Gambles sometimes pay off. And sometimes they cost dearly.
1884. There is a terrible price to pay when Robert Cooke and his wife Freya mistake the symptoms of scarlet fever for teething: the loss of their two infant sons. At a time when husband and wife should comfort each other, the doctor advises pregnant Freya to isolate for the safety of their unborn child. By the time they meet again, the subject is taboo. But unspoken grief is a dangerous enemy. It bides its time.
A decade passes. Work fills the gaping void in Robert’s life. His opium business thrives, and he finds himself accepted in Carshalton’s inner sanctum, but his days are haunted by unshakable guilt, and at night he dreams of his shadow-sons playing in a beautiful garden.
When a disused chalk quarry – a place where Robert found refuge as a boy – comes up for sale, an idea takes root. He thought the garden of his dreams was heaven – and Robert has always thought that heaven and the Garden of Eden were one and the same. But what if he was wrong? What if it’s a place he is supposed to create?
Instead of sharing his vision with his wife, he widens the gulf between them by keeping her in the dark. Instead, it is another woman who translates his dreams. An obscure yet talented artist called Florence Hoddy, who lives alone with her unmarried brother, painting only what she sees from her window……
If you enjoy books by Sarah Winman and Maggie O’Farrell, you’ll be swept away by this spellbinding tale of one man’s obsession and the risks he takes to make his dream a reality.
A story of hidden feelings, of dreams to dream and secrets never to be told.
Helen Hollick, author
Sensational!
The Historical Fiction Company award of excellence
Page-turning historical fiction, both heart-wrenching and delightful. Highly recommended.
Historical Novel Society
