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The Victory Garden cover art

The Victory Garden

By: Rhys Bowen
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
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Summary

From the best-selling author of The Tuscan Child and the Her Royal Spyness series comes a beautiful, heart-rending novel of a woman’s love and sacrifice set during the First World War. The tender tale is exquisitely performed by Saskia Maarleveld, a narrator with over 325 audiobooks—including multiple AudioFile Earphones Award-winners—to her name.

As the Great War continues to take a devastating toll on the globe, Emily Bryce meets Robbie, a cheeky and handsome Australian pilot who is set to be deployed to the frontlines. After a whirlwind romance, the two fall in love and marry. After Robbie ships out, Emily volunteers as a land girl, tending to the neglected grounds of a large Devonshire estate. Not long after, however, Emily receives devastating news; Robbie has been killed in the line of duty. Grief-stricken, Emily—who has just discovered that she is pregnant—turns to an unexpected source of hope. In the pages of a long-forgotten journal from a medicine woman who devoted her life to the gardens she now tends, she finds not only comfort and solace—but perhaps a path to her destiny. 

©2019 Janet Quin-Harkin (P)2019 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about The Victory Garden

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Brilliant

Brilliant book, did not see the twist in the ending coming. Interesting tale of the plight of the main characters and how they overcame it in their own right in a soft way rather than an angry one in an era where girls were viewed as chattels by men! High praise for the gentle, soft way in which Rhys Bowen handled this storyline. Will definitely buy more of her books. The narrator Saskia Maarleveld on the audible version was excellent and will look out for more of her narrations on Audible books. Recommended.

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7 people found this helpful

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Topical Title.

I felt that the narrator’s voice was a bit too well clipped. I liked the idea. I did find that things fell into place a little too easily.

During The Great War, Emily Bryce meets Robbie, who when he is healed, is off to the front line. He is a pilot from Australia & the two are drawn together.

Unlike the books description, have they read it, they do not marry although they plan to. He dies & she is pregnant.

Emily has volunteered as a land girl - has the person writing this resume, read the book!

The lady of the big house, agrees that they should pretend that Emily is married.

There is a section where she suddenly decides that she can make potions, of course they go wrong.

All in all, Emily has a good life despite her baby.

It could have been stronger & the person writing the brief description of the book, could have read it!

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6 people found this helpful

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Lovely easy listen

I have enjoyed all Rhys Bowen's stories and this one was no different. Very light and easy to listen to with a decent knowledge of history. Samaria Maarleveld is a wonderful narrator for this story with a very good ear for accents and even a fairly convincing Irish accent that is usually the Waterloo of so many narrators. Her reading was very convincing and made the story flow well.

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3 people found this helpful

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lovely story

Interestingly set in WW1. Neat ending twist.
However I didn't enjoy the narrator's voice.
overall a well constructed & engaging story almost detailed by the narrator.

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2 people found this helpful

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Thank you!

A really lovely story, read beautifully. Thank you! I will look for more books by the same author.

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Brilliant

Brilliant story, would definitely listen to it again. Full of suspense and love. 10 out of 10

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2 people found this helpful

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Drivel

Absolutely appalling story line. Weak romance. Totally predictable. And the most dull and boring prose. Wish I hadn’t wasted my time.

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1 person found this helpful

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Fabulous Book!

I have just listened to this wonderful story. I feel so sad to have finished it! What a talented author Rhys Bowen is. I am so delighted to have discovered her work. I have also listened to The Tuscan Child and the Venice Sketchbook. Both equally superb !

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1 person found this helpful

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Not as good as the Tuscan Girl

I may be getting saturated with Rhys' novels, having listened to at least 18 of them, back to back, some of them twice (to get the Royal Spyness series in order.) I found that with this book I was able to predict almost every twist and turn up to the final twist in the tale, which surprised me! I love Rhys' writing so much, though, that I may have to keep listening. So I'd recommend this book, but maybe it should be read before Tuscan Girl, which was so good, and Venice Sketchbook, which was even better! Keep writing please, Rhys. Your adorning public are hungry for more!!

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superb

another superbly written and narrated book from Rhys Bowen. I'm hooked and look forward to many more of her books

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