A fictionalized account based on the true life of Fredrick Olmstead. The author's husband is a distant cousin of the Olmstead couple in the book. The description....a life well lived.....seems to fit this couple, both their romance and their efforts to landscape and beautify parks across the United States. It is an absolutely fascinating look at their lives that made me research to find more and that's what a good book, good story should do. The book contains a little bit of every genre you could list, so it should interest and educate any and every one who will read it.

Frederick Law Olmstead, designer of parks, and his wife, Mary. The book begins in 1858 when Mary is widowed and her brother-in-law, Frederick, marries her to help take care of his brother's children. At first, their relationship is awkward, but Mary works to make her marriage one of love and support. As Frederick designs more and more parks, which he calls the "beating green heart" of a city, Mary is his support. An engaging read about the family and professional life of one of the greatest landscape architects of our time, Fred Olmstead. I hadn't realized the amount of personal tragedy he had to overcome to make his visions realities. His wife was the rock of the family and the story is told from her perspective. You really can appreciate the effort it took for her to remain with a man so dedicated and obsessed with his work.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity.

I enjoyed the historical aspects of the book. The life of Frederick Law Olmstead , landscape architect and public administrator. On the onset, it appeared to be a marriage of conveience that turned into a romantic love affair. I particularly enjoyed the information regarding the city parks and how they were developed and designed.
Thank you NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Landscape of a Marriage was written by Gail Ward Olmsted whose husband was related to Fred Olmsted. I loved that the title refers to the marriage and the landscapes that Fred did in different parks around the world. The cover was a great match also. The story was set in the mid 1800's and reading how different it was then was a eye opener. I enjoyed learning about this family.

Landscape of a Marriage is a historical fiction novel based on truth. The story is told from the perspective of Mary Perkins Olmsted, wife of Frederick Law Olmsted. Fred is the creator of Central Park as well as many other famous parks and venues. When dealing with a visionary genius such as Fred, the wife and family play an important role. This tale is no exception.

The historical facts sprinkled throughout the tale make this mesmerizing reading. Widowed Mary travels from Europe to the United States with her young children. When she turns to her brother-in-law for help, she never expects him to marry her for convenience. This marriage turns to love and endures many trials and tribulations over the expanse of years.

Mary works diligently to keep the family together and help her husband with his dreams and projects. Taking place in the 1800s, it’s not always easy for a woman to make decisions and get respect for her work.

While tragedy strikes often within the family, Mary does her best. When she does succumb to a bout of depression, her children and best friend Anne are there to help.

The everlasting friendship between the wives of two brilliant men and business partners is a testament to both women. They may face rocky moments in their friendship, but it endures.

Fred and Mary’s relationship with their children encompasses expectations and learning to let go. Even through tragedy, family is everything.

I had not heard of Fred Olmsted before I read this book. Since reading it, I have found references to him everywhere. I even saw him as a clue on Jeopardy recently.

The story is entertaining and educational. I am so glad I had the opportunity to read and review Landscape of a Marriage.

Fredrick Law Olmstead is arguably the most famous and well-known landscape artist in the world. During his lifetime he was sought after around the world for his talented approach to landscape design. Central Park in New York City and the design of the Worlds Fair and Exposition in Chicago in the late 1800’s is among many shining examples of his work.

The author has scraped away the accolades and achievements and made the artist into a real person. His wife Mary and he had many decades of a happy marriage despite the loss of a number of offspring and tragedies often overshadowed the triumphs.

Looking at the accomplishments of the Olmstead clan, The author illuminated the importance of a strong matriarch in this family enterprise. Mr. Olmsted helped to develop and enhance some of the nations most prized national parks including Yosemite.

The end result is a very endearing tale of a family with vision and purpose. Fredrick Law Olmstead and his sons and daughter helped to leave a family legacy of unparalleled significance. Anyone who visits the national parks and many city and/or regional parks owe the majesty and authenticity of the landscape to the tenacity of this family. Recommended. 5 stars - CE Williams

More Fiction About the Marriage Than History of the Man
I was hoping that this book would be about the fantastic parks designed by Olmstead, as well as how these parks were built. Many parks of the era were placed in 'throw-away' zones in difficult areas like swamps and dumps. Most of his famous successes were barely discussed in passing that would not fill two pages. There were only brief mentions of The Biltmore Estate, Stanford University, and the US Capitol grounds in DC and a bit more about Yosemite National Park, Niagra Falls, and The Columbian Exposition. An equal amount of page space was given to which Christmas Carols were sung at Christmas. Most of the book is about his wife, their marriage, and their home life. There is much about how his wife fit into the equation and how his children came to be part of the business. The book truly centers on his wife and her activities and is written from her point of view. She is portrayed as if she were a saint. I knew that this was to be a fictionalized account based on historical events, but I was sorely disappointed.

