The Last Garden in England cover art

The Last Garden in England

 Preview

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto renews for £5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Last Garden in England

By: Julia Kelly
Narrated by: Shiromi Arserio, Marisa Calin, Danielle Cohen, Katherine Littrell, Siobhan Waring
Try Standard free

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £14.03

Buy Now for £14.03

About this listen

 From the author of the international bestsellers The Light Over London and The Whispers of War comes “a compelling read, filled with lovable characters and an alluring twist of fates” (Ellen Keith, author of The Dutch Wife) about five women living across three different times whose lives are all connected by one very special garden.

Present day: Emma Lovett, who has dedicated her career to breathing new life into long-neglected gardens, has just been given the opportunity of a lifetime: to restore the gardens of the famed Highbury House estate, designed in 1907 by her hero Venetia Smith. But as Emma dives deeper into the gardens’ past, she begins to uncover secrets that have long lain hidden.

1907: A talented artist with a growing reputation for her work, Venetia Smith has carved out a niche for herself as a garden designer to industrialists, solicitors, and bankers looking to show off their wealth with sumptuous country houses. When she is hired to design the gardens of Highbury House, she is determined to make them a triumph, but the gardens—and the people she meets—promise to change her life forever.

1944: When land girl Beth Pedley arrives at a farm on the outskirts of the village of Highbury, all she wants is to find a place she can call home. Cook Stella Adderton, on the other hand, is desperate to leave Highbury House to pursue her own dreams. And widow Diana Symonds, the mistress of the grand house, is anxiously trying to cling to her pre-war life now that her home has been requisitioned and transformed into a convalescent hospital for wounded soldiers. But when war threatens Highbury House’s treasured gardens, these three very different women are drawn together by a secret that will last for decades.

“Gorgeously written and rooted in meticulous period detail, this novel is vibrant as it is stirring. Fans of historical fiction will fall in love with The Last Garden in England” (Roxanne Veletzos, author of The Girl They Left Behind). 20th Century Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Romance Women's Fiction War England Historical Fiction England

Critic reviews

"The inviting performances of Marisa Calin, Shiromi Arserio, Katherine Littrell, Danielle Cohen, and Siobhan Waring add to the immersive pleasure of this engaging historical novel by bestselling author Julia Kelly. Set alternately in 1907, 1944, and the present day, the plot centers on the women of England's Highbury House. Venetia, the estate's 1907 garden designer, struggles to balance social expectations with her career desires. When WWII turns the estate into a convalescent hospital, estate owner Diana, cook Stella, and land girl Beth fight to preserve the gardens while building fulfilling lives. Modern-day garden restorer Emma uncovers the past's hidden secrets while navigating challenges that echo Venetia's. They are all compellingly written characters with affecting lives and interesting personal challenges, making this a listening experience to savor."
All stars
Most relevant
a story transporting me through the ages ,entwining lives and conjuring beautiful images of magical gardens,

A beautiful story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This book took me a while yo get into and was planning on not finishing it , but after the first few chapters I really got into it and couldn't put it down. A lovely clean feel good book.

Rocky start to can't put down

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This story was lovely in every way! A beautiful telling of people’s lives throughout history, all the way to present day. The way it is all linked was very well thought out. I enjoyed every second!

A lovely read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Based on previous reviews I expected more from this story. The narration of Venetia in particular was awful, both accent and stilted pronunciation which was very jarring!

Disappointing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This story took a while to get into and the narrator of Venettia was extremely annoying. However, I liked the way the different characters were interwoven throughout the decades, telling the story of the garden.

Slow start but worth persevering!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews