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A Memory of Violets

A Novel of London's Flower Sellers

Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
2 of 2 copies available

The author of the USA Today and New York Times bestselling novel The Girl Who Came Home has once again created an unforgettable historical novel. Step into the world of Victorian London, where the wealth and poverty exist side by side. This is the story of two long-lost sisters, whose lives take different paths, and the young woman who will be transformed by their experiences.

In 1912, twenty-year-old Tilly Harper leaves the peace and beauty of her native Lake District for London, to become assistant housemother at Mr. Shaw's Home for Watercress and Flower Girls. For years, the home has cared for London's flower girls—orphaned and crippled children living on the grimy streets and selling posies of violets and watercress to survive.

Soon after she arrives, Tilly discovers a diary written by an orphan named Florrie—a young Irish flower girl who died of a broken heart after she and her sister, Rosie, were separated. Moved by Florrie's pain and all she endured in her brief life, Tilly sets out to discover what happened to Rosie. But the search will not be easy. Full of twists and surprises, it leads the caring and determined young woman into unexpected places, including the depths of her own heart.

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    • AudioFile Magazine
      This intriguing historical novel brings to life the culture of the flower and watercress girls of Victorian England. Narrated expertly by Nicola Barber, the novel weaves the stories of Irish sisters Florrie and Rosie in 1876 and that of a young English women, Tilly, in 1912. As house mother at Violet House, Tilly discovers a diary written by Florrie that propels her to find out what happened to Rosie after the diary ends. Barber aids the listener in identifying the many characters with changes in accent, tempo, and tone. Her comfortable pacing draws listeners in as she seamlessly blends history and fiction while shining a light on the harsh existence of these outcast children of Victorian England who were rescued and trained for jobs that provided a safe, stable existence. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
    • Booklist

      January 1, 2015
      In 1876 London, two Irish sisters struggle to survive by selling flowers and watercress. Abused by their father and eventually orphaned, the girls have a heartbreaking existence, with little food to eat and nights spent huddled in doorways. But when the girls accidentally become separated, their lives are changed forever. Fast-forward nearly 40 years, to when young Tilly Harper leaves the green hills of the Lake District to work in London as a housemother at Mr. Shaw's Home for Watercress and Flower Girls. Founded as a refuge for orphaned and disabled flower girls, the home provides food, shelter, and a livelihood for its charges. Shortly after Tilly arrives, she finds a box containing former resident Flora Flynn's diary documenting her search for her missing sister. When Tilly decides to find out what happened to Rosie, her own life is transformed. Gaynor (The Girl Who Came Home, 2014) once again brings history to life. With intriguing characters and a deeply absorbing story, her latest is a fascinating examination of one city's rich history and the often forgotten people who lived in it.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

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  • English

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