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1946: No one survives war unscathed. But even in the darkest days, seeds of hope can grow.
1946: No one survives war unscathed. But even in the darkest days, seeds of hope can grow.
It is 1946 and in the village of Oakbourne the men are home from the war. Their bodies are healing but their psychological wounds run deep. Everyone is scarred – those who fought and those left behind.
Alice Rayne is married to Stephen, heir to crumbling Oakbourne Hall. Once a sweet, gentle man, he has returned a bitter and angry stranger, destroyed by what he has seen and done, tormented by secrets Alice can only guess at.
Lonely and increasingly afraid of the man her husband has become, Alice must try to pick up the pieces of her marriage and save Oakbourne Hall from total collapse. She begins with the walled garden and, as it starts to bear fruit, she finds herself drawn into a new, forbidden love.
Oakbourne Hall, Suffolk
There is no Oakbourne Hall in real life but there are many halls and stately homes that you can imagine it to be. Not in this state thoughL
“Ivy had broken through the leaded windows in what had once been the nursery at Oakbourne Hall. Rain pelted inside.”
Alice, the young wife tries to take charge of Oakbourne and bring it into the 21st Century:
“For almost a year now, since the Canadian army’s departure, she’s sorted through dusty rooms, trying to make them habitable again. For her and Stephen. For the children they’d talked about having. But whenever they mentioned the state of the house to Stephen he’s just mutter: ‘I couldn’t care less and neigther should you.'”
TheBookTrail’s bookreview of The Walled Garden Sarah Hardy
Destination/Location: Suffolk Author: Sarah Hardy Departure: 1946
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