The French Gardener

Product Information

The idea for this book came to me watching my children thriving in my parents’ garden on the farm where I grew up in Hampshire. I have always adored the countryside, but more than that I need it spiritually. Being essentially London children they began to plant vegetables and trees and watch them grow. They became more independent, more imaginative and surprisingly creative. I feel that all children should have access to such simple pleasures in a world where computer games and television dominate so many households. This was yet another started-but-couldn't-get-into book for me, of which I've had my fair share lately. In the hallway I walk down every day to and from my office there is a bookshelf where people put copies of books they don’t need. There are shelves like that on every floor in the building and when visiting other departments you can sometimes find books you haven’t read and you get to take them home. It is like a free bookstore. That is how I found The French Gardener by Santa Montefiore. Labai ilgai galvojau, kokį įvertinimą šiam kūriniui skirti. Iš esmės knygos pradžia buvo sunki, veikėjai nedomino, prasidėjo labai lengvabūdiškai: turtingo vyro moteris, kuri nesusitvarko su vaikais, vyras, turintis du gyvenimus, nauja "pradžia". Nuobodu, neįdomu. Į knygą sudėjau visas savo viltis, kadangi dar paauglystėje skaičiau šios autorės kūrinį "Po Italijos saule", kuris vis dar išliko kažkur giliai širdyje. Jau negalėčiau atpasakoti, kokią istoriją pasakojo, tačiau vis dar atsimenu, kaip jaučiausi ją skaitydama. Tikriausiai tos per didelės viltys ir numušė knygos vertinimą. Reziume duočiau 3,5 žvaigždutes. Then an enigmatic Frenchman arrives. With the wisdom of nature he slowly begins to heal the past and the present. But who is he? His secret lies in the deepest recesses of the garden, for a garden, like love itself, can restore the human spirit not just season after season, but generation after generation.

Book Review | The French Gardener by Santa Montefiore Book Review | The French Gardener by Santa Montefiore

Some of these are my own observations, others were given to me by Georgia Langton, a friend of my mother’s who’s a talented gardener. These are Ava’s words, because, on a deeper level, Ava’s spirit is still there in the garden – like nature we don’t die, but shed our bodies like leaves and flower again in spirit. Ava’s very much present, enjoying all the beauty of Nature.I adore my London life. I love my friends, the restaurants, shops, theatres and the social side of the city. But I need to return every weekend to the country where I see only my family. I feel at peace in the woods and gardens of my home, where we have a cottage, and fill up spiritually. Simon gave me the idea for The French Gardener and our children inspired me to write about the simple pleasures of Nature as their DVDs and Nintendo’s gathered dust, replaced by a more wholesome desire to play outside. saulėlydis – tai tragedija, nuo kurios apima liūdesys, nes jo negali suturėti. Galbūt laikinumas ir yra grožis. Gal mūsų meilė tikresnė dėl to, kad ji be vilties. Jei kas pajėgtų suturėti saulėlydį ir nuolat gyventų nutviekstas gaisų, ar stebuklas išliktų?“

The French Gardener | Book by Santa Montefiore | Official

With its realistic characters and vividly described world, which readers will be reluctant to leave, Montefiore’s charming, moving novel will appeal to fans of Like Water for Chocolate. A perfect book for a lazy summer day.” There wasn't a huge amount of suspense, but in romance books you sort of know who things will turn out. I would have liked to know more about the scrapbook itself, but it was a nice device to link the two time periods together. Like a rare organic grand cru, with a unique, intense taste, The Gardener Gin is a return to the classic, combining both purity of flavor and elegance thanks to the exceptional quality of its fresh citruses. Made from wheat in copper stills, the gin rests upon a canvas of juniper, licorice, angelica and coriander. It is a melding of lush greens and brilliant golds, laced through with an unconventional blend of both fresh and dry citruses – pink grapefruit, bright lemon and the yin and yang of sweet and bitter orange from Cap d’Antibes area.

After amassing over 40 years of experience in the art of making gin – he forged his name at Tanqueray where he perfected his craft and received Lifetime Achievement Award from the Gin Guild in 2015 – Tom Nichol decided to create the ultimate London Dry Gin that he has always dreamed of. What a thrill it is to find and fall in love with an author who has written more than one book. I cannot wait to get my hands on Santa Montefiore’s other novels. These are the kind of books that you want to give yourself as a treat: a comfy chair, a glass of wine, and a trip wherever she wants to take you because you know the journey and the people you meet will be wonderful. On another whim last weekend, I tossed the book into my beach bag before heading out to Positano. I’m so glad I did! Using the book to shield out the too hot sun, I was easily lost in the story from the captivating prologue that sets the scene for this romantic tale in the English countryside. I decided to divide the book into seasons because of the garden theme, of course – I wanted a whole year to watch Jean-Paul’s garden grow – but also to reinforce the main theme of regeneration. The seasons return again year after year, Ava hands her knowledge and love of the garden to Jean-Paul who then passes them on to Miranda and her children, who will pass them onto their own children one day. My father grew up in the same house that I grew up in, where we now have a cottage. My children build camps in the same parts of the garden and woods and climb the same tree house that my father and I once climbed. Ava’s love is not dead, but will grow season after season in the garden she created. The Gardener works in harmony with the shifts of the season, the exchange of warmth and cold, the pleasures of living well.