Sometimes you have to dig a little deeper to get the life you want . . .
Abby Hamilton's world has turned upside down in a matter of months - it seems that change is definitely in the air. But moving into Willow Court might just be the fresh start and happy distraction she needed.
Meeting her intriguing new neighbours helps push Abby out of her comfort zone. Then she finds an overgrown patch of garden in desperate need of love and time - something Abby has in spades! Throwing herself into bringing the garden back to life, Abby discovers that new beginnings can come from the most surprising places...
Many thanks to Orion via NetGalley for my copy of The Garden on Holly Street to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
The Garden on Holly Street by Megan Attley was previously published in three parts but is now being issued as a full length book. There is a very very short story titled Before the Garden on Holly Street which gives the briefest of introductions to the main characters and their backgrounds but it is not necessary to have read it before beginning this book. The cover, blurb and title for this book very much reminded me of Ivy Lane by Cathy Bramley, a book which I adored, so I was excited to delve into the story of Abby and how she would transform a community garden in need of some love and tender loving care whilst at the same time uniting people who are lonely and in search of new beginnings.
Abby Hamilton is down in the dumps. She has been let go from her job in the Greenfields Care Home due to cut backs and her love life is not much better as she discovered her boyfriend Gav had been cheating on her. She is finding it hard to hold things together as it's in her nature to be busy and active and to be taking care of people so when she can't do that she has the tendency to fall apart. But she realises she needs to be strong and even if she has to hide away for a while while she contemplates the next step forward in her life then that is what she will do until she feels ready to move forward. Abby knows she needs a fresh start but is not sure how to go about it but as she settles into her new apartment in Willow Court on Holly Street little does she realise the people living there as well as the community garden need some care, love and attention. Has she found the source as to what may change her fortunes and in the process of doing so can she find the happiness and good fortune that she too deserves?
Abby secretly writes her own blog as a way of pouring out her thoughts, feelings, doubts and concerns. The responses to her posts give her comfort as losing her mum two years ago combined with the two new life altering events have meant her world has shifted and just doesn't feel right. There is also something else eating away at Abby and as we come to know what it is the reader can understand why Abby feels the way she does. She feels her life has been torn apart resulting in very little purpose being left in it but deep down she knows she must soldier on for that is what we do in life. She understands she needs to make changes and break free from events that have been holding her back and with the recent split from Gav maybe now is the chance and that she just needs to grab any available opportunities to do so. This can be incredibly difficult and she needs to heal and take care of herself before she can even attempt to keep moving forward but meeting her new neighbour Arthur with his harsh manner and cutting remarks could put paid to her even wanting to stay in Willow Court.
She thinks to herself I can't let one person pull me down even further. The reader can see that Abby is a fragile person and that another upset could really see her going off the rails and never finding the way back to the track again. The pain of Gav's betrayal has left a big dent in her already fragile confidence so she knows she needs to channel her energies into something positive that could benefit others not just herself. But will she come up against opposition? I thought Abby's idea to transform the community gardens that had been left neglected, overgrown, uncared for and strewn with rubbish was a great idea. It gave her an outlet to focus the little bit of energy she had left and as she seeks advice and help from Jason whose gardening blog she had come across I enjoyed the friendship that emerged between the pair.
But really I wanted a lot more focus on the garden. Instead it was mentioned every now and again and I thought seeing as the book is called The Garden on Holly Street then it should be the dominant feature. I wanted really detailed descriptions of all the plants and vegetables and why there were chosen and to see what changes the garden goes through during the year just like it would do on an allotment etc. I also wanted to see what a deep and meaningful effect the garden has on the characters featured. Instead it felt a bit too rushed towards the end. I know the purpose of the garden and its rejuvenation was for Abby to heal and progress in her life and to bring people and families together like Arthur and Ernie. People who are heartbroken and need that little bit of guidance, love and support but I felt I had read certain elements of this before and that the magic of the garden although the characters felt it I just didn't and the hopes and expectations I had surrounding this as a major feature of the book just didn't materialise for me.
Without question the best characters in the book were Arthur and Ernie and I'm not sure if this was meant to be the case as the story centred around Abby but to me the pair stole the show and they were both brilliantly written. I felt for both of them and could identify a lot of the feelings and emotions they were experiencing. The way said emotions were conveyed was superb and I felt their storylines were brilliantly written. They may be years apart in age but they shared a kindred spirit of loneliness and heartbreak. They both needed each other to lean on in order to let them share their feelings and allow some rays of happiness into their lives. Arthur is mourning the loss of his beloved wife and there is a real sense of vulnerability about him. He has a brash exterior and presents a front to the world which is evident in how he speaks to Abby and the way he treats her in their first few encounters but this is not the real Arthur.
Arthur is just desperately sad and lonely and would prefer to remain inside his flat where peace and order reign. Locked away from others and not being able to view the garden which once brought such pleasure to his life. Arthur feels he leads a life no longer worth living and that he is not important to anyone. There are no loved ones that he matters to. He hates any kind of noise or disturbance and I thought he targeted Abby unnecessarily and thinking Ernie made so much noise was just ridiculous. Really Arthur was crying out for help and friendship but he didn't have any ideas as to how to go about achieving this. As an unusual and unique friendship blossoms between himself and Ernie will this be the catalyst for change they both so desperately need and as things change in a dramatic way for Arthur will he embrace the help he evidently needs?
As for Ernie he was so young and innocent and giving him a voice in this story was just perfect. His mother left when he was five and although his cousin is there to mind him for the most part whilst his Dad works as much as he can there is an air of slight neglect and abandonment surrounding him. It's like he is left to to his own devices and he is not experiencing the childhood that every child has a right too. He believes his mother left because of him and he harbours secrets from his Dad. Ernie craves stability and a shoulder to cry on and it's not his Dad's fault that Ernie is not getting this as he is doing his best to make money to keep their little unit together. But as times grow tougher for Ernie, and he becomes more isolated and frustrated by what is going on at school, will there be a time when crisis point is reached, one where there can be no return? Or will a chance meeting that develops into something more be the makings of Ernie? With the formation of the most unlikeliest of duos and with the help of Abby and the garden will their burgeoning community unit turn out to be the best things that could have happened in all their lives?
For me the story started off well and I really enjoyed it for the first half but I felt it lost its way slightly in the later parts even though I could still see the overall message and themes that the author was trying to convey. These themes were emotive and so important to read about but the overall feeling of total absorption and racing through the pages just wasn't there for me despite how lovely the story developed and how the various storylines intertwined. Unfortunately, I didn't get the same buzz as I did when reading the book I mentioned up above and I know I shouldn't compare the two but I think other readers who have read both books may feel the same. I was expecting a certain something but it just wasn't there. There was just that little bit of sparkle missing to transform this into an excellent read. It could have been an amazing story but it didn't quite reach those heights. Although overall it was an enjoyable and nice enough read. It was warm and uplifting and it had all the elements of a good book in this genre but maybe they didn't all come to fruition at just the right time. It just didn't always hit the spot for me unfortunately but I would be interested to see what future books Megan Attley may write and how they compare and contrast to this one.
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