Fiction Pick of the Week: The French Gardener

The French Gardener by Santa Montefiore

I just discovered this author this summer and am so glad I did. Like Rosamunde Pilcher, Montefiore has charmed me with her tender novel about marriage, passion, loss, renewal, and the healing power of love.  Miranda Claybourne has ditched her posh Notting Hill digs for the English countryside. Her idyll is short lived however – her husband is preoccupied with his job and his mistress and the kids lash out at each other. Once  Miranda finds the former owner’s secret journal, she becomes engrossed in dramatic events from 20 years prior.  Ava, former lady of the house was a brilliant gardener with many secrets. Could the sudden appearance of the new French gardener, Jean-Paul, have a tie with the past?