“The more I’m here in this space and amongst growing things, the calmer I feel. It’s like a kind of therapy, you know? A natural, spiritual therapy that needs no words or radical action.”

The Garden of Memories is the sixth novel by British author, Amanda James. After forty years of nursing, her last day at work throws Rose Lanyon into a bit of an identity crisis: who is she if she’s not a nurse? Her daughter and grandchildren have moved up north, and she’s not sure how she’ll fill her days. At first she imagines “A life after retirement would be dull, lonely and boring”

Her best friend, Daisy, part-time librarian, tries to convince her to attend their school reunion, but even, or especially, the lure of Tristan Carthew, the boy she once thought she’d marry, isn’t going to convince her. She’d only been widowed two years.

Instead, she decides her husband Glen’s garden needs attention. It won’t be the meticulous care he gave it, but there were some happy times here, worth remembering. What she plants will bring back those memories: “Planting these will be like making sure my memories never fade, as they’ll pop back up each year, connecting me to happy times. As long as I have new life growing, there will always be hope and new memories to make.” Daisy is on board with the idea: she’d like to plant ox-eye daisies by the front gate to remember her beloved father.

New to Port Gaverne, Flora Granger is still settling in, deciding if she’ll go to dance classes or pebble art classes; a part-time job at the library would be a good way to meet people too. With her colourful clothing and radical hair, she knows people see her as a bit of a hippy, but being the opposite of what her domineering mother expected is important. When she encounters Rose in her garden, the idea of planting memories very much appeals.

Sally Penwith really misses her colleague at the local practice: her children are moving out and her controlling husband has left her for a younger woman. Rose always brings a sense of calm, something she could use about now: a visit is in order. Sally, too, feels the calming effect of the garden, and soon has an idea for a feature she wants to add that will remind her of the happiest time of her life.

Over the twelve-month span of the story, several others become regular and welcome visitors to Rose’s garden: a reclusive widow who is hesitant about starting new relationships; Rose’s daughter Bella, unhappy with their current situation, and her children; a young man under pressure from his parents to achieve academically, and missing the connection with his now-demented grandmother; and a lonely elderly art teacher. All find solace and plant memories in what is becoming a community garden.

This feel-good tale is a little predictable, and probably longer than it needs to be, but will appeal to those who love gardens. James goes heavy on the “lighthouse” and “socially accepted boxes” metaphors, and the frequent repetition of how calming the garden is, does begin to wear thin by the final pages. Hopeful, heartwarming and uplifting.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harper Collins UK One More Chapter.

The Garden of Memories by Amanda James is one of those stories that gently tugs at your heart. It’s about Rose Lanyon, a retired nurse who’s struggling to find purpose after losing her husband. She decides to restore his beloved Cornish garden, and what starts as a simple tribute soon transforms into something much bigger—a place of healing and renewal.

As Rose reconnects with her past and those around her, the garden becomes a sanctuary for others dealing with their own challenges. The book beautifully shows that as long as new life is blooming, there’s always room for hope, growth, and new memories. It’s a comforting, uplifting read that reminds us of the power of nature and human connection.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, One More Chapter, for a review copy of the book. This is my honest opinion.

The Garden of Memories was the book I didn't know I needed. It uplifted my soul and kept me smiling long after I turned the last page.

What a cast of characters first of all. I fell in love with each and every one. I'm not going to talk too much about the plot as I think this book deserves to remain a lovely surprise. But I will say, that each character blossoming, young or old, was written exquisitely.

The older characters were written in a refreshingly non-patronising or comic way. Love feels the same at any age. Life changes can be made at any age. It really inspired me to have a lot more hope moving forward in my own life.

This book also made me immediately hope for a sequel as I want to know more and more about where each character's story goes. And yet at the same time, the ending was perfection.

I read every day so not every book captures my imagination, but this one most definitely did and my day was infinitely better for reading this beautiful book.

Beautifully written novel, one that was sad but uplifting and a book that restores your faith in humans. I loved it and am so glad I requested it; it really is a literary gem.

A group of disparate women, ever expanding, find solace and happiness in Rose’s garden.
A real feel-good story, though a little over simplistic at times.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book for review.

A beautiful novel, touching up on themes of old age and loss with inspirational ways of confronting these inevitable parts of life. This novel is relevant and thought provoking for all ages. Both entertaining and inspiring at the same time.

The Garden of Memories by Amanda James is an enjoyable story about a retired nurse who decides to use the unexpected time on her hands to start reviving her husband’s pride and joy, his garden.
The little Cornish garden however takes on a new and unexpected role to many people, an area of solace and joy. A place where the forgotten can be remembered and second chances start to bloom.
A delightful read with interesting characters.
Highly recommended

A nice gentle story of a group of people drawn together to create a special garden of memories. Lots of different topics are introduced, through the back stories of the characters involved, such as love, loss, new friendships and relationships, risk taking, retirement, homelessness, drug addiction, being brave and abusive relationships. I did like the friendships which developed but I felt that the book was a bit too long.

