by Sophie Anderson
Publication Date June 21, 2021
Published by Bookouture
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Genres: Contemporary, Family & Relationships, Family Life, Fiction, Romance, Women
Pages: 260
Format: ARC
I blamed my son for the death of my daughter…
When twenty-five-year-old Erin flees London for Cornwall and takes a job at Hookes End, a huge house clinging precariously to the Cornish cliffs, all she knows about it are the stories people tell. The owner, reclusive novelist and butterfly enthusiast Maggie, has kept the curtains of her dusty house drawn for many years. But now she is dying, and Erin, seeing the shadows that cross Maggie’s face, wants to help in any way she can.
Years ago, Maggie’s only son Lucas ran away to the other side of the world and the searing heat of the Costa Rican jungle. Maggie is desperate to see Lucas again – there is something she needs him to know.
Erin wants to help Maggie find peace. But when she travels to the warm white sands and tropical butterfly gardens of Costa Rica to find Lucas, it becomes very clear that he is hiding something too.
As Erin unravels the webs of deceit entangling mother and son, she learns about the terrible tragedy that changed their lives forever: the night when a little girl in a fairy nightdress went missing. But with Maggie’s time fast running out, is it too late for them to find the forgiveness they need to move on?
A heart-wrenching page-turner about a family ripped apart by guilt and lies. Set against the storms of the Cornish coast and the silvery sands of Costa Rica, The Butterfly Garden is a story of love, loss and letting go. Fans of Jojo Moyes, Harriet Evans and Lucinda Riley will be gripped.
My review:
Families, secrets, and the pain the secrets inflict on both the secret keeper and the ones that the secrets are about. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it’s all about families, tragedy, and misguided blame. If you like a story about redemption, emotional growth, and forgiveness, this is the book for you.
Erin finds herself at a crossroads after she returns to her small village in Cornwall, after following her married lover to London, and finding out he will never leave his wife and daughter, she returns to her home and searches for work. Finding an advertisement for “Eyes Wanted”, she finds employment with a reclusive novelist who lives in a huge house named Hooks End. Surly and unwelcoming at first, Maggie Muir doesn’t want any intrusions in her life, but with a brain tumor stealing her sight, she needs Erin to help her finish her final novel. The two women forge an unlikely friendship and Erin will do anything to help her new friend with her final dying wish.
This book is all about family secrets and the consequences of keeping them and not allowing forgiveness. It’s beautifully written, and the characters are well developed and I found myself caring about them and how they grow and deal with the consequences of these secrets. I found the pacing of the book to be good, a bit slow in the middle, but not enough to deter me.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in family drama, secrets, and personal growth.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.”