Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published May 2014
304 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
Bay Singer has bigger secrets than most. She doesn't know about them, though. Her mother, Nan, has made sure of that. But one phone call from the sheriff makes Nan realize that the past is catching up. Nan decides that she has to make things right, and invites over the two estranged friends who know the truth. Ruthie and Mavis arrive in a whirlwind of painful memories, offering Nan little hope of protecting Bay. But even the most ruined garden is resilient, and their curious reunion has powerful effects that none of them could imagine, least of all Bay.
"Starred Review. With this tale, Ricket can build an audience that will marvel at her witchy talents." - Publishers Weekly
"[Readers] will savor Rickert's mesmerizing and magical novel of friendship and family. Each chapter's heading includes a brief botanical description of a particular flower or plant and these details also encompass folktale and mythological information" -Library Journal
"Rickert has created a slew of magical and unforgettable characters that will steal readers' breath away. This is a great story that must be devoured in one sitting." - RT Book Reviews
"The Memory Garden is a mother daughter love story, soaked with intrigue and seasoned with both regret and the most lovely kind of breathless hope. Don't miss this one." - Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Someone Else's Love Story
"A potent brew of guilty secrets and tragic histories, but also of enduring friendship and love. Add a pinch of the botanical. Serve on a luminous night faintly reminiscent of A Midsummer Night's Eve. A totally charming, totally engaging story told by Rickert, a magus of the first order. Magic in every line." - Karen Joy Fowler, author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves and The Jane Austen Book Club
"Mary Rickert's debut novel is absolutely stunning. An emotionally complex story bridges the divide between the past and the present, between generations, and between age-old friendships compromised by a web of secrets and lies. Be prepared to fall under this novel's strange and sensuous spell." - Christopher Barzak, author of One for Sorrow
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The Flower Sisters
by Michelle Collins Anderson
From the new Fannie Flagg of the Ozarks, a richly-woven story of family, forgiveness, and reinvention.
A million monkeys...
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