From the USA Today bestselling author of The Summer Cottage In her inimitable style, Viola Shipman explores the unlikely relationship between two very different women brought together by the pain of war, but bonded by hope, purpose…and flowers. Iris Maynard lost her husband in World War II, her daughter to illness and, finally, her reason to live. Walled off from the world for decades … Walled off from the world for decades behind the towering fence surrounding her home, Iris has built a new family…of flowers. Iris propagates her own daylilies and roses while tending to a garden filled with the heirloom starts that keep the memories of her loved ones alive.
When Abby Peterson moves next door with her family–a husband traumatized by his service in the Iraq War and a young daughter searching for stability–Iris is reluctantly yet inevitably drawn into her boisterous neighbor’s life, where, united by loss and a love of flowers, she and Abby tentatively unearth their secrets, and help each other discover how much life they have yet to live.
With delightful illustrations and fascinating detail, Viola Shipman’s heartwarming story will charm readers while resonating with issues that are so relevant today
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Tender and emotional story about resilience and new beginnings.
Such a beautiful and inspirational story about how we recover from loss and learn to find hope and love again.
The Heirloom Garden by Viola Shipman has Iris Maynard living alone in her home alone after the loss of her husband and daughter for the last six decades. She spends her time taking care of her beautiful heirloom garden. Iris then rents the cottage next door to a woman with a husband recently returned from Iraq and an inquisitive little girl. The Peterson’s remind Iris of how her family used to be before her husband died during World War II and her little girl from illness. Abby and Iris become friends. They find they have much in common especially a love of flowers. Can they help each other heal and discover that not one minute of a life should be wasted? The Heirloom Garden is well-written with relatable characters and incidents. Iris Maynard lost the two most precious people in her life. She erected a tall fence around her property and stays behind those walls. Iris has her heirloom garden to keep her company. Each flower holds a special memory. Gardeners will enjoy the beautiful descriptions of the flowers. They are heirloom varieties that include roses, irises, lilies, daylilies, bleeding hearts and so much more. We learn the meaning of each flower (the language of flowers) as well as how they were propagated and how to care for them. Iris’s garden sounded magical (it would also send my allergies into overdrive). I like how each chapter was titled after a different flower which was then featured. The story alternates point-of-view between Iris and Abby. It also goes between past (begins in 1944) and present (2003) to tell each woman’s story. The Heirloom Garden is confusing in the beginning, but, once you get into it, it becomes easier. The pacing is gentle (not slow or fast) which suits the story. Abby Peterson is a chemical engineer who is developing a special marine paint and was hired by a local company. Her husband, Cory came home a different man from Iraq. He spends his days drinking and sleeping. Lily is a curious little girl who is quick to make Iris’s acquaintance. Lily was a delightful addition to the story. She added lightness and humor. The two homes are Sears kit homes (I would love to live in one). The author provided good information on the homes and I enjoyed the vivid word imagery. I like how the two story lines were blended and came together for a special ending. The Heirloom Garden is a heartening story with a cheeky child, a gorgeous garden, paint problems, a gripping grief, special seeds, a worried wife, a dispirited soldier, and marvelous memories.
This is another fantastic book by Viola Shipman. I started it as soon as it showed up in my mailbox, even though I had a stack of books that should have been read first but this is one of my ‘go to’ authors and I had to read it right away. I am a huge fan of books about Michigan and books that take place on Lake Michigan always tug at my heart because of all the summers that I spent at the Lake growing up. This author describes the area around Lake Michigan so well and so beautifully that it is an integral part of the story – as important as the characters. I loved this book and think it will be one of the “must read” books of Spring, 2020.
The story is told in dual time lines and in different eras.
1944 – Iris lost her husband in WWII and her daughter not too long after that. Her grief caused her to put walls up around her house and around her heart. She doesn’t have anything to do with the people in town, has her groceries and garden supplies delivered and is only really alive when she is spending time in her beloved gardens. In her gardens, she re-lives her memories of her grandmother, her mother, her husband and her daughter — the garden becomes her only family.
