BOOK NOOK; The Winter Garden by Alexandra Bell

 

"Dozens of ice roses wound around the posts of her bed, each petal as clear and cold as glass, their thorns like crystal, their stems sparkling in a layer of frost as fine as lace."

I have just finished reading The Winter Garden and I am still crying from the emotional ending!  I don't usually cry over books, but I'm three tissues in and still weeping over this magnificent and thoroughly moving novel. I haven't cried at a book like this since I was 12 and Aslan and Beth March both died in the same reading month! 

I'm not going to lie - it was the cover which drew me in.  I planned to save it for the winter months, but it has been tempting me for a few weeks with promises of winter magic, so I decided I could no longer wait.  From page one I felt like I was floating on a dandelion clock, into a gorgeous world that gives Narnia a run for its money.  Instead of Aslan, there is a tiger made from starlight and a whole host of wonderful, magical creatures.

It's not all frothy delights though and this is very much an adult novel which addresses some deep issues, but it does so in such an enchanting way that you are still drawn in, despite the heavy topics it covers.  

The Winter Garden is a frosted fairytale spun from sorrow, grief and regret, with all the tantalizing hope of second chances and wishes galore.  It explores life in all its light and shade, acknowledging that sorrow is essential if we are to feel joy.  The author is a sympathetic writer, showing empathy for her characters, as she somehow manages to spin difficult issues into a wintry web of magic, enchantment, delight and pure escapism. 

Here you will find snow white frogs who act as messengers, enchanted tea-cups and orchids that bloom from grief.  Add in a spectacular icicle carousel, a few fairies and a Spider Queen who isn't nearly so scary as she sounds - I have arachnophobia and I still loved her! - and you have a novel that balances the sorrows of the characters with a wonderful frothy world of ice, snow and magic.

I was smiling as I read the descriptive passages of the gardens, then weeping at the last, before being uplifted at the end.  It's a masterpiece of emotional writing, but it carries all the charm of a children's fairytale.  The Winter Garden feels like a safe space. I really hope that it gets turned into a film at some stage because this world is just so visually lovely that it deserves to be seen as well as read, providing film makers can do it justice.  It is one of the most imaginative novels I have read this year, with an entirely original plot. I enjoyed every page of this book and I shall certainly be looking out for future books by this author.  It's the perfect novel to read if winter can't come quick enough for you! Enjoy.

BB Marie x

AD: This book was sent to me by the publisher for review purposes. It is available now.