Tracy Rees – The Rose Garden

‘The Rose Garden’ by Tracy Rees has the most beautiful cover, I was drawn to this immediately. Set in Victorian England, 1895 this is a historical fiction novel that I found to be a captivating story of hope and friendship.

The story is told from the three main characters points of view. Mabel (Mabs), Olive, Ottilie Finch and we do gain insights from Ottilie’s mother Abigail too. We see Mabs working on the canals, dressed and acting like a boy due to the fact she needs to provide for her family and they don’t employ girls. She endures gruelling work for little payday after day. Her friend informs her of a position for a ladies maid or companion working for a family who have moved to London.

Ottilie Finch, 12 years old from a family who have recently moved to London after a scandal she is unaware of. The child of a mother who is constantly ill and stays in her rooms and a father who is an ambitious man. Her father is her idol until she is sent to school only to be taken back out of it as her father thinks the school is too radical.

My favourite out of these females is Olive, a woman born into privilege with a conscience. She knows she has everything and wants to do something to make a change. Her wish is to adopt a child from the local orphanage, even though she knows it will kill her position in society as it is not a done thing. In Olive’s mind, it is right more important to offer a child a loving and good home. A woman I could easily be a friend to.

A book that follows these three and how they become intertwined. I was completely immersed in Victorian England and these fascinating and divergent women. Tracy Rees has faithfully recreated Victorian times perfectly for me. The topics of women’s rights, social class and status are all highlighted so well. I am a history lover and I found nothing lacking in this book. The character were all well-drawn. The settings of the slums compared to the wealthy areas and beautiful houses were captured so faithfully. Even the orphans and the abuse they were treated to, that broke my heart and I loved Olive a little bit more. I was invested in every character in some way or another but as I have already said Olive topped them all.

A beautiful, vividly written story of women and the times in which they lived. I would recommend this to any historical fiction fan.

Thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours and Tracy Rees for a gifted copy of the book.