The French Gardener

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Ava and Jean-Paul periodically compare their relationship to ephemeral phenomena in nature: a rainbow, a sunset. How would you describe some of the relationships in your life using nature as a metaphor? Have you planted strong roots? Is your family tree a weeping willow, an oak tree with a tire swing, or maybe a crab apple tree? Jean-Paul and Ava’s love story exists in so many forms—in Ava’s scrapbook, in the novel Miranda writes, and in the novel we have just read. In what ways is their story classic and ripe for retelling and reworking? Miranda seems to be a city girl but finds her heart in the country. Where do you feel most at home? Personally I am really looking forward to reading more of her novels and am disappointed that at the moment there are no more sitting on our bookshelves waiting for me.

It twangs on every heartstring, presses every button and is utterly irresistible… It’s lovely stuff – glossy lifestyle glamour with a soul.. you’re spellbound by the sheer charm of the enterprise.” A neglected garden. A cottage that holds a secret. A mysterious and handsome Frenchman. Prepare to be “spellbound by the sheer charm” ( Daily Express , UK) of Santa Montefiore’s tender and powerful novel about passion, loss, and the healing power of love. I really do believe in the magic of love and in the magic of nature. Ava and Jean-Paul pour all their love into the garden and create something magical. Jean-Paul teaches Miranda and her children to love Nature and they flourish. Love makes ordinary things special, it’s all about perception and focus. The old cliché that love can change the world is the truest thing ever said! The only trouble with most of us is that we love conditionally. True love is unconditional.Can you give us some more insight into the poetic phrases that begin each chapter? How did you decide on these? How do you hope they set the tone for what follows in the chapter? Santa Montefiore has been slowly winning me over. This is the third book I read by her and she has been proving me that she has it in her to write great and delightful stories. Of the three books I've read, this is the second one that I'll be rating 5 stars and that's good news both for me and for the author as I'll definitely keep reading her words. She is really good in writing about love, about people, about lives and also about magic. Some of these are my own observations, others were given to me by Georgia Langton, a friend of my mother’s who’s a talented gardener. These are Ava’s words, because, on a deeper level, Ava’s spirit is still there in the garden—like nature we don’t die but shed our bodies like leaves and flower again in spirit. Ava’s very much present, enjoying all the beauty of nature.

It begins as Miranda and David Claybourne move into a country house with a once-beautiful garden. But reality turns out to be very different from their dream. Soon the latent unhappiness in the family begins to come to the surface, isolating each family member in a bubble of resentment and loneliness.

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I love romance novels, gardening, handsome mysterious strangers, and anything to do with England and France. Throw in thwarted love, a mysterious notebook, a cheating husband, a selfish woman learning to love, a grand manor house, and quirky small-town characters and you had me at hello. Your books provide limitless fodder for reading group discussion. What can book club members look forward to next? Incorporate stone surfaces. Gravel paths and stone steps not only define the walking paths in a a French-style garden, but they can also provide much-needed drainage during a rainy season. Gravel and stonework will help keep weeds at bay, and we recommend laying down a weed-barrier fabric underneath your pathways. Oddly enough, I didn’t identify at all with Miranda. I’m a country girl through and through! I identified with Ava a little, but I imagine some of me went into both. I write from my heart without really intellectualizing things a great deal. I write what feels right. I find it just as easy to write about someone like me as someone very unlike me—sometimes the characters who are least like me are the most fun! I can be anyone I want to be and, for the duration of the book, live another life entirely! For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.

Simon gave me the idea for The French Gardener and our children inspired me to write about the simple pleasures of Nature as their DVDs and Nintendo’s gathered dust, replaced by a more wholesome desire to play outside. Montefiore describes the setting of the novel beautifully. Nearly every chapter comes alive with details of the characters’ surroundings. Which images are most memorable for you? Can you picture any of the gardens or buildings described? Readers are always interested in which character an author aligns herself with. Is Miranda’s job as a writer and aspirations as a novelist a hint? Do you find it easiest to write about characters with whom you relate or ones you feel distant from? The idea for this book came to me watching my children thriving in my parents’ garden on the farm where I grew up in Hampshire. I have always adored the countryside, but more than that I need it spiritually. Being essentially London children they began to plant vegetables and trees and watch them grow. They became more independent, more imaginative and surprisingly creative. I feel that all children should have access to such simple pleasures in a world where computer games and television dominate so many households. The residence should be the focal point of the garden. In traditional French-style gardens, the home is the focal point of the garden, with paths that run perpendicular to the structure. Stucco or stonework homes are ideal for a traditional French-style garden, but other styles of homes can work, too. Consider adding window boxes to further connect the home to the landscape.

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Jean-Paul has been sent to work with ? who has the most beautiful gardens in the area. He comes across as an arrogant, shiftless playboy and she doesn't figure he'll last a week. But he works with her in her gardens, planting and weeding and watching her interact with her children and family. He sees how she teaches them and loves them and he begins to fall in love. She tells him she will not leave her children, they are too important to her. How do you hope readers will understand the “magic” of the garden at Hartington? Do you believe in real magic, or are you using the word figuratively? Can love make ordinary things and places magical? What a thrill it is to find and fall in love with an author who has written more than one book. I cannot wait to get my hands on Santa Montefiore’s other novels. These are the kind of books that you want to give yourself as a treat: a comfy chair, a glass of wine, and a trip wherever she wants to take you because you know the journey and the people you meet will be wonderful.