Book: The Gardener by Prue Leith

Prue’s books are a much-needed source of escapism. The Gardener is longer than most (xx pages) but zips along.

After going through a divorce and reflecting on her life, Lotte decided to leave her fabulous architectural career behind and opt for a degree in garden history. The book opens with her interview with self-made millionaire Brody Keegan who has just moved into a mansion with his new, young supermodel wife (this was published in the early 00s).

She moves her 3 kids out of London to Oxfordshire to start on her dream job, knowing there will be resistance to what she wants to do with historic Maddon Park and what Keegan dreams of and his wife demands.

I did notice that the chapters started with poetry but I mostly disregarded that and it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the country shenanigans. And there are shenanigans. The likelihood of a smart, educated 40-something divorcee looking to meet a new partner is strong and there is a contender or two bought in. One was a historian and I enjoyed all their banter and utter joy of uncovering pieces of history.

The thing that dates The Gardener is the big deal made out of a 5 year age difference between between a potential couple. I doubt that would have been mentioned if the male was the older one. So it’s a little cliched, with the older millionaire marrying a model but the twists make up for it.

Like other Prue books, "The Gardener" has an underlying business element, which I probably enjoy most. However, I also gained gardening knowledge that I doubt I will ever need. Gardeners, of course, will probably love it.