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The Memory Garden
Nan keeps her secrets deep, not knowing how the truth would reveal a magic all its own
Bay Singer has bigger secrets than most. She doesn't know about them, though. Her mother, Nan, has made sure of that. But one phone call from the sheriff makes Nan realize that the past is catching up. Nan decides that she has to make things right, and invites over the two estranged friends who know the truth. Ruthie and Mavis arrive in a whirlwind of painful memories, offering Nan little hope of protecting Bay. But even the most ruined garden is resilient, and their curious reunion has powerful effects that none of them could imagine, least of all Bay.
Bay Singer has bigger secrets than most. She doesn't know about them, though. Her mother, Nan, has made sure of that. But one phone call from the sheriff makes Nan realize that the past is catching up. Nan decides that she has to make things right, and invites over the two estranged friends who know the truth. Ruthie and Mavis arrive in a whirlwind of painful memories, offering Nan little hope of protecting Bay. But even the most ruined garden is resilient, and their curious reunion has powerful effects that none of them could imagine, least of all Bay.
295 pages, Paperback
First published May 6, 2014
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3582 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 277 reviews
July 6, 2023
Bay ist 15 Jahre alt und lebt bei der 78-jährigen Nan. Als Baby wurde Bay auf Nans Verandatreppe "abgestellt". Nan hat keine eigenen Kinder und keinen Mann, so hat sie Bay adoptiert. Sowohl Bay als auch Nan werden von der Dorfgemeinschaft als Außenseiter angesehen. Nan wird als Hexe beschimpft. Bay ist sich nicht sicher, ob Nan nicht vielleicht wirklich eine Hexe ist. Auf jeden Fall ist Nan sonderbar und hat Geheimnisse...
**
Mein Leseeindruck:
Es ist mir zunächst etwas schwergefallen, mich in dieses Buch bzw. in diese Geschichte einzulesen. Der Schreibstil ist sehr außergewöhnlich. So hat es ein wenig gedauert, bis mich die Geschichte rund um Bay und Nan wirklich fesseln konnte.
Die eigentliche Geschichte ist zwar manchmal etwas skurril, aber doch durchaus gut und lesenswert. Die Charaktere sind auch sehr besonders. Ich mag es, wenn die Protagonisten ihre kleinen Eigenheiten haben, und das haben sie hier im Buch auf jeden Fall!
Der Schreibstil war mir stellenweise etwas zu ausufernd bzw. zu "poetisch". Ich mag es da lieber einfacher. Wer aber "sprachverspielte" Bücher mag, der kommt hier sicher auf seine Kosten.
Zusammenfassend kann ich sagen, dass "Sommergeister" für mich ein gutes, solides Buch ist, das mich gut unterhalten hat. Die Geschichte an sich hat mir gut gefallen, der Schreibstil jedoch war gewöhnungsbedürftig.
**
Mein Leseeindruck:
Es ist mir zunächst etwas schwergefallen, mich in dieses Buch bzw. in diese Geschichte einzulesen. Der Schreibstil ist sehr außergewöhnlich. So hat es ein wenig gedauert, bis mich die Geschichte rund um Bay und Nan wirklich fesseln konnte.
Die eigentliche Geschichte ist zwar manchmal etwas skurril, aber doch durchaus gut und lesenswert. Die Charaktere sind auch sehr besonders. Ich mag es, wenn die Protagonisten ihre kleinen Eigenheiten haben, und das haben sie hier im Buch auf jeden Fall!
Der Schreibstil war mir stellenweise etwas zu ausufernd bzw. zu "poetisch". Ich mag es da lieber einfacher. Wer aber "sprachverspielte" Bücher mag, der kommt hier sicher auf seine Kosten.
Zusammenfassend kann ich sagen, dass "Sommergeister" für mich ein gutes, solides Buch ist, das mich gut unterhalten hat. Die Geschichte an sich hat mir gut gefallen, der Schreibstil jedoch war gewöhnungsbedürftig.
