find its place in many readers’ hearts and minds.

Thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter/HarperCollins UK for an advance reader egalley.

Thank you to Chloe at @onemorechapterhc and the author for the gifted e-book to join the read along. #thegardenofmemoriesreadalong

This book is a heartwarming tale of friendship, family, and the power of gardens and nature in our lives. Rose, a recent retiree feels aimless. her husband has passed and her daughter is living away. She decides to dedicate herself to her garden. With the support of her friends, Rose's garden becomes a sanctuary and transforms the lives of those who visit. The act of planting a flower from a happy memory allows her friends to leave a lasting mark in the garden.

I absolutely adored this charming book. The resilience and growth displayed by the characters as they come together to help Rose with her garden is inspiring. The bonds of friendship that these women form ignite a sense of confidence and inner strength within them. These women, in the later stages of their lives, find purpose and joy at a time when they are expected to simply stay at home.

I wholeheartedly endorse this lovely book. "The Garden of Memories" is out now, and I highly encourage you to read it.

Rose is facing retirement alone after the loss of her beloved husband. She feels ‘out of sorts’ and is struggling to find her way until she discovers her beautiful garden and the memories it provokes. Finding that she’s not the only one lost in life she is very soon surrounded by friends old and new. This is a delightful book which brings tranquility to not only the mixed bag of characters but also to the reader with its lovely flowers and the memories planted together within the garden. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for letting me read and review this book.

This is a lovely read ! A feast for the senses of a beauitful healing garden. The vivid descriptions by the author of the garden are sublime to the reader. You experience the tranquality, the peace and healing of this lovely garden that is the center of this story. Each flower is described with loving vibrant details. We meet three women who have their lives changed by the garden.. Rose is the main character with Flora and Sally,. Their lives are on the cusp of changes and Rose and her garden are lovingly guiding her friends. Each woman is finding peace and joy among the flowers and experiencing for themselves courgae and independance to take their next steps in life. A wonderful peaceful read that truly transports the reader to this amazing place.

Thank you to the publisher, to Net Galley and to the author. My review opinions are my own.

“𝒫𝑒𝑜𝓅𝓁𝑒 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝒻𝓁𝑜𝓌𝑒𝓇𝓈. ℐ𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝑔𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓂 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓇𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝑒𝓃𝓋𝒾𝓇𝑜𝓃𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝒾𝓃 𝓌𝒽𝒾𝒸𝒽 𝓉𝑜 𝑔𝓇𝑜𝓌, 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝒷𝓁𝑜𝑜𝓂.”

The book ended up so abruptly I was shocked. I hope there will be a sequel to it as this one ended very much open, I would love to read more about these wonderful characters and continue their stories.

I absolutely loved 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 it was such a heartfelt journey of friendships, family, love, memories and flowers of course. I have no words to express how special and unique this story was, I love the idea of a memory garden.

I highly recommend this heartwarming book to everyone!

While I will read any genre, this style isn't something I would normally fully gravitate towards, so I was excited to see where Mandy's book would take me!

First of all, the book looks absolutely gorgeous. I adore that blue (you should see my living room!) and the pretty flower frame... absolutely stunning!

The story initially kicks off with Rose... a soon to be retired nurse who decides to create a memory garden.

Every flower within the garden holds a precious memory...

We then meet the lovely Daisy, the eccentric Flora, and recently reparated Sally. These 4 amazing ladies provide the foundation of the friendship group and memory garden. Consequently, they also pick up other individuals along the way... each with their own moving story and each needing the use of the beautiful memory garden.

It is an incredibly beautiful story. Each person is like a thread that is being expertly woven together by Mandy until their stories all overlap.

There is community, friendship, love, trauma, loss... so many emotions and experiences that as a group, they support each other through it.

The very final scene left a small romantic 'will they/won't they' cliffhanger, so I'm hoping Mandy will put us out of our misery with a second book!

This is such a beautiful, rich story and one that I absolutely recommend to all.

Get snacks and tissues, though, as you're going to need it!

Rose the main character is a widow who retires from her role as a Practice Nurse for her local GP. Having lost her husband two years earlier their retirement plans were no longer possible. Initially, Rose has no idea how her retirement will pan out and feels all at sea. She then meets a neighbour Flora a single lady in her late 70s who has recently moved from Truro. Rose’s husband Glen was the gardener in their marriage and she hasn’t had the heart to keep on top of the garden., however that changes and that is the start of the creation of the Garden of Memories.
All the characters in this book are facing different challenges but when they meet Rose and are introduced ti the garden it is cathartic.
Garden of Memories is a truly lovely book full of wonderful characters. , a perfect holiday read for me. Utterly joyous.
Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the advanced copy.

Amanda James writes lovely whimsical stories set in Cornwall and this is another winner.

