The Last Garden in England(86)
Author: Julia Kelly

10. The book is divided into four sections, one for each season. Do the lives of each narrator fit with each season? Discuss Venetia’s, Beth’s, Diana’s, Stella’s, and Emma’s transformations from winter to spring to summer to autumn. How do each of their character developments mirror what each season represents?

11. At the outset of the novel, Venetia, Beth, and Emma are all single, and by the end, each of them has fallen for a man in the gardens of Highbury House. They are all quite stubborn and, like the flowers in the garden, take time to “bloom.” How are these romances similar? How are they different?

12. While Venetia’s career was exceptional for her time period, World War II forced many women in 1944 to work when they otherwise might not have had the opportunity to pursue a trade. How did the war impact the lives Beth, Diana, Stella, Cynthia, and Matron were able to lead? How did their lives pave the way for women like Emma? How did the war change the lives of women the world over? If you were a woman in 1944, which job would you have liked to have had to help with the war effort?

13. Although Venetia is an independent career woman in 1907, and proudly states, “I have talent and artistry” (page 284), Mrs. Melcourt snaps back, “And I have a husband. I hold all of the cards, Miss Smith” (page 285). Discuss the ways in which female power has evolved over the last century. Was Mrs. Melcourt correct? How does female power and agency shift by 1944? By 2021? Does the “husband” standard still give women power today?

14. Beth accepts when Colin asks her to be “his girl” (page 182), but once she meets Captain Hastings, she chooses his hand in spite of Colin’s expectations of her. Later, Colin confronts her and questions her decision. He’s angry, and she retorts, “You just wanted a woman waiting at home for you, and that might have been enough for me in Dorking, but it isn’t enough for me now” (page 247). Do you think Colin was fair to Beth? Do you think Beth was fair to Colin? Have you ever felt pressure to commit to a relationship when your heart wasn’t fully in it?

15. Diana suffers a great deal of loss during the war, losing both her husband and her son. Her grief is acute, and it becomes clear that she also felt she lost a part of herself when she married and became a mother. What do you think of Bobby’s adoption? Of her choice to call him Robert, the given name he shared with Robin? Of the choice to bury the adoption papers and keep his true ancestry a secret? Do you think she ultimately finds peace? If so, do you agree with how she found it?

Enhance Your Book Club

1. In season 2 of Downton Abbey, the great house is converted into a convalescent home for injured soldiers. Although it takes place during World War I, it’s reminiscent of many of the hospital scenes in the The Last Garden in England. After reading this novel, binge a few episodes of Downton Abbey with your book club to imagine how one of England’s great houses would have functioned as part of the war effort.

2. The gardens from the novel are grand in scope, though each garden room has its own theme and personality. Beth finds comfort and inspiration in sketching them, and her drawings later instruct Emma’s restoration of Highbury House. Grab a sketchbook, colored pencils, or watercolors and pick a garden room to paint as you imagine it! Use the descriptions in the book to help you picture your own version of Highbury House’s expansive beauty.

3. Plan a trip to a local botanical garden! Learn which plants thrive in each season, and enjoy their beauty firsthand as a group.

4. Emma finds love, friendship, and community at the White Lion pub quiz nights. Take your book club out for a night of pub trivia in your neighborhood! Will you fare better than Menace to Sobriety?

The Last Garden in England(86) Author: Julia Kelly

The Last Garden in England(86)
Author: Julia Kelly