In a place and time unknown, two elderly sisters live in a walled garden, secluded from the outside world. Evelyn and Lily have only ever known each other. What was before the garden, they have forgotten; what lies beyond it, they do not know. Each day is spent in languid service to their home: tending the bees, planting the crops, and dutifully following the instructions of the almanac written by their mother.

When a nameless boy is found hiding in the boarded house at the center of their isolated grounds, their once-solitary lives are irrevocably disrupted. Who is he? Where did he come from? And most importantly, what does he want?

As suspicions gather and allegiances falter, Evelyn and Lily are forced to confront the dark truths about themselves, the garden, and the world as they’ve known it.

In The Garden by Nick Newman, the author has created an atmospheric and dynamic story that delves into dark truths and a dystopian world. With a world that is disrupted, Evelyn and Lily must confront their changed world and the boy that has forced that conflict. 

One of the aspects I enjoyed the most is the conflict between Evelyn and Lily, especially as Evelyn reflects on their past and how their world changed as the world became a post apocalyptic world. Nothing is ever revealed about the causes of the world being disrupted but that only makes the story more hypnotic and compelling. The atmosphere of the garden and the dynamic between the two sisters is what drives the narrative, until secrets are revealed and a choice between love or survival must be faced.

If you love atmospheric and dynamic stories, this is a richly compelling novel with complex characters that is about love and survival. It is wonderful but also tragic at times but the ending is gorgeous.

Rating: 5 out of 5 flowers

Penguin RandomHouse

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