May 27, 2014
It is disappointing to sit down to write a review after a satisfying reading experience only to discover that the words that most readily leap to mind are those so stripped of meaning by overuse that they are rendered virtually powerless. Such is the nature of the hyperbolic overuse of adjectives.
World Fantasy and Crawford award winning short story author M. Rickert’s debut novel, The Memory Garden, is a book that leaves this amateur reviewer keenly aware of his inadequacies when it comes to command of the English language. Words such as “enchanting� and “magical� should be utilized, along with many of their descriptive cousins, yet I fear the easy dismissal that these words might cause those worn out from the overzealous hyping of all things in this commercial age.
Dismissing a debut this lovely would be a shame.
The Memory Garden is a book rooted in seasons, those in the world outside our doors and those that form the cyclical patterns of our lives. It is a love story, though not of standard romantic fare, that celebrates family and friendship and the importance of looking beyond the veil of our own assumptions and prejudices. It is a novel that will stir your hunger for good food, beautiful gardens, and lasting relationships.
For the rest of my non-spoiler gushing over Mary Rickert's novel, please visit me here:
World Fantasy and Crawford award winning short story author M. Rickert’s debut novel, The Memory Garden, is a book that leaves this amateur reviewer keenly aware of his inadequacies when it comes to command of the English language. Words such as “enchanting� and “magical� should be utilized, along with many of their descriptive cousins, yet I fear the easy dismissal that these words might cause those worn out from the overzealous hyping of all things in this commercial age.
Dismissing a debut this lovely would be a shame.
The Memory Garden is a book rooted in seasons, those in the world outside our doors and those that form the cyclical patterns of our lives. It is a love story, though not of standard romantic fare, that celebrates family and friendship and the importance of looking beyond the veil of our own assumptions and prejudices. It is a novel that will stir your hunger for good food, beautiful gardens, and lasting relationships.
For the rest of my non-spoiler gushing over Mary Rickert's novel, please visit me here:
February 6, 2016
This book is BEAUTIFUL. Haunting (both literally and figuratively), filled with wonderful characters and food and flowers. Pretty much recommending it to everyone.
May 8, 2014
3.5 A quirky and entertaining read with some serious issues underneath the surface. Would love to have these people be part of my family. Ghosts, witches, shoe gardens, and the most sumptuous sounding dinner as well. Each chapter begins with a type of flower or plant, their meanings and uses.
The characters are wonderful, fun and each with a hidden fact of their life waiting to be uncovered. The relationship between mother and daughter, tragic secrets from the past that need to be brought out and forgiven. For the most part delightful and I believe that readers who like will love this novel.
ARC from NetGalley.
The characters are wonderful, fun and each with a hidden fact of their life waiting to be uncovered. The relationship between mother and daughter, tragic secrets from the past that need to be brought out and forgiven. For the most part delightful and I believe that readers who like will love this novel.
ARC from NetGalley.
May 21, 2014
"The Memory Garden" is the story of Nan, an eccentric woman who may or may not be a witch. One day, she finds a baby left on the steps of her home and takes her in to raise her. When Bay becomes a teenager, Nan finally believes that she needs to tell Bay her origins and that she may be more than meets the eye too. Nan calls on two old friends to help her show Bay what she is. This book is a quiet one filled with magical realism.
This book was sort of a mixed bag for me. On one hand, I absolutely love magical realism and really loved that element in this book. I thought that for the most part, the author did a really good job of making all of the magical and strange things feel really real. I also liked the aspect of Nan coming to terms with what the magic means to Bay and how it is up to Nan to really lead the way for her. If you like magical realism, you'll be into this book.
On the other hand, the book was a little stiff. The writing was a little choppy and it took me awhile to be able to find my pacing with what was going on and what the characters were like. I wanted to get to know the characters better but they seemed to sort of hold me at arm's length. Nan is an incredibly guarded character and it was hard to find my footing with her. Some of the background of Nan's magic and Bay's origin felt rushed. Overall, this would be a good pick for those who like their magical realism quirky.
