A beautiful cover and an intriguing title hides the reality of The Garden of Lost and Found. Instead of a tale as glorious as its packaging, I found something listless and forgettable.

I liked this book, although it did take me a while to get into. It was interesting to see how the story developed through the different generations and how Julia was able to resolve the story of her family in the end.

Please note that this book is not for me - I have read the book, However I had to DNF and because i do not like to give negative reviews I will not review this book fully - there is no specific reason for not liking this book. I found it a struggle to read and did not enjoy trying to force myself to read this book.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused and thank you for the opportunity to read this book

Better late than never, I’ve had this book to read for a while and now the paperback edition is out. I have no idea why it’s taken me so long to pick it up and read, but it was definitely worth the wait.
A two timeline plot , sharing the stories of one family, an artist, a house, WW1, a dolls house, a famous painting and a huge array of believable, likeable characters ( well not the nursemaid). Beautifully written and so many twists towards the end that I couldn’t put it down.

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Beautifully written and intricately plotted dual narrative novel which is told partly from the perspective of Juliet, an unhappy mother of three and from the previous generations of her family. When Juliet, an art historian inherits a house unexpectedly from her grandmother, she decides to separate from her husband and move into the dilapidated house with her disgruntled children. Domestic life is very well portrayed, almost painful to read. Juliet is related to the famous artist Ned Horner, creator of The Garden of Lost and Found, a painting of his children that has subsequently disappeared. The historical parts tell the story of Lydia, his wife, her sister Mary and their children. This begins with Lydia's dreadfully unhappy young adulthood after the death of her mother and its effect on her life. I thought the plot was gripping with both stories as the secrets of Lydia and Mary's lives unfold alongside Juliet coping with domestic tribulations and her new job with an old university adversary. Her grandmother is is a rather complicated character with secrets and the Juliet parts of the narrative are added to with her diary entries giving advice about the house and garden. Juliet finds herself renewed by working on the garden and there are lovely descriptions. Overall, a really enjoyable book that got me hooked.

This novel was everything I was hoping for, and more, and every bit as good as everyone told me it would be, and then some. Utterly compellingly and thoroughly engrossing.

Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
A very good read and one I can highly recommend to others.
I could not put this down.
Thoroughly enjoyable with an amazing cast of characters that you cannot help but engage with.

This book has a duel timeline, Juliet in modern times, Lydia in late 19th century.
This is a lengthy story which is modern yet historical and deals with the Horner family saga. It was well written, the story line is engaging and the descriptions of the settings were beautifully written.
Overall a fascinating story which I would recommend
Thank you very much to Netgalley, Headline and Harriet Evans for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review

I loved this book. The story line was engaging and the characters well rounded. I would definitely recommend this book.

A wonderful story that spans the generations over the years.
Well written with great characterisation, the description of setting is beautiful and enthralling. The two time periods are well connected and plot twists keep you interested.
Overall a lovely read that I looked forward to picking up.

This is an epic, beautiful book that spans four generations and over 100 years. Juliet an art historian who specialises in Victorian art but has a love for her great grandfather Ned Horner’s work the Garden of Lost and Found which was burnt in 1918. Stella has a lot on her shoulders her job, her children, her marriage and she is feeling lost we also follow Ned and Liddy and their quest to make a beautiful home with their children. Nightingale House and it’s gardens are the key to everyone’s happiness . The beautiful description of the garden through the changing seasons is so evocative. A fantastic read as always

I loved Harriet Evans’ Wildflowers – blogpost last year – which I described as Noel Streatfeild crossed with Daphne du Maurier. I then wondered why you would need any more of a recommendation than that: 'just go and read it' I said. This one is a quite different book, but my reaction is very much the same. The Garden of Lost and Found is engrossing and clever and funny and beautifully-observed, with a dual timeline plot, a beautiful family house, a clever artist, and some desperately sad and dark moments. There is one of the most horrible characters you could wish (not) to meet, in the guise of an apparently reasonable woman. And although this could be called a ‘family saga’, some elements are as dysfunctional as you could imagine. Families do not come off that well…

The first strand is set in early 20th century London with the disturbing and disturbed Dysart family, and the artist Ned Horner; the second features a descendant in modern times, Juliet, who has a disintegrating marriage, demanding children, and a hope that an unexpected legacy might help change her life.

