A review by slferg
The French Gardener by Santa Montefiore
4.0
I enjoyed this book - of course, I cried through the last parts of it. It takes a look about what is important as a family.
Jean-Paul has been sent to work with ? who has the most beautiful gardens in the area. He comes across as an arrogant, shiftless playboy and she doesn't figure he'll last a week. But he works with her in her gardens, planting and weeding and watching her interact with her children and family. He sees how she teaches them and loves them and he begins to fall in love. She tells him she will not leave her children, they are too important to her.
The other storyline is the family who has bought the estate when ? and Phillip had to sell it because of his stroke. They have moved from London and Miranda does not intend to get involved with the neighbors in this little nothing town. They have 2 children, a boy and a girl. The boy desperately wants attention and acts out cruelly to other children and animals. Miranda is a writer of articles and opinion pieces, etc., but wants to write a novel. So she's really too busy to be with the children. Then she hires a housekeeper and Jean-Paul shows up having found her daughter, Storm, in the woods and brought her home. She asks what he does and he replies "I garden". So she hires him as a gardener and fixes up the little cottage across the water for him. She finds a scrapbook in the spare bedroom - the house is set like someone went out for a walk and never came back. The table is set for two, the beds are made, etc. She begins to read the scrapbook and things begin to take on a different perspective for her, very slowly at first. Jean-Paul returns and teaches the children gradually how to have fun. He builds them a tree house in a hollow tree and begins to bring the gardens back to life. Miranda is unable to resist joining in the fun he and the children are having, and she begins to make friends in the area. Her husband just comes home on weekends, but becomes aware of something happening with his children and his wife - they are all happier people and he really enjoys being with them.
The book is laid out by seasons, and the 2 stories intertwine. First one, then the other. Miranda learns from the scrapbook and from Jean-Paul and it is not until she finishes the scrapbook that she realizes it was meant for him. So, she tries to find the woman who previously owned the house.
Jean-Paul has been sent to work with ? who has the most beautiful gardens in the area. He comes across as an arrogant, shiftless playboy and she doesn't figure he'll last a week. But he works with her in her gardens, planting and weeding and watching her interact with her children and family. He sees how she teaches them and loves them and he begins to fall in love. She tells him she will not leave her children, they are too important to her.
The other storyline is the family who has bought the estate when ? and Phillip had to sell it because of his stroke. They have moved from London and Miranda does not intend to get involved with the neighbors in this little nothing town. They have 2 children, a boy and a girl. The boy desperately wants attention and acts out cruelly to other children and animals. Miranda is a writer of articles and opinion pieces, etc., but wants to write a novel. So she's really too busy to be with the children. Then she hires a housekeeper and Jean-Paul shows up having found her daughter, Storm, in the woods and brought her home. She asks what he does and he replies "I garden". So she hires him as a gardener and fixes up the little cottage across the water for him. She finds a scrapbook in the spare bedroom - the house is set like someone went out for a walk and never came back. The table is set for two, the beds are made, etc. She begins to read the scrapbook and things begin to take on a different perspective for her, very slowly at first. Jean-Paul returns and teaches the children gradually how to have fun. He builds them a tree house in a hollow tree and begins to bring the gardens back to life. Miranda is unable to resist joining in the fun he and the children are having, and she begins to make friends in the area. Her husband just comes home on weekends, but becomes aware of something happening with his children and his wife - they are all happier people and he really enjoys being with them.
The book is laid out by seasons, and the 2 stories intertwine. First one, then the other. Miranda learns from the scrapbook and from Jean-Paul and it is not until she finishes the scrapbook that she realizes it was meant for him. So, she tries to find the woman who previously owned the house.