Honestly, I am so sorry, but I can’t finish this book. I really wanted to read it because my hometown (Buffalo, NY) is full of Olmstead parks. But I guess I didn’t properly catch the part about it being a landscape of their marriage. It’s full of diapers, and childbirth, and Frederick’s quirks, and, of all things, their sex life. I’m afraid I just didn’t find it interesting. My apologies to the author. I’m sure the right audience is out there. I just know it isn’t me. Best of luck with the launch.

Landscape of a Marriage by Gail Ward Olmsted is the fictionalized story of Frederick Law Olmsted and his wife, Mary Perkins Olmsted. Olmsted was a pivotal personality in American history if not a well-known one. He was instrumental in the design and building of Central Park in New York City, as well as other parks in the East, but more importantly, he worked for the United States government during the War Between the States as the safety officer. He was responsible for the conditions in field hospitals all during the war. The truth of his marriage, to his widowed sister-in-law, is a work of fiction, based on extensive research. It is a positive and interesting view of a 44-year-long marriage, to an interesting man. It is a story of a woman who participated in life. It also chronicles many milestones in American history from the perspective of a person living it. It was a story well-written and enjoyable to read. I loved this book!

I had never really been aware of Fred Olmsted, but after read this book, he kept popping up in other books I was reading. The knowledge gained in this book contributed to my enjoyment of other books, having more extensive background knowledge. It was a terrific book and I am so happy I read it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Landscape of a Marriage, first by the author, and then by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #landscapeofamarriage

A exceptionally written fictional story about Fredrick Olmsted, the father of American landscape architecture and his wife Mary Perkins Olmsted.
Told in first person, the writer presents a enchanting story about actual people in America’s Victorian age.
It holds the readers attention to the very end.
5 Stars
I received this free from Netgalley and Black Rose Writing for a honest review.

Reader's of historical fiction will really love this book. For me, I found it tried to cover too much across 60 years and so it did not have the same emotional impact, but overall a lovely read. 3.5/5 stars.

Definitely a book of which I had never read anything about. I really liked how the husband and wife worked towards the same ideals - green spaces in the city. Touched on a lot of history, though could have gone a bit deeper in some instances. I had no idea about the history of Central Park, and it's creator. Would recommend!

A marriage of convenience leads to a life of passion and purpose. A shared vision transforms the American landscape forever.

New York, 1858: Mary, a young widow with three children, agrees to marry her brother-in-law Frederick Law Olmsted, who is acting on his late brother’s deathbed plea to “not let Mary suffer.” But she craves more than a marriage of convenience and sets out to win her husband’s love. Beginning with Central Park in New York City, Mary joins Fred on his quest to create a 'beating green heart' in the center of every urban space.

Over the next 40 years, Fred is inspired to create dozens of city parks, private estates and public spaces with Mary at his side. Based upon real people and true events, this is the story of Mary’s journey and personal growth and the challenges inherent in loving a brilliant and ambitious man. I didn’t want to put this one down!… A beautiful, intricately woven story,

What an interesting story! Frederick Law Olmsted was responsible for the design and development of public parks, most notably Central Park. The story is set in the late nineteenth century and is told from the viewpoint of Mary (the widow of his brother) whom Fred marries in order to care for her and her children. The growing love between the couple is delightfully observed. As a character driven novel, I also enjoyed the friendship between Mary and Anne where the two offer mutual support and share confidences. An easy to read and enjoyable novel.

This novel centers on Mary Olmsted, wife of Frederick Law Olmsted, the man behind the design of Central Park and a long list of other public and private landscapes.

In spite of having little evidence to work with, the author does a credible job creating a picture of a family life almost overshadowed by professional genius. I enjoyed learning a little about the Olmsted family's place in mid to late 19th century America.
However, I think first-person narration can be a bit tricky to pull off, and I didn't always love it here. Also, in trying to cover 60-some years of a life, some events get skimmed over. Even dramatic events didn't always have that much resonance when the story has to quickly skip ahead to the next part of life. I might have found it a bit more compelling if it had zeroed in on a smaller range of years.

Thanks to Black Rose Writing and NetGalley for providing a digital review copy.

This was a great story based on real people on a start of a marriage of convenience that turned to love. within it there were losses heartbreak and pain but love was what sustained their marriage and family. Great dialogue but I think that some real life American events were glossed over. Overall a good read.