Why a Booktrail?
2000s: Her mother destroyed her. The garden saved her.
Bone Meal for Roses
What you need to know before your trail
Poppy was six years old when she was rescued from her abusive mother and taken to her grandparents’ farm to recover. There, under a wide South African sky, Poppy succumbs to the magic of their garden. Slowly, her memories fade and her wounds began to heal.
But as Poppy grows up into a strange, fierce and beautiful young woman, her childhood memories start to surface. And then a love affair with a troubled older man explodes her world.
Locations
ResetTravel Guide
South Africa
The warmth and seasons of the farm are amazing. You can easily see how someone can heal here – or start to heal. The landscape is evoked with stunning clarity and warmth – the sights, sounds, aromas and promises of a new day….The grandparents farm is in the Karoo area between Pretoria and Johannesburg
“Winter brings a dusting of white to the distant mountain tops, a chill wind that sneaks in beneath the door..”
“Spring. Beneath a new blue sky, the espaliered rows of fruit trees burst into clouds of blossom, covering the valley with a chequerboard of fluttering pink and white.”
Even something ‘ordinary’ such as Mrs McGovern’s home school is evoked with South African charm:
“Mrs McGovern’s home school is to regular school as a cup-cake with icing primroses covered in sprinkles is to a stale bran muffin”
And if that’s not enough flavour of Africa for you, don’t forget the vorm koekies with their jammy coconut centres!
Booktrailer Review
Clare: @thebooktrailer
Heartbreaking! This story is a mix of despair and hope but the despair bit got me really upset. That poor girl and all she goes through is moving in the extreme but once she gets to the farm and starts to heal, then it’s lovely to read of how Poppy starts to change. The farm and landscape are evoked with such detail that you can smell, taste and feel the food, taste the salt air, smell the flowers and totally immerse yourself in the landscape and beauty of South Africa. The Karoo where the farm is located is somewhere I really would love to go to and Miranda’s descriptions of it all are just exquisite!
A very moving story that is hard at the beginning but which reaches out and has you smiling with tears in your eyes by the end.
Booktrail Boarding Pass Information: Bone Meal for Roses
Author/Guide: Miranda Sherry Destination: South Africa Departure Time: 2000s
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