Review & Giveaway: Small Eden by Jane Davis


Small Eden by Jane Davis

Publication Date: April 30, 2022
Rossdale Print Productions

Genre: Historical Fiction


A boy with his head in the clouds. A man with a head full of dreams.

1884. The symptoms of scarlet fever are easily mistaken for teething, as Robert Cooke and his pregnant wife Freya discover at the cost of their two infant sons. Freya immediately isolates for the safety of their unborn child. Cut off from each other, there is no opportunity for husband and wife to teach each other the language of their loss. By the time they meet again, the subject is taboo. But unspoken grief is a dangerous enemy. It bides its time.

A decade later and now a successful businessman, Robert decides to create a pleasure garden in memory of his sons, in the very same place he found refuge as a boy – a disused chalk quarry in Surrey’s Carshalton. But instead of sharing his vision with his wife, he widens the gulf between them by keeping her in the dark. 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…

‘Life as it is, in all its terrible beauty.’ - Jean Gill, author of Historical Fiction series The Troubadours Quartet

‘With an eye for precise detail balanced by a sweeping imagination, this beautifully constructed book is built on deep foundations.’ - JJ Marsh, author of the Beatrice Stubbs Series



Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Small Eden was the first book I've read by Jane Davis and I can safely say it won't be my last!

Small Eden kicks off with a very emotional scene when Robert and Freya lose their two boys to Scarlet Fever. Freya is heavily pregnant at the time and is sent away with her daughter so they don't become sick also. While Freya mourns for them, Robert stocially busies himself with his successful medical business. Pleasure Gardens are all the rage at this time and Robert finds the perfect place to create one of his own as tribute to his sons. I've never read about pleasure gardens before so this was a real treat to learn about.

There is another storyline as well featuring Robert's mother Hettie who travels to Scotland to find out what happened to her father. I really enjoyed this as well and it brought another fascinating aspect to the book.

Davis is an exceptional writer that knows how to keep the reader engaged and can bring out all the emotions! Once I started reading it was hard to put down - I was compltely invested in the story and characters and enjoyed every minute I spent reading it. Highly recommended!


About the Author

 

Jane Davis is the author of ten thought-provoking novels. Her debut, Half-truths and White Lies, won the Daily Mail First Novel Award and was described by Joanne Harris as ‘A story of secrets, lies, grief and, ultimately, redemption, charmingly handled by this very promising new writer.’ The Bookseller called her 'One to Watch.' In 2016, Writing Magazine named An Unknown Woman their Self-Published Book of the Year. Her 2018 novel Smash all the Windows won the inaugural Selfies (Best Independently Published Work of Fiction) Award at London Book Fair. At the Stroke of Nine O'Clock was shortlisted for the Selfies, is an Historical Novel Society Editor’s Choice and was featured by The Lady Magazine as one of their favourite books set in the 1950s.

Jane lives in Carshalton, Surrey with her Formula 1 obsessed, star-gazing, beer-brewing partner, surrounded by growing piles of paperbacks, CDs and general chaos.

For further information, or to sign up for pre-launch specials and notifications about future projects, visit the author’s website at www.jane-davis.co.uk.

Be sure to follow Jane on BookBub for the latest on sales.

Giveaway

Enter to win a signed copy of Small Eden by Jane Davis!

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on July 15th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

Small Eden

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