Harriet Evans manages these strands extraordinarily well, and makes them work despite remarkable changes of tone. Juliet’s modern life is hilarious, awful, and recognizable – as are her clothes:
…when she was thin, and had time to blow-dry her hair every day, and wore wrap dresses and proper suede slingbacks instead of long Titian hair hastily pulled into a bun from which it kept escaping, a too-long fringe that tickled her eyelashes, a long flared silk skirt covered in a pattern of curling peacock feathers which she’s found in a charity shop and decided to rebrand as a vintage find.
There are some great sharp moments dealing with modern life, social media, the sexism that still pervades in all kinds of areas. But Juliet isn’t always right, her imperfections and mistakes show up too.

And then there is the story from a century before: very dark at times, and sad, and tremendously affecting. There are faint echoes of the AS Byatt novel Possession (a very early appearance on the blog, two entries), and – I don’t understand something.

---I know I am always banging on about this: see also, Lissa Evans, Amanda Craig, Hilary McKay (click on labels below to see blogposts) and more ---

AS Byatt won the Booker Prize and she and her sister Margaret Drabble are ‘taken seriously’ in the literary world. The Garden of Lost and Found is a proper novel, it is thought-provoking and thoughtful, confidently and cleverly written. I read it a few weeks ago now, and it has come back into my mind frequently ever since. And I want to say: what does Harriet Evans have to do to be treated as a ‘serious author’? This is what I said about Wildflowers:

It is yet another book that I’m sure many people would describe as ‘family saga’ or ‘chicklit’ or ‘beach read’. And it IS those things, but without the dismissive overtone. There’s a Catch-22 in which I don’t want to imply that being any of those things is in any way unimportant, but I also wish there was more recognition for this kind of book: it’s a proper novel.

And the same applies here. It is a great, fascinating book and I recommend it whole-heartedly.

At the centre of the book is the painting that shares its name with the novel: it is, I think, extremely hard for a writer to describe an imaginary painting and make it live in the reader’s mind, and make you believe that the picture is a great one, but she does that so well.
Millions around the world had queued up to see it, to stare hungrily at the sight of that beautiful English country garden in the late afternoon, the two children, one with those curious birds’ wings, crouched at the top of the lichen-and-daisy speckled steps, peering into the house, watching their mother writing.

A lengthy story which kept me captivated from the first word.
It tells the story of three generations of Horner family women, and uncovers a secretive past.
What can I say, it is modern but historical at the same time; magical; and the detail is just gorgeous.
The best book I have read by this author so far. I loved it.

I really liked the synopsis of this book, but unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations.
I don't care for books that jump back and forwards between time zones, the only purpose that seems to serve is to make for a longer book. The book was supposedly 320 pages, but I think it was twice this length.
The characters were confusing, who was related to whom. I didn't particularly like any of them, none of them stood out. All this, my love, darling etc became rather nauseous after a while.
It was a shame as the idea was good, but poorly executed. It didn't grip you, and for a book that length it really does need to.
My copy of the book was full of typos and badly formatted. One word on a line and then when conversations were going on, both on the same line. Confusing, but maybe that will be sorted for the production copy. Another big bug bear is lots of use of Italics. Very difficult to read for some people. The book also finished rather abruptly, and felt very odd.

Like all saga’s this one has a great deal of scene setting and introduction of the players and their motivations. This makes the first half of the story slow-paced and detailed.

There is an intriguing mystery to solve and complex family dynamics. Told from two timelines, Lydia’s set in the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century and Juliet’s her Great- Grandaughter in 2014.

The prologue sets the ethos of the story and introduces the painting of the garden, which is rightly a significant character in this story, as it represents an ideal that shrouds secrets, which are ultimately revealed as the story progresses.

Many of the characters are difficult to empathise, they are self-centred and seem uncaring of how their actions affect those around them. Juliet and Lydia are drawn together through the actions of Juliet’s deceased Grandmother Stella when she bequeaths her the house and garden, years after her demise.

Modern themes of social media abuse and dysfunctional families are explored and contrasted against the family in the late nineteenth century. It is notable that censure of certain behaviour and imperfect marriages were just as common in the historical setting, just hidden better.

