Winter Bloom

by:  Tara Heavey

published by:  Gallery Books

In the heart of bustling modern Dublin is a littered, overgrown garden of tangled weeds and a stagnant, hidden pond. Belonging to an iron-willed elderly lady named Mrs. Prendergast, who is rumored to have murdered and buried her husband there, the garden draws Eva Madigan, a young mother struggling to move on from the pain of her past. Eva is joined by Emily, a beautiful but withdrawn college dropout; Uri, an old-world immigrant; Seth, his all-too-handsome son; and occasionally even Mrs. Prendergast herself. But what drives Eva to transform the neglected urban wilderness? What makes the others want to help her? Even as Mrs. Prendergast puts the land up for sale, the thorny lives of all the gardeners are revealed and slowly start to untangle. Overgrown secrets are dug up and shared. Choices are made; a little pruning is in order. Now Eva is about to discover that every garden is a story of growth toward a final harvest. . . .

I so adored this book.  I wanted to gather up the characters and bring them home with me and let them make a garden in my backyard.  I wanted to let snarky Mrs. Prendergast make tea and fancy food for me and let Emily tell me her secrets.  I wanted my kids to know Uri and understand what he went through.  The book ended though and I was really sad.

This is definitely one of those books I could recommend to anyone.  There was a little language and a little sex.  A few situations might make some sensitive people a little uncomfortable.  It was a good book though.  Just a good book!  I would highly recommend it for book clubs.  I'm sure there's a wealth of conversation topics covered in this one book.