The Heirloom Garden: A Novel

4.5 stars. The Heirloom Garden by Viola Shipman is a captivating novel of healing, friendship and love. In the 1940’s, Iris Maynard is a botanist whose love of flowers was instilled in her by her grandmother and mother. Married young, Iris and her daughter Mary await the return of husband and father Jon. Following the heartrending loss of Jon, tragedy once again strikes and Iris lavishes all of her love and attention on her heirloom garden. By 2003, Iris is a recluse who lives in her family cottage on Lake Michigan. After renting the house next door to Abby, Cory and Lily Peterson, will Iris allow the troubled family into her life? Abby is hoping the change in scenery will prove to be beneficial to Cory. Her beloved husband is a mere shadow of the man he was before his deployment to Iraq. She loves her husband and she feels helpless as she watches him cope with the horrors of war in unhealthy ways. A fortuitous job offer precipitates their move and she loves the small town where they now live. An engineer, Abby is first excited about her new job but she is soon disillusioned as she watches her prized project becomes unrecognizable in her boss’s hands. Iris spends long days working in her garden. She lovingly cares for each plant and continues to propagate her beloved flowers. She rarely ventures from behind the towering fence she had built decades earlier and she dissuades people from visiting. But young Lily’s bright and inquisitive nature is impossible to resist and Iris enjoys showing her around her beloved garden. She is also drawn to Abby as she struggles to keep her family together while Cory battles the demons from his time in battle. Iris finds a kindred spirit in Cory and her quiet presence soothes him as he fights the PTSD that haunts him. Their unexpected bond proves to be healing as they deal with their respective issues. With beautiful references to flowers, The Heirloom Garden is a heartfelt novel that is emotionally compelling. Each of the characters is beautifully developed with relatable problems to overcome. Abby’s situation with her career is still an all too real issue in today’s world. Iris and Cory’s struggles are realistically depicted with gradual success in surmounting their emotional wounds. Young Lily is precocious and an absolute delight. A wonderful tribute to the military will resonate with readers, Viola Shipman brings this charming small town novel to a poignant and touching conclusion. I adored this moving story and highly recommend it to fans of the genre. I received a complimentary copy for review.

I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel from Netgalley, Viola Shipman, and Harlequin Books S.A. - GraydonHouseBooks. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend Viola Shipman to friends and family. Her nostalgic peek into the past may bring you to tears, but it's a good cry. The Heirloom Garden is centered in the small town of Grand Haven, Michigan. Iris's grandparents and parents had built side-by-side Sears and Roebuck's Craftsman homes many many years ago.. All three generations of women were avid gardeners, maintaining large yards filled with blooms of every season. Late in the summer of 1944, we visit this small town through the eyes of Iris Maynard, recent widow of First Lieutenant Jonathan Maynard, mother of Jane, a college-degreed botanist, and natural gardener. We visit Grand Haven, Michigan, and Iris again during the 9/11 Iraqi action in the spring of 2003. In the 1950s Iris lost her daughter to Polio and has since lost her grandparents and parents. Iris is in her 90's and has been for years a complete shut-in. She has her groceries delivered to the gate of her 10-foot fence, pays her bills by computer, and shops online. Most folks in town think she has passed on, as it has been many years since she was seen out and about. Iris still resides in the home built by her father, and occasionally rents out her grandmother's home next door and outside the walls of her personal haven. Over the years she has moved her grandmother's plants into her own garden behind the wall, leaving only what doesn't require labor to maintain at her Grandmother's place. In the spring of 2003 Iris contacted her realtor and ask that her Grandmother's house be leased out, and as usual, she will let the realtor know whether she approves of the potential renter after the showing. Abby Peterson and her daughter Lily are both enthusiastic about the house. Cory did not come with them, as he had appointments in Detroit concerning his medical needs. The Peterson family need to be in Grand Haven, Michigan for some time, as Abby, a chemical engineer, will be producing a marine paint for a local concern who handles equipment and supplies for boaters on Lake Michigan. Abby's husband - Lily's dad - is a returning Veteran very different from the man who went over to Iraq, that spontaneous, funny, impulsive man they once knew. PTSD has stolen the man they understood, and both Abby and Lily hope the summer out of the city will give him a quiet time to unwind and find peace. Fortunately, Iris approves of them as renters, and the family gets moved in just in time for Lily's summer camps and Abby's job. Cory Peterson has several appointments with the VA which he misses, and he remains isolated in the house, for the most part, drinking beer, watching TV, and sleeping on the sofa. Cory is about as agoraphobic as Iris. Something has to change - but what? What can they do to help him back into the world? And Iris, as well. What can two busy females do to open the eyes and hearts of these shut-ins? Perhaps Iris and Cory just need to understand each other, to help each other to see the world again as it is...