This book was sort of a mixed bag for me. On one hand, I absolutely love magical realism and really loved that element in this book. I thought that for the most part, the author did a really good job of making all of the magical and strange things feel really real. I also liked the aspect of Nan coming to terms with what the magic means to Bay and how it is up to Nan to really lead the way for her. If you like magical realism, you'll be into this book.
On the other hand, the book was a little stiff. The writing was a little choppy and it took me awhile to be able to find my pacing with what was going on and what the characters were like. I wanted to get to know the characters better but they seemed to sort of hold me at arm's length. Nan is an incredibly guarded character and it was hard to find my footing with her. Some of the background of Nan's magic and Bay's origin felt rushed. Overall, this would be a good pick for those who like their magical realism quirky.
January 6, 2014
I had the privilege of reading this novel before its publication date. It's absolutely stunning, with beautiful poetic prose, full of everyday magic, a seriously unique conflict, and a bridge between generations. If you like the novels of Alice Hoffman, you'll like Mary Rickert's first novel, The Memory Garden, EVEN BETTER. Make sure to add it to your to-read queue for May, 2014!
October 27, 2014
I've pitched this novel as Practical Magic meets Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood with a dash of White Oleander: A house on the outskirts of town, a baby left on a doorstep, a secret from the past, and a reunion of friends. Each chapter begins with a short excerpt on a flower or herb and the powers it holds. Several are noted as abortifacients and there is an underlying theme of abortions (herbal and medical) throughout the novel.
"There were so many for a while there, and then, when the law changed, there were less and less until she was no longer needed. There were stragglers, of course; those who didn't want a doctor."
The run down house and garden setting is very comforting and there is a lot of food to make this novel a really delicious read. I really, really loved this book and thought it was absolutely perfect for October. If I had to pick something I didn't like, I would say it was a bit frustrating having conversations interrupted constantly. Someone would be trying to say something important and the person they were trying to tell just wouldn't let them spit it out.
Read my full review here:
"There were so many for a while there, and then, when the law changed, there were less and less until she was no longer needed. There were stragglers, of course; those who didn't want a doctor."
The run down house and garden setting is very comforting and there is a lot of food to make this novel a really delicious read. I really, really loved this book and thought it was absolutely perfect for October. If I had to pick something I didn't like, I would say it was a bit frustrating having conversations interrupted constantly. Someone would be trying to say something important and the person they were trying to tell just wouldn't let them spit it out.
Read my full review here:
December 26, 2024
Witchy women reunite after decades in an enchanted garden as the tale of a mysterious death is slowly revealed. Magical elements and ghosts permeate this story of old friends with dark secrets. It’s a little bit corny and entails some cliché tropes, but has a feel-good, hopeful vibe.
May 17, 2014
Tears, all the tears, but not in a bad way. Yes, there is death and dying, but there is hope and forgiveness and mother-love and the affinity and bickering between old women. There is memory and forgetting and snow and sunlight and ghosts and a doorstep-baby and the echoes of ancient crimes. There is herb-lore and fertility choice and witchery and a shoe garden and a society that does not approve.
Infused with food and woven with flowers, The Memory Garden is an absolute delight.
A few quotes. The ones below the spoiler cut are not particularly spoilery.
Infused with food and woven with flowers, The Memory Garden is an absolute delight.
A few quotes. The ones below the spoiler cut are not particularly spoilery.
Over the years, shoes were often thrown at the old house brooding atop its slope on Muir Glenn Road. The sole occupant of the old Victorian showed no distress upon finding footwear strewn about, however; she merely studied the smelly things as though evaluating works of art before taking them inside where boots, sneakers, heels, and cleats were transformed into charming planters.
It was because of the shoe garden that the house became locally famous, though there had always been rumors about disturbing fertile elements in the soil. The large elm tree, for instance, was not only unaffected by the disease that killed so many in the sixties, but thrived, branching dark shadows across the entire left side of the porch, which did not impede the vigor of blue heaven morning glory or moonflowers trained to crawl up the railings. The rose mallow flourished in their boots, as did the hollyhocks, the hostas� great leaves obscured the shoes they were planted in, the pennyroyal grew so vigorously in the lady’s slipper it had to be divided several times and the forget- me- not sweetly flowered blue above men’s work shoes.
