A Memory of Violets Tour & Review

A Novel of London's Flower Sellers by Hazel Gaynor

In 1912, twenty-year-old Tilly Harper leaves the peace and beauty of her native Lake District for London, to become assistant housemother at Mr. Shaw’s Home for Watercress and Flower Girls. For years, the home has cared for London’s flower girls—orphaned and crippled children living on the grimy streets and selling posies of violets and watercress to survive.

Soon after she arrives, Tilly discovers a diary written by an orphan named Florrie—a young Irish flower girl who died of a broken heart after she and her sister, Rosie, were separated. Moved by Florrie’s pain and all she endured in her brief life, Tilly sets out to discover what happened to Rosie. But the search will not be easy. Full of twists and surprises, it leads the caring and determined young woman into unexpected places, including the depths of her own heart. 
Add to Goodreads

 Buy links: 

Amazon * B&N * IndieBound

Author spotlight:

Hazel Gaynor’s 2014 debut novel THE GIRL WHO CAME HOME – A Novel of the Titanic was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller. A MEMORY OF VIOLETS is her second novel.

Hazel writes a popular guest blog ‘Carry on Writing’ for national Irish writing website writing.ie and contributes regular feature articles for the site, interviewing authors such as Philippa Gregory, Sebastian Faulks, Cheryl Strayed, Rachel Joyce and Jo Baker, among others.

Hazel was the recipient of the 2012 Cecil Day Lewis award for Emerging Writers and was selected by Library Journal as one of Ten Big Breakout Authors for 2015. She appeared as a guest speaker at the Romantic Novelists’ Association and Historical Novel Society annual conferences in 2014.

Originally from Yorkshire, England, Hazel now lives in Ireland with her husband and two children.

Website * Facebook * Twitter 

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review!

What I say: A Memory of Violets is a little different from the books I usually review. This is because I'm not the biggest fan of diary format and tend to avoid them. In this case because the story is told retrospectively through Florrie's diary and through narrator Tilly's adventures in 1912 London I didn't mind the diary aspect and found the plight of the flower girls sweet and extremely sad.
Florrie's story is heartbreakingly sad. Even though I knew from reading the blurb she wasn't going to get one, I kept hoping for a Hollywood style HEA. I remember being taught a little about the London flower sellers at school but I didn't realise the absolute horrors they faced. I don't ever remember being told about how so many children were living in the 1880's with such devastating aliments.
Tilly leaves her home to travel to London to work for Mr Shaw. He runs a home for disabled flower girls. It's a sanctuary where the girls make paper flowers to sell and are taken care of; they would otherwise be living on the streets.
Whilst Tilly uncovers more about Florrie and her missing sister Rosie, she also has to face up to her own problems and make amends with her family. I enjoyed the crossovers and how the two time lines are interwoven with ease. It's a sweet, clean story with a hopeful message.
3.5 Stars in my Sky!

Giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway