Member Review
Review by
Sara B, Reviewer
The Walled Garden by Sarah Hardy
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC ebook for an unbiased review.
As someone whose grandfather's were both affected by WW2, and the way it affected the family as a whole, meant this story was intriguing to me. Did it work?
Yes.
My real negatives - minor as they were, and why I knock a star off my rating - was it was a little slow to start. I also felt that it was all a bit clichéd on who the characters were. The vicar, a doctor, the dutiful wife as Lady of the Manor. I personally felt it would've been better to give us characters who tend not to fall into this trap. It isn't to say they were without merit, I just wish more ordinary voices were what brought the story to us.
However, despite this, once it found its stride, I really found myself taken in by the story overall. In fact, in respect of the effects war had, it was certainly something I know reflected both my maternal and paternal family, for different reasons. My paternal grandfather was a warrant officer who was tasked with helping those at Bergen-Belsen, and he came back from the war and had a breakdown as a result of his experience. Thankfully, he was able to recover but the mental scars ran deep. For both men. That spilled over into family life in ways a lot of people today probably have no tangible understanding of. This book brought some of that to the forefront.
Ultimately the book is about resilience, despite the horror. Despite what the families and community went through. How it was all rebuilt, and even if it was different, it isn't necessarily worse.
I'm happy to give this 4/5 stars. One book that will join my collection.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC ebook for an unbiased review.
As someone whose grandfather's were both affected by WW2, and the way it affected the family as a whole, meant this story was intriguing to me. Did it work?
Yes.
My real negatives - minor as they were, and why I knock a star off my rating - was it was a little slow to start. I also felt that it was all a bit clichéd on who the characters were. The vicar, a doctor, the dutiful wife as Lady of the Manor. I personally felt it would've been better to give us characters who tend not to fall into this trap. It isn't to say they were without merit, I just wish more ordinary voices were what brought the story to us.
However, despite this, once it found its stride, I really found myself taken in by the story overall. In fact, in respect of the effects war had, it was certainly something I know reflected both my maternal and paternal family, for different reasons. My paternal grandfather was a warrant officer who was tasked with helping those at Bergen-Belsen, and he came back from the war and had a breakdown as a result of his experience. Thankfully, he was able to recover but the mental scars ran deep. For both men. That spilled over into family life in ways a lot of people today probably have no tangible understanding of. This book brought some of that to the forefront.
Ultimately the book is about resilience, despite the horror. Despite what the families and community went through. How it was all rebuilt, and even if it was different, it isn't necessarily worse.
I'm happy to give this 4/5 stars. One book that will join my collection.
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