She serves good red wine, chosen for its smoldering taste, hoping it will ruin both girls for the cheap affection of high school boys.
November 10, 2014
This was a nicely written story but ultimately not the book for me. The Memory Garden is about three friends who reunite after many years. Nan, Ruthie, and Mavis haven’t seen each other since their teens, when their other friend Eve died in a clearly traumatic but unknown way.
Nan has an adopted daughter, Bay, who is a teenager and was left on her doorstep as a baby. Nan is worried she might not be able to care for Bay, since there's a sheriff poking around who clearly has some unsettled business. So on her 79th birthday, she calls her friends in for the weekend.
This book is really about rebuilding a friendship that was lost for many years. It's about guilt and forgiveness and aging and relationships. As Nan and her friends sit around the kitchen table, they reveal all the secrets of their lives. The mystery is what happened to Eve as a young woman, and why they let it destroy their friendship.
As I said, this book is well-written in a very descriptive style and the story held my interest. If you like Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic this is probably a book you’d like. Each chapter begins with a note about the magical properties of a particular herb, and the story centers around the house, the ghosts in the forest, and the mystical shoe garden.
Still, the book relied on a few too many tropes for my taste, and ultimately felt like things I’d seen before. Women are mystical and magical and wise, even the old crotchety ones. Food has wondrous healing properties. Witches are wise, benevolent beings and the men around them are mostly fools. The female characters are interesting but the male characters are all either evil or stupid or weak (or some combination of the three). I don’t want to read a book with no strong female characters, so why would I want to read a book with no strong male characters? I started out thinking Practical Magic, and ended up thinking Steel Magnolias. Generally, a book that most people describe as “beautiful� or “lovely� is not my kind of book. Good, but not for me.
The other thing I struggled with were the huge gaps in the story's chronology. You’re telling me nothing of interest happened to these women in 60 years, except the appearance of Bay on the doorstep? We learn little about the characters� lives during those years, which felt contrived to me.
I always try to acknowledge when I might be in the minority, and I probably am with this book. Note: I received a review copy of this book from Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. My full review can be found at .
Nan has an adopted daughter, Bay, who is a teenager and was left on her doorstep as a baby. Nan is worried she might not be able to care for Bay, since there's a sheriff poking around who clearly has some unsettled business. So on her 79th birthday, she calls her friends in for the weekend.
This book is really about rebuilding a friendship that was lost for many years. It's about guilt and forgiveness and aging and relationships. As Nan and her friends sit around the kitchen table, they reveal all the secrets of their lives. The mystery is what happened to Eve as a young woman, and why they let it destroy their friendship.
As I said, this book is well-written in a very descriptive style and the story held my interest. If you like Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic this is probably a book you’d like. Each chapter begins with a note about the magical properties of a particular herb, and the story centers around the house, the ghosts in the forest, and the mystical shoe garden.
Still, the book relied on a few too many tropes for my taste, and ultimately felt like things I’d seen before. Women are mystical and magical and wise, even the old crotchety ones. Food has wondrous healing properties. Witches are wise, benevolent beings and the men around them are mostly fools. The female characters are interesting but the male characters are all either evil or stupid or weak (or some combination of the three). I don’t want to read a book with no strong female characters, so why would I want to read a book with no strong male characters? I started out thinking Practical Magic, and ended up thinking Steel Magnolias. Generally, a book that most people describe as “beautiful� or “lovely� is not my kind of book. Good, but not for me.
The other thing I struggled with were the huge gaps in the story's chronology. You’re telling me nothing of interest happened to these women in 60 years, except the appearance of Bay on the doorstep? We learn little about the characters� lives during those years, which felt contrived to me.
I always try to acknowledge when I might be in the minority, and I probably am with this book. Note: I received a review copy of this book from Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. My full review can be found at .