2003 – Abby, her husband and their daughter, Lily, move from the Detroit area to Grand Haven for Abby to take a new job. They rent the house next door to Iris (which Iris still owns) but the high fences let them know that Iris has no desire for company or friendly neighbors. Abby is trying to handle everything – her husband has PTSD and is unable to contribute to the family either emotionally or monetarily. Instead he mostly sleeps, drinks and re-lives his memories of war. Lily tries to make the best of things but she is lonely and nervous about starting at a new school with no friends. The two families are slowly drawn together at first through their love for flowers and then through the friendship that they can both bring to each other.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
When you pick up a book by Viola Shipman, you know you’re in for a treat. This heartwarming story is no exception. Her novels are always populated with broken, lost characters who have lost their way or purpose and somehow find a way back to happiness. In this one, a woman who has lost everything and has isolated herself from the world soon befriends the family that is renting from her next door and finds there may be more to life than she’d thought.
Iris is a complicated character who has a broken life and has found solace in her garden. She creates beautiful flowers which originated from her grandmother’s garden, and they bring her joy. Abby, her neighbor, is trying her best to keep her family together despite the stress of her husband’s PTSD, her new job, and caring for her young daughter. She is overwhelmed. But upon meeting Iris, she feels a kinship with the older woman and slowly they begin to create a bond. But changing one’s life isn’t always easy.
This is a beautiful story that is sure to touch your heart. Perfect for those who love heartwarming women’s fiction novels.
Viola Shipman is one of my must-read authors. I just know when I start one of her books, that I am going to be swept away into another world, a world full of memories and love. Her recent book focuses on gardens, flowers, and the memories tied to those flowers.
The Heirloom Garden spans two time periods, between the 1940’s and present day. When Abby and her family move in next to Iris, a woman who has been a recluse for many years, the garden provides a source of healing for everyone.
I enjoyed the story immensely and I learned so much about the history and beauty of flowers and how important they are to some people. I love the idea of an heirloom garden, full of flowers from people from your past. They are so meaningful when there are memories attached to them.
I loved The Heirloom Garden and I highly recommend it. It definitely gets from me!
THE HEIRLOOM GARDEN: A NOVEL by Viola Shipman is a Women’s fiction novel that is one of the most beautifully written and emotional books that I have had the pleasure to read. This book and characters will be in my mind for a long time to come and it will definitely be one of my favorites this year!
Iris Maynard lives for her beautiful heirloom garden hidden behind a towering fence that keeps everyone out. Having lost her husband in WWII and her daughter to illness, Iris continues on with her heirloom flowers who have always been there for her. She is a talented botanist who shared her gift with the world, until that world turned on her.
Abby Peterson finds the perfect home to rent to be close to her new job. She is hoping this fresh start will be the change her struggling family needs. Traumatized by his service in Iraq, Abby’s husband, Cory is not the man she married and her small daughter is paying the price. She is curious about the high fence separating her property from the house next door and her reclusive landlady.
Iris is drawn to the family next door. Lily, Abby’s daughter is intrigued by the beautiful flowers next door behind the fence and begins to pull Iris into their lives. Iris and Abby realize how much they have in common and slowly each reveals their secrets as they work together in the garden. Iris and Abby have a lot of life yet to live.
This book follows the growing season in Iris’ garden as the timeline of the story. I have to admit that I have a black thumb and could kill a silk plant in my home and yet this book with all its flower and garden facts and allegories pulled me in and I could not put it down. I had watery eyes more times than I care to admit and the tissue box was by my side and yet it is more about the power of family, love and resilience even through the sadness and tragedy than just being a sad book. The author brings not only the characters to vivid life, but also all the beautiful heirloom flowers.
I HIGHLY recommend this beautiful book! I have already downloaded more books by this author and will be looking for every single one in the future.
Did you ever read a book where you just dipped yourself into a dream? The book, “The Heirloom Garden” brought me to that tranquil place. The many flowers mentioned had me marking several pages as I am an avid flower gardener. It was such a heartwarming book of family, courage and forgiveness. My emotions were a jumbo mess. I had tears, both happy and sad, and was elated with joy having my childhood memories of times spent with my Grandmothers, brought back to the surface.
Iris loses her husband in WWII, and her daughter also, from an illness. Iris hides herself in her own little world by surrounding herself with heirloom flowers and a tall fence. When a family moves in next door, her thought is “ ‘ ?“ Iris is not sure if she should open her arms to her new neighbors, or stay secluded.