A lovely uplifting story with a great cast of characters. Really heartwarming. I hope there is a sequel. Recommended.

What a wonderful read to restore your faith in friends and circumstances. I love Rose and her outlook on life as she is widowed and nearing retirement. With nothing but time on her hands, retired nurse Rose Lanyon finds herself drawn to the garden that had once been her husband’s pride and joy.
It may have started as a means of honouring her husband’s memory, but her little Cornish garden soon becomes so much more – a place where the lost and lonely can find solace, the forgotten can be remembered, and second chances take bloom. Because, as long as new life is growing, there will always be hope and new memories to make…

No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't connect with the story.
Perhaps it just wasn't the right time for me to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK / One More Chapter for the ARC.

A beautifully written novel that takes the reader on an emotional journey through loss, healing, and the power of community. The vivid descriptions of the garden are symbolic of growth and renewal making this novel a truly uplifting read.
Many thanks to HarperCollins UK and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Retired nurse, Rose finds herself now drawn to the garden. What was her late husbands pride and joy has suddenly taken on a new meaning and she finds herself drawing solace in the space and planting new memories and ones to help heal the past. Along the way she finds others can benefit from such a place, her oldest friend, her busy daughter, her oldest friend, new neighbours to name but a few.

Everyone has their own story and they are pulled into the Memory Garden, where a supportive community develops.

A lovely read, which shows the strength of community, friendship and outside space to enable not just the plants to heal and grow but the people that tend them too.

A beautiful story of finding new purp0se. It will speak to anyone, but especially those who find healing in nature and in friendship. Very beautiful setting and lovely dialogue. I recommend this one!

This is a warm-hearted palate cleanser of a story of people getting comfort from a calming and inspiring garden owned by a newly retired nurse. It’s mainly concerned with dealing with change and finding joy in the beauty of nature. Not much by way of tension or plot twists but a calm and relaxing read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

What a beautiful book with a beautiful story. A story of new beginnings, new friendships, a sense of healing and just an overall feel-good read. This is a book that will lift your spirits and make you feel good. I love Rose and her strength of character and her willingness to try and try again.

At times there was a slowness about it but it seemed to fit with the flow of the book and the writing (which is very good). A quick, easy and nice, cosy read which I really enjoyed.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

The book begins with Rose retiring after 40 years of working as a nurse.
She is worried: she doesn't know how she will spend her time, partly because she is a widow; moreover, her daughter has moved to another place, along with her husband and children, because he has received a job offer for a larger salary.
On one of her first days of retirement, she goes to the seashore and finds wild garlic plants. She is reminded of when she was a teenager. She starts singing at the top of her lungs and steals some wild garlic plants that she later plants in her late husband's garden. Hence the idea of the garden of memories.
In the chapters that follow, she befriends other retired ladies, either divorced or widowed. Rose proposes that they, too, plant a memory in her garden.
I have this book because I subscribed to an email list of "one more chapter books," that is, those books that we can't put down. In my opinion, this book should not be part of this series; I found it a bit heavy. It's a book of good feelings; everything always goes right the first time, which is a totally improbable thing (I know it's a book, but). And then in the last chapters, there was a whole series of paranoia that I didn't understand.
The only point where the book is cute (and even less heavy) is when Rose's daughter, following an argument with her husband, goes back to her mother with the two small children.
Otherwise, in my opinion, it is a bit forced.
The definitely interesting part, related to the garden of memories, is the concept of sensory gardens. I did some research, and sensory gardens are suggested for elderly people or that have Alzheimer's-type illnesses, for instance.
In the book, Rose's garden of memories is a sensory garden for all the people who enter it, because each of them has cultivated, through a plant, a memory. The set of memories, together with the passing of the seasons, help create a kind of tranquility for the characters.

This sounded really good, but it was slow for me unfortunately. I still recommend reading, it has great reviews on Goodreads

I was sent a copy of The Garden of Memories by Amanda James to read and review by NetGalley. While I enjoyed this novel, it was a nice easy read dealing with issues of emotion, friendship and loss, I didn’t feel it quite lived up to my expectations. It was rather a romanticized story which all felt a little bit contrived. I found it to be somewhat predictable and by the very nature of the premise it ended up going round in the same circle throughout the book. I would say this was a reasonable holiday read but definitely not worth much more than 3 stars in my opinion, sorry!

What a lovely, beautiful book! I enjoyed it so much, and the character development was excellent, as well as the writing. There is a wonderful sense of place, and I really enjoyed seeing a group of people brought together by their love of a shared garden.
Another thing that I really appreciated was that the main female characters, with the exception of one, were all age 50 or above.