February 19, 2015
If the lovely language, magical setting, herbal lore, and intriguing intergenerational cast feel like they might not be enough to keep you turning pages, I urge you to hang in there until the end with this lovingly wrought tale. This is the nature of secrets kept: we can't know what the problem is—we just know that a character is deviled by it. But hints throughout lead to Rickert's heartbreaking revelations at the end of her tale, leaving this reader thinking for a long time about why we choose to suffer alone even while surrounded by sources of unconditional love. A thought-provoking read.
August 18, 2014
Beautiful read- in so many ways. The kind of book you want to hug after you've read the very last word...and whisper "thank you".
Read
October 7, 2015Loved it
Love the mystery, the magic, the love. A great story about friendship, loss, and being there for the ones you love the most.
Love the mystery, the magic, the love. A great story about friendship, loss, and being there for the ones you love the most.
June 16, 2014
To sum this book up in a single statement is nearly impossible, but if I had to come close, I would say "curious."
If you like magic realism, then you will most likely love this book. However, if you like things that are more straightforward with characters that reveal themselves to the reader easily, this might not be your cup of herb-laden tea.
When I first started this book I was amazed. This author has some truly incredible quotes in this book. They are the kind that you want to repeat to whomever is nearest you, regardless of whether you know them or not. The magic is apparent right away (shoe garden...amazing!)
Still, even though the writing is incredibly good and the story is interesting, this was a difficult book to judge. The characters are very reserved and it is difficult for the reader to get to know them. This may have been intentional on the part of the author, but it made for some rough patches whilst reading. The story flows very smoothly, but there were times when I wished I could just shake a character to get inside their thought process. This was particularly true of Nan.
The story that this book tells is deeply interwoven into the personalities and experiences of the characters. I liked the people in this story, and wanted to continue to learn about them. This book created a mixture of emotions in me, and I definitely think that it is one of those books where you are either in or you are out. You will either love it, or not at all.
I would recommend this book to those who like magical tales that are deeply rooted in family relationships. It will be interesting to see what else comes from the mind of this talented author.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
If you like magic realism, then you will most likely love this book. However, if you like things that are more straightforward with characters that reveal themselves to the reader easily, this might not be your cup of herb-laden tea.
When I first started this book I was amazed. This author has some truly incredible quotes in this book. They are the kind that you want to repeat to whomever is nearest you, regardless of whether you know them or not. The magic is apparent right away (shoe garden...amazing!)
Still, even though the writing is incredibly good and the story is interesting, this was a difficult book to judge. The characters are very reserved and it is difficult for the reader to get to know them. This may have been intentional on the part of the author, but it made for some rough patches whilst reading. The story flows very smoothly, but there were times when I wished I could just shake a character to get inside their thought process. This was particularly true of Nan.
The story that this book tells is deeply interwoven into the personalities and experiences of the characters. I liked the people in this story, and wanted to continue to learn about them. This book created a mixture of emotions in me, and I definitely think that it is one of those books where you are either in or you are out. You will either love it, or not at all.
I would recommend this book to those who like magical tales that are deeply rooted in family relationships. It will be interesting to see what else comes from the mind of this talented author.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
February 27, 2015
Nice, if you like this kind of thing.
A nicely-written heartwarmer, a book club shoe-in, a slightly magical-realist feast.
It was nice to read a fairly uncomplicated story of family troubles and secrets, but it's not really what I look for in my magical books. The big-secret-reveal story, the how-much-trauma-can-we-fit-into-one-past story, it's very Jodi Picoult, very Steel Magnolias, and very not for me.
If I thought I would actually add another book to it, I would create a shelf called lit-lite just for this.
Things you will like if you like this kind of thing: -luscious descriptions of food.
-Chapters headed with flower or plant names and how those things have been used in witchcraft and medicine
-Pretty dresses
-A rambling wooden house with a glorious, season-defying garden that is frequently decorated with glass candle lanterns hung from the branches of old trees.