The depth of research and historical detail gives this story its richness and authenticity. The imperfection of the characters also makes it believable. It is possible to want them to have a hopeful future, despite that lack of likeability and their numerous flaws.

If you enjoy a mystery, like a historical and contemporary timeslip point of view, and want to completely escape, this story is for you.

I received a copy of this book from Headline via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Great read. The pages slipped by whilst I was engrossed in this fabulous story. Loved it!
My favourite genre, slipping back in time to the early 20th century and revealing the mystery in the present day.
Emotional and absorbing read. Perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Leah Fleming.

This book was disappointing for me. I couldn’t get into the story at all and I felt like it was a disjointed. I didn’t become engrossed in the characters and I found it a chore to read so I didn’t finish it. The book switches between two timelines and neither storyline held my interest to be completely honest. Not the authors usual style.

Harriet Evans' new book The Garden of Lost and Found is an epic read at over 500 pages. It is a dual timeline story with two distinct narratives but the characters are connected through family and a painting that held many spellbound when it was first painted and exhibited to the world. The painting entitled The Garden of Lost and Found is a key feature in this book almost like a character in itself and it forms the backbone to this story around which everything else flows. The book starts off very very slowly and really does take some time to find its direction. Persistence is the key here, once you make it through the first half of the book things really do start to become much more clearer and I was glad I kept going with it. For there were times I felt like stopping and leaving it and I have never felt this way about this authors books before. But once I reached the halfway mark things really did take it off and I felt the second half more than made up for the first and I became much more engrossed in the overall story as things became apparent and endless twists and turns arose which kept me intrigued.

Family dynamics, motherhood and the way we are raised form the major themes of this book. The contrast between our two main female characters are many yet there are similarities to be found too. The brief prologue is interesting and really does set the scene for what is to unfold over many pages. Famous artist Ned Horner has just burned his most prominent work which held such special significance for his wife given she has endured such loss and hardship. She is torn in two, how could her husband do this as it is the last remaining link to her children? It is a graceful, magnificent and special moment captured at Nightingale House - two children playing in the garden while their mother sits indoors writing at a desk. What drove Ned to do this?

In the present day art historian Juliet Horner, the great granddaughter of Ned and Liddy, sees a sketch of the original painting come up for sale. But what intrigues her even more is when she receives a letter with a key. She is now the owner of Nightingale House which she finds surprising considering the last few years of estrangement from her grandmother Stella. What secrets are enshrined in the house and can Juliet be the one to uncover them? Is the time right for her to move or is it fate considering the sad state of her marriage to Matt and the discovery she will soon make? Juliet feels that things are all wrong and that she has messed up and that her family is spiralling out of control. A leap of faith is made, one which will test her and throw up many surprises and difficulties. She knows unless she takes this step and embraces the opportunity presented to her than her children will continue to suffer. A break with the chain is needed and I was ever so glad when she left Matt and brought the children Bea, Isla and Sandy to Nightingale House.

I thought there would have been a lot of digging in the past by Juliet in order to discover what actually did happen to the painting considering she had such a feeling of unfinished business when it came to the house. Instead for the majority of the book, the focus turned more on her relationship with her children and how she could break down the barriers especially with Bea. Bea was a wonderfully written character such thought went into creating her and her frustrations, hesitations and her traumas were dealt with so well. She was confused, hurt and exploring her way in the world and it was brilliant to have a young character with such complex issues.

If only Juliet could see beyond her own personal problems and reach out to her daughter but at times I thinks he was too caught up in her own world to see what was going on around her. Now was the time for her to fix her faults and become the woman who she wanted to be instead for someone who was lost. She needed to engage with her children and understand them better and then maybe other things would fall into place. As one line in the book said 'The future is yet unwritten. The past is burnt and gone'. I hoped Juliet would heed this advice and whilst doing so also delve a little bit into the past because some of the answers there might very well help her in the future. Juliet, to me, proved to be a frustrating character who always needed a shoulder to cry on and I didn't think she was always strong and able to get up and get motivated and change her fortunes and her family relationships and dynamics herself but maybe she was too constrained by her recent past and coming to Nightingale House would hopefully free her from the shackles she had become encased in.