Rose is a widowed nurse who has just retired and is looking for something to fill her days. Her husband created a beautiful, but regimented garden that Rose decides to start to care for. As she picks different plants that have meanings and memories of her life, she comes to share her garden with septuagenarian Flora, her best friend Daisy, ex co-worker Sally and widowed loner Louise. All the women are at a different crossroads in their lives and the garden helps them all come to terms with their personal issues and to look forward to a brighter tomorrow. The descriptions of the garden is lovely and makes me yearn to have one of my own.

This was a gentle lovely read, a nice escape for an afternoon.

Thanks to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and the author for the chance to read and review this book.

Rose Lanyon retires from her nursing position and, at odds with what to do with her life next, decides to build a memory garden. Neighbors & friends join in, each bringing a plant that has a special meaning to them. Along the way, as Rose, and her new friend & neighbor Flora are not only able to heal from the loss of Rose's husband, and the trauma Flora's mother inflicted upon her, but they are also able to help others heal as well. Although the storyline had a very slow pace and the book was quite melancholy at times, it had a good message to it.

BOOK: THE GARDEN OF MEMORIES
AUTHOR: AMANDA JAMES
PUB DATE: JUNE 2024
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REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Wow! This book was an amazing one, and it was one I needed I to read, y'all too! This is the first time I'll be reading about older female characters, and it was focused on their life, a mid-life crisis, I might say. I liked that there was minimal romance, and it was not even the focus of the book. The book was about three older main characters; Rose, a 62 years old retired Nurse who didn't know what to do next after working for 40+ years and she kinda lost her identity. Flora, the oldest character, a 77 years old retired teacher who had a shitty mom and it's still affecting her! And We have Sally, a 50 years old woman who has been in an emotionally abusive marriage for years and has really low self-esteem.
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This book really meant a lot to me because it's something I could relate to, not really(I'm still in my 20s), but it's something that might happen to me too and I'm also studying to be a Nurse. Rose's situation was understandable, she was a widower, her child is living in another town and her career is over. I felt all of her emotions and the author did a very good job. I'm so glad that she found something to look forward to.
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Flora just moved to Rose's town, and they are neighbors. They become more than that thanks to the garden. Flora was fascinating to me because I never thought memories of a bad parent could still follow someone till they're in their 70s. It was eye-opening, and I enjoyed reading her pov, and I liked her HEA. She was an inspiration, really. She was 77, and she went after what she wanted without being using her age as an excuse.
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I liked Sally too, her moving on from her asshole husband and rebuilding her self confidence, building the pond in the garden. I'm glad of her growth.
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The title of this book is fitting. I loved reading about the garden, it was like I was there in the garden with the author's description. The cover also matched the book's description, I'm sure it's a beautiful one! I also liked the idea of planting something that reminded you of something. The garden was also uplifting for all of the characters. And through the garden, we met and helped a lot of new characters.
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This book was truly amazing and I'm glad I read it. The only thing that I didn't like was that it was too slow for me. But, I learned a lot of things. You shoukd definitely read this book
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I took part in One More Chapter's read-along for The Garden of Memories and received a digital copy to read and review.

Rose is questioning her identity having just retired from a life long career in nursing and feels at a loss of what to do with the rest of her life. She finds herself drawn to sorting out the garden that had once been her husband's pride and joy. In the garden she plants things that remind her of her loved ones. And what starts out as a way to honour her husband's memory soon blossoms into a beacon of solace for lost and lonely people. In the new garden friendships are made and life's are transformed.

The Garden of Memories is a charming story about rediscovering yourself and finding new joy. This book resonated with me as I view my own garden as my sanctuary. It's the place where I go to find peace and to relax and unwind. The author understands and perfectly captures the healing power of gardens and nature and weaves a lovely story around this message.

If you're looking for an uplifting read with laughs and heartwarming moments then this is one I would recommend.

This book is perfect it’s finding friendships and discovering oneself and our loves in life. We first meet Rose who has recently retired from her profession as a nurse and who’s partner has recently passed and Rose doesn’t then know who she is which is when we go on the journey of her discovery and the meeting of our other characters.

My favourite character was definitely Flora, I found her such a fun and easy to love character- she had such hardship from her mother and it was great to see that she got herself through that and saw herself with the beauty and greatness that everyone else sees.

This was a great story and I would love to read more from this author.

I really loved reading this book, from the start we were thrown in with Rose and I loved how endearing she is and how her struggles were relatable to an extent. I loved how each character was introduced and how they all found common ground with each other developing friendships and the garden, bringing this heartwarming story together.
I really liked all the characters, I felt they all were created equally realistically and their backstories made me as a reader connect more to them, I felt for them, I sympathise with them, I laughed with them, this story just captured me and pulled me in.
Amanda James' writing style is beautiful and she has a way of knowing how to capture the reader and hold them for the entire book. To say The Garden Of Memories is beautifully written is an understatement this novel brought old and young together in a way that filled us with hope. I really recommend others to pick this novel up.