I was introduced to the author, Viola Shipman (Wade Rouse) through this book and let me tell you I’m delighted to say I am a new fan! Wade is a very gifted writer, and I am absolutely wowed, to say the least. If you enjoy reading a moving story, don’t hesitate to pick up this book sooner than later. It is just one of those books!
~This novel was given to me through a giveaway in exchange for a fair and honest review.~
I love whatever viola Shipman writes because she is a he and yet captures the story of his family and their treasures. Viola was his grandmother and he really captures every family treasure in each book he writes
This was more than a story, it was an education on various flowers that I have seen and admired but didn’t know anything about other than how pretty they were. In this book, Iris, an avid gardener and botanist, who has secluded herself from the world opens up to her new renter. Abby and her family are renting the house next door to Iris that was once her grandmother’s house. Iris is a widow. Her husband died in World War II and her daughter also passed away as a child. Abby’s husband has returned from the war in Iraq, suffering from his time in the service. They have a young daughter Lily, who starts talking to Iris through the slats in the fence that surround Iris’ yard. These characters learn a lot from each other and teach the reader a lot as well, about life and about flowers. This was an excellent book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
From the Fragrences to the Abundant Colors to the “clinking” of the Heirloom China, the rose colored reflection of the glass casting a pink rose hue on everything it touches 🙂
The homage paid to the Strong Women of past and present is so beautifully done It humbles me, as it pays tribute to HOPE…Hope that something beautiful would grow, despite the harsh winter , the frozen earth and a world that was Constantly at War….
Or the War that was being Fough at Home inside them all .
Viola Shipman is by far one of the most gifted Authors of our time and not only in the written word but a Beautiful soul inside and out.
Viola Shipman has written another excellent story and I highly recommend it.
Whenever I finish a Viola Shipman book, I feel like I am saying goodbye to good friends. The books are full of beauty, family, love, hope, kindness, friendship, and more. The Heirloom Garden is a beautiful story of loss followed by hope.
Viola Shipman, a pseudonym for Wade Rouse, writes his books in tribute to his grandmother. She must have been a very special woman because his books are testaments of love. Sometimes the books are not subtle in their message, often almost knocking you over the head with their message, but that is what we need to hear the message on many occasions.
I loved how this novel tells the story through flowers and their life cycle, and how it also looks at veterans and war and the toll it takes on families and a community. I loved how seeing life through a child can change people’s hearts. I loved how a family learns to move forward. I loved how the book honors and encourages strong women.
This is the 5th Viola Shipman book, I have read and loved each one. I can’t wait for his next book!
#TheHeirloomGarden #ViolaShipman
Amazing ,beautiful walk through the Garden that tells the story of Iris’s life , and how her neighbor’s Abby ,Cory and Lily bring her and Cory back to life .(Cory is dealing with PTSD from the war ) There is a quote in the book that sums it up perfectly . “The flowers are simultaneously beautiful and sad, life -affirming and heartbreaking. ‘They are not hurt, I say “They’re just showing the world the depth of their soul”.
When I heard someone say that The Heirloom Garden was far better than any other Viola Shipman books, I scoffed. How could that be? They all have their own unique charm and resonate with the reader depending on the theme – food, friendship, romance, memories. And since I’m a food lover, The Recipe Box is a favorite.
I just finished The Heirloom Garden and that reviewer is right. I love all the other books but this one goes above and beyond. The Heirloom Garden is tender, sweet, fiercely proud, and oh-so-touching. War and its many tragedies serve as a backdrop for the exploration of the human soul and the many ways people shut down and close themselves off in order to cope. But through the eyes of Iris, Abby, Cory, and Lily we come to see the rewards of life’s little moments, the exquisite details that can bring us joy, if we’re only willing. The flowers and their history, cultivation, appearance, and vibrant colors are brought to life in every chapter. I’m not a gardener, but Iris’s fortitude and love for her garden make me want to be one. Abby’s determination, Cory’s willingness, Lily’s sweet childhood innocence all create a picturesque journey that will sweep you along. You’ll cry, multiple times, and you’ll love every moment.
Cheers to Viola Shipman for creating this wonderfully engaging story that showcases the intimacies of human life and the many ways we not only survive but thrive.
Thought provoking
This was a wonderful, sentimental read. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and characters. As a Michigan native, I love how authentic these novels are. I highly recommend this book!
A very realistic story about loss. I loved this book.
I really loved this book. I read it twice. I went on the read four other books after this one.