In order to gain a deeper insight into Lydia and how a major life changing event came to feature in the prologue we are taken back to May 1891. Lydia lives with her sister Mary, brother Pertwee and their father. They lost their mother to small pox and now a family nanny has taken over the role of bringing them up. Lydia is a free spirit yet all the siblings are haunted by the loss of their mother. It doesn't help that things in the family home are not the way they should be. What follows are harsh and harrowing scenes and at times they were very difficult to read. I couldn't understand how certain things were allowed to happen. It all just seemed so evil and cruel. Lydia was resilient but deeply affected by her experiences and going against convention and order as we follow her over several years her life changes when she meets and is able to marry struggling artist Ned Horner.

We follow the pair over many years and it allows the reader to make comparisons and connections with Juliet in the present day. There is an awful lot that unfolds with Lydia and the timespan in which we follow her journey is quite long. She is brought to nothing time and time again and her marriage is complicated and life has many challenges, disappointments and heartbreak in store for her. But as I have mentioned I always questioned what was the big connection to the present day? Would there be shocking reveals and twists and turns? There were but it, as the story, was so slow in getting going I did think was a lot of the first half relevant and could it have been condensed down a bit?

The Garden of Lost and Found is a real character driven story and the author really takes the time to present detailed descriptions of the characters, their thoughts, motivations and feelings. Don't expect surprises and thrills with every turn of the page that's saved more for the last quarter or so. In fact right up until the last two pages there was even more being revealed which I thought was just too rushed given the length of the book and how long it had taken us to reach the point of discovery. The tying up of loose ends seemed abrupt and it was as if the author had forgotten one or two things she wanted to mention and felt the need to get them in right up until the last paragraph.

The Garden of Lost and Found is a very good book and you will be rewarded for your patience but in my opinion it is just too long and needed to be shortened. There seemed to be endless pages of narrative before the point was actually made where a paragraph or two would have sufficed. I thought things became bogged down in the first half and I found it challenging to see where the story was trying to go. Don't get me wrong, I love dual timeline stories especially ones which delve into the past and I like this new direction Harriet Evans is going in which is very different to her earlier books but here although there was something magical, alluring and captivating about the overall story and its themes it wasn't always quite pulled off given its length. The Garden of Lost and Found is a compelling book but its one which needs all of your attention. I was glad I continued on with it as the discoveries that followed more than made up for the first hal

I've not read anything by Harriet Evans before but I was attracted to this book by the cover and the title (I love gardens!). I also really enjoy stories featuring old houses and family mysteries.

The story has two timelines. One takes place from 1891 to 1919, and the other over the period of a year in the present day. In the past, renowned artist Sir Edward Horner has almost bankrupted his family by buying back his most famous work, The Garden of Lost and Found, which shows his children playing in the garden of his wife's ancestral home. In the present his great-granddaughter, Juliet, unexpectedly inherits the house - and tries to solve the mystery of why her great-grandfather destroyed the painting he loved.

The chapters set in the past, about Edward and his wife Libby, were enthralling but very sad. My favourites were those set in the present, about Juliet's new life as she separated from her husband and attempted to bring up her children in a very dilapidated old house. Her children, Bea and Isla, were complete monsters, very resentful of their move from London to a house in the middle of nowhere; I loved them! Isla, in particular, was very funny. I also enjoyed the notes written to Juliet from her grandmother, explaining how to care for the house and garden, and the various jobs that needed doing at different times of the year. The story has some clever twists; one near the end took me completely by surprise!

The Garden of Lost and Found is a lovely, heart-warming story about the importance of family, and the consequences of keeping secrets and how they can affect the following generations. I would recommend it to fans of authors such as Kate Morton, Eve Chase and Lulu Taylor. One of my favourite reads this year!


Thank you to Harriet Evans and Headline Review for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

I really loved this book. I have never read any of this authors books before but, I am certainly going to make sure I do in the future.
I loved the way the story went from present day and then backwards in time so you could find out about wha happened in the past.
The author touched on issues such as social media bullying and divorce and the impact it has on the children in this story. These subjects are unfortunately all too real these days and I feel it’s great that it was weaved into the story.
This was an easy read and very enjoyable and I hope Harriet Evans other books are just as enjoyable.