The French Gardener

Product Information

How do you feel about Miranda’s decision to forgive David and move forward in their marriage? Has he proven himself to be a changed man? Putting the infidelity to one side was not easy for me, but the portrayal of the magic of nature, and the garden in particular, was strong enough to keep me reading. The author obviously has a deep connection with the earth and countryside that shone through in her writing and resonated with my own love of the natural world. I liked how she understood the healing qualities of nature, especially with regards to Miranda’s children who blossom when they are allowed the freedom to explore the world around them. This was yet another started-but-couldn't-get-into book for me, of which I've had my fair share lately. I enjoyed this book - of course, I cried through the last parts of it. It takes a look about what is important as a family.

Jean-Paul and Ava’s love story exists in so many forms—in Ava’s scrapbook, in the novel Miranda writes, and in the novel we have just read. In what ways is their story classic and ripe for retelling and reworking? The residence should be the focal point of the garden. In traditional French-style gardens, the home is the focal point of the garden, with paths that run perpendicular to the structure. Stucco or stonework homes are ideal for a traditional French-style garden, but other styles of homes can work, too. Consider adding window boxes to further connect the home to the landscape. Readers are always interested in which character an author aligns herself with. Is Miranda’s job as a writer and aspirations as a novelist a hint? Do you find it easiest to write about characters to whom you relate, or ones you feel distant from? Oddly enough, I didn’t identify at all with Miranda. I’m a country girl through and through! I identified with Ava a little, but I imagine some of me went into both. I write from my heart without really intellectualizing things a great deal. I write what feels right. I find it just as easy to write about someone like me as someone very unlike me – sometimes the characters who are least like me are the most fun! I can be anyone I want to be and for the duration of the book, live another life entirely!

Interview

Knygoje susijungia dvi istorijos, kurias sieja viena vieta ir vienas asmuo. Visada labiausiai mėgstu tuos pasakojimus, kurie turi kelias laiko linijas arba yra pasakojamos iš kelių veikėjų perspektyvos. Tai amžinos meilės istorija. Istorija realistiška, nėra "gerų" ir "blogų" veikėjų, matoma jų transformacija. Visa istorija apipinta vienos paslapties, intriga išlaikoma beveik iki pabaigos. Georgia is a very exceptional, beautiful, talented woman. She embodies the best of British eccentricity in the most glorious way. Having known her as a child I went to see her while researching the book. She was a great inspiration to me and I did think of her as I created Ava. I’ve never seen anyone wear a dungarees with such style. Fortunately for her, I don’t know her well enough to base a character entirely on her, but I was inspired by her unconventional beauty, her animation, enthusiasm, joy and love. I haven’t looked for her on-line but she is a professional garden designer! In the hallway I walk down every day to and from my office there is a bookshelf where people put copies of books they don’t need. There are shelves like that on every floor in the building and when visiting other departments you can sometimes find books you haven’t read and you get to take them home. It is like a free bookstore. That is how I found The French Gardener by Santa Montefiore. I decided to divide the book into seasons because of the garden theme, of course—I wanted a whole year to watch Jean-Paul’s garden grow—but also to reinforce the main theme of regeneration. The seasons return again year after year, Ava hands her knowledge and love of the garden to Jean-Paul, who then passes them on to Miranda and her children, who will pass them on to their own children one day. My father grew up in the same house that I grew up in, where we now have a cottage. My children build camps in the same parts of the garden and woods and climb the same tree house that my father and I once climbed. Ava’s love is not dead but will grow season after season in the garden she created.

This reading group guide for The French Gardener includes discussion questions, ideas for enhancing your book club, and a Q&A. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.

Synopsis

Simon gave me the idea for The French Gardener and our children inspired me to write about the simple pleasures of Nature as their DVDs and Nintendo’s gathered dust, replaced by a more wholesome desire to play outside. I adore my London life. I love my friends, the restaurants, shops, theatres and the social side of the city. But I need to return every weekend to the country where I see only my family. I feel at peace in the woods and gardens of my home, where we have a cottage, and fill up spiritually.

Why did you decide to organize the novel by season? How do you think this structure will affect the reading of the book? What do you think the passing of the seasons meant to your characters? Infidelity abounds in the lives of the various characters in The French Gardener. Do you hope that readers will remain loyal to certain characters despite their flawed behavior? How do you see the affairs as differing from one another? Is one more forgivable than the next? Can you give us some more insight into the poetic phrases that begin each chapter? How did you decide on these? How do you hope they set the tone for what follows in the chapter?Santa Montefiore has been slowly winning me over. This is the third book I read by her and she has been proving me that she has it in her to write great and delightful stories. Of the three books I've read, this is the second one that I'll be rating 5 stars and that's good news both for me and for the author as I'll definitely keep reading her words. She is really good in writing about love, about people, about lives and also about magic. I’m glad you asked this question! In my youth I wanted to be a singer/songwriter. These are the words of a song I wrote aged twenty-two, when a dear friend of mine was killed in a canoeing accident. It has a chorus, but it wasn’t appropriate for the book. Like the phrases at the top of each chapter, these are Ava’s words from her spirit. They’re to Jean-Paul and they’re to my readers. For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more. This week I read The French Gardener by Santa Montefiore. My bloggy friend, Linda, posted about it here, and I wanted to read it based on her review. I will keep my review brief and refer you to Linda's post. Linda also has another blog, News from Italy, I enjoy reading, too. Oddly enough, I didn’t identify at all with Miranda. I’m a country girl through and through! I identified with Ava a little, but I imagine some of me went into both. I write from my heart without really intellectualizing things a great deal. I write what feels right. I find it just as easy to write about someone like me as someone very unlike me—sometimes the characters who are least like me are the most fun! I can be anyone I want to be and, for the duration of the book, live another life entirely!