The Walled Garden

t’s 1946 and the war has finally ended. The village of Oakbourne is getting ready to welcome the men back from war, but although they have survived the war, they bring home the horrors of what they have witnessed. Their psychological wounds continue to fester and grow, but it isn’t just those who had fought on the battlefield who are suffering because even those who had been left behind are being overwhelmed by sorrow, anguish and despair.

Alice Rayne is married to Stephen, the heir to Oakbourne Hall. Stephen has changed so much since he went off the war and the sweet and kind man who had gone to fight on the front line had returned home bitter and angry. The man Alice is now married to is a stranger with erratic moods that frighten her, yet she knows that she needs to save marriage and in turn try to save Oakbourne Hall from ruin. As Alice sets to work, she begins with the walled garden and as it starts to bear fruit, she finds herself drawn into a forbidden love affair.

This is an emotional roller coaster of a story. It explores trauma, despair, love and loss with depth and sensitivity. A beautifully well written book.