For our March Running Club Book Club selection, we selected The Secrets of Flowers by the fabulous Sally Page.

It was a delight to welcome Sally back to our meeting for the second time, and we loved her insights into the story as she shared her experiences as a florist and her fascination with all things Titanic.

This beautifully written story is told through a dual timeline, weaving together the tale of Emma, who is navigating her grief after the death of her husband, leaving her research post and instead finding solace in her work as a florist at a garden center, and Violet, a stewardess aboard the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic.

If you’re a fan of historical fiction or have a passion for the Titanic, then this book is definitely for you! It’s a heartfelt exploration of love, loss, and the enduring connection between lives across time. Don’t miss it!

Just wonderful. I stayed up late to carry on reading this one. A great mix of flowers, a modern day story, which does not come without it's own pain and problems and a character from the past who is somehow mixed in with the modern day story but just how? A great read for Titanic fans, history fans, flower lovers and modern day fiction. A must read!

Sally Page really knows how to get inside a characters head and heart and display it for all to see or in this case, read. I loved this book. Emma was a strong female lead but vulnerable too. Using the flowers and tying it into the Titanic was fascinating. I had never thought about the regular workers and staff on the boat before. I ended up looking up some of the interesting facts she talked about in the book. What a lovely story about a woman coming back from a very difficult place. Sally Page, I love how your mind works. Please keep writing.

The Secrets of Flowers by Sally Page

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

One year on from the death of her husband, Emma feels no closer to moving forward with her life. Seeking distraction, she quits her job and begins working at the local garden centre.

Here, Emma begins to open up and finds herself attending boss Les’ talk on the Titanic. Intrigued, Emma sets out to research who would have arranged the flowers on-board.

Alongside her story unfolds the tale of a stewardess on the Titanic, who Emma can’t help but feel connected to…

My Opinion

I have read a few books by Sally Page and I have to say that I am a fan of the writing style. In The Secrets of Flowers, Sally uses multiple perspectives and timelines to tell the story. This was such an interesting book that I read it over an afternoon. Even though there are some difficult topics within this book it has been written beautifully.

Rating 4/5

Told in a dual timeline, there is a connection of flowers and their meanings between present day Emma and Violet, who was on the Titanic. Interesting from both a historical perspective and yet emotional with the sensitive topics dealt with, this story is one that keeps you reading on and engaged. I enjoyed it a lot. Many thanks to #netgalley #sallypage #thesecretofflowers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I really enjoyed reading this story, I was engaged early on and kept reading and enjoying. The author has done a good job with details and character interactions. Recommended.

A lovely story, perhaps a little slow at first, but gentle and enjoyable. I loved the beautiful descriptions, of flowers and of rooms and countryside, very pleasant.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book for review.

A heartwarming journey of healing and discovery that delves into themes of grief and the unexpected connections that can bring peace in times of sorrow. The dual timelines allow the past and the present to coexist in a way that feels both poignant and compelling. A worthwhile read. Many thanks to HarperCollins UK and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion

I liked the dual timeline between Emma in the present day and Violet in history. The intrigue of finding out who the florist was on the Titanic was a good thread pulled through the story. The author wrote compassionately about bereavement, infertility, and the comfort of others.

The story starts in a quagmire of grief. When Emma’s interest is piqued by a single thought, of who the florist was on the Titanic, her curiosity springs back to life, and we are taken on her journey of discovery meeting new people, finding old photographs and archives.

In addition, the story is woven with the tale of a young girl, who is very sick, falling in love with flowers and the names of flowers at the turn of the twentieth century.

When these two tales converge, the portraits of special people begin to take colour. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and I highly recommend The Secrets of Flowers by Sally Page.

A delightful book written once again by Sally Page! I love this author, her writing and the books she crafts. I was fully immersed in this story and got through it very quickly. I really liked the fact that there is some history included within the story (the Titanic) which I enjoyed revisiting the facts about again. Full of emotion and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you to the publisher for letting me read an advanced copy.

A beautiful story which I was totally immersed in. Anything about the Titanic interests me and this was told from a different perspective. Dual timeline which I always love. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Gorgeous!! I rooted for Emma to find her happiness and herself the whole way through. I was immersed from page one and fully invested in each of the character’s stories. A lovely, hopeful, charming and realistic telling of love, loss, grief and hope.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

What a lovely book! Didn’t want to put it down!! An amazing story linking historical events and fiction. I enjoy learning about the Titanic so to read about it from Violets perspective was brilliant. Full of emotion and diverse characters!

A third enjoyable novel from Sally Page with an engaging plot, likeable characters and a dash of history thrown in.

A lovely read told in dual timelines and telling the story of two women, Emma and Violet. Emma is a research scientist who, following the death of her husband a year ago, feels the need for a change. Having always loved being in the garden with her father as a child she applies for a job working at a garden centre. The centre is owned by Les and Betty who soon become her friends. Her love of flowers also leads her to look into the history of Titanic, wanting to know if they had a florist on board the ship. A photograph of a young woman called Violet Jessop strikes a chord with Emma and she feels she has some sort of connection to Violet.

Briefly, in the present Emma struggles with social interaction but enjoys working in the garden centre and thanks to Les and Betty she starts to heal from the trauma of her husband’s death and a subsequent shocking revelation. But what really helps is her investigation into the identity of the Florist onboard the Titanic. Violet was brought up in Argentina but moved to England with her mother and siblings following her father’s death. When she is old enough her mother gets her a job as a maid on a cruise liner and she moves from ship to ship, travelling the world.

These are two very different women, Violet (who was a real person) was clearly a strong and resilient woman but Emma is much stronger than she realises and just needs to build her confidence up. Both have a lovely of gardening and flowers but despite her feelings that they are connected Emma can find nothing to confirm this. A heartwarming story of grief and the journey to heal and find yourself after a traumatic loss. I loved all the floral references, the titanic story and the historical timeline; clearly well researched. It’s very well written and was quite an easy read, the factual events and characters were so beautifully intertwined with the fictional, I enjoyed it a lot.

4.5⭐️

What a beautiful book. 2 stories about 2 women, Violet and Emma, from 2 different eras. Is there a possibility of them being linked in some way? Read this fabulous book to find out. The book completely seduced my senses with the colours and scents of so many flowers. Life is beautiful… as stated in this novel and the treasure of gardens is one reason why it is so. I loved the thread woven throughout the story with the Titanic…how utterly beautiful it must have been which exacerbates the tragedy of its sinking, the many lives which were lost.

This book covers so many important emotions … be proud of who you are and your ancestry whether or not it is from humble beginnings and don’t be jealous of other people’s happiness or material possessions. This book also teaches us about forgiveness and how we can find peace through doing so even when it is painful … after all if we don’t forgive we will continue to suffer.

The contrast between Emma’s mother and the wonderful Betty was very thought provoking. I imagine every reader will love the latter and dislike the former yet I felt quite sad for her too.

I will definitely read Sally’s other books.

Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of The Secret of Flowers.

The Secret of Flowers stole my heart and soul. Such a beautifully written book that is heart breaking and heart mending all at the same time.

As a teenager I studied an experimental history curriculum idea where we were encouraged to research and look at events in history from the viewpoint of someone (basically unknown) who might have been present. This book reminded me of that premise. Basically, it is a book told in two timelines, the near present and the life of a young florist on the Titanic. It is both uplifting and tragic in both time frames.

A beautiful book, that needs a warning of the imminent need to buy flowers and spend time in a garden centre. It’s a story about grief, family and friends. Atmospheric details about the titanic and those who worked on her. A highly recommended book, as are her other novels.