It is really a long, emotional photo shoot for whatever might be this year's heartstring tugger, a kind of written version of Practical Magic. Nice, if you like this kind of thing.
A nicely-written heartwarmer, a book club shoe-in, a slightly magical-realist feast.
It was nice to read a fairly uncomplicated story of family troubles and secrets, but it's not really what I look for in my magical books. The big-secret-reveal story, the how-much-trauma-can-we-fit-into-one-past story, it's very Jodi Picoult, very Steel Magnolias, and very not for me.
If I thought I would actually add another book to it, I would create a shelf called lit-lite just for this.
Things you will like if you like this kind of thing: -luscious descriptions of food.
-Chapters headed with flower or plant names and how those things have been used in witchcraft and medicine
-Pretty dresses
-A rambling wooden house with a glorious, season-defying garden that is frequently decorated with glass candle lanterns hung from the branches of old trees.
It is really a long, emotional photo shoot for whatever might be this year's heartstring tugger, a kind of written version of Practical Magic. Nice, if you like this kind of thing.
June 10, 2014
It was a cute and fun book. At times I was a little confused, but I think most of the characters were also confused with each other. I enjoyed reading about the flowers and the different properties they possessed. Getting to know the characters was interesting because you didn't get the whole story until the very end. I loved the idea of the shoe garden. The book had a magical quality to it, especially with all the talk of ghosts, witches and continuously blooming shoe gardens.
June 1, 2015
Really beautiful. A good for young adults and adults
A gem of a story. I loved the word painting describing the forest and flowers, as well as the deep character studies. A coming of two ages is told, and the interaction between the older ladies and the young people is delicately written. I think I'm going to give this a second read. It deserves my attention.
A gem of a story. I loved the word painting describing the forest and flowers, as well as the deep character studies. A coming of two ages is told, and the interaction between the older ladies and the young people is delicately written. I think I'm going to give this a second read. It deserves my attention.
May 22, 2015
This book was magical, well written, and so interesting. I Loved it!
June 28, 2015
I loved this book. Good story with magical elements.
August 23, 2015
I REALLY loved this book. There are surprises and revelations throughout the book. It’s an incredible reminder of the power of hidden secrets, and the power of friendship.
September 5, 2015
Totally enjoyable, loved how the author weaved an emotional telling of healing through forgiveness. Well written and fun to read. Wish more authors followed this trend.
September 7, 2015
Fantastic
Loved this book. The burdens we carry tell a story and how we repeat that story over and over becomes our life until it no longer defines us.
Loved this book. The burdens we carry tell a story and how we repeat that story over and over becomes our life until it no longer defines us.
March 15, 2019
I loved this book.
March 20, 2021
And if I should ever go away,
Well, then close your eyes and try
To feel the way we do today;
And then if you can remember -
Keep smiling, keep shining,
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure.
That's what friends are for.
For good times and bad times,
I'll be on your side forever more.
That's what friends are for.
---Burt Bacharach & Carole Bayer Sager
***
From:
The Memory Garden
A Note from the Author
----Mary Rickert / October 28, 2013
When people ask me what my novel is about...
"It's about old women," I say. "Friends who haven't seen each other since the bad thing happened. It's about mothers and daughters, forgiveness. Here." I awkwardly thrust a small packet of forget-me-not seeds at the inquisitor. "It's about gardens."
**
It's about weather and ghosts and being young and getting older. It's about what changes and what does not. It's about tragic death and learning to face that end.
It's about food, lots of food, lots of kinds of food - sandwiches, pies, cakes, chocolate, feasts of edible flowers, beef stew, (many) pancakes, and much more.
And it's about a gift for using language, and spinning it into gold:
Thalia laughs so hard she collapses on the stairs, the white dress merengueing around her. Stella, her hand on the staircase newel, creates a perfect arch up her arm and over her shoulder, to the curve of neck, where laughter flutters in her throat as though she just swallowed a hummingbird. [page 165]
________________________
With a rattle, the dining room door slides open just enough to reveal lace and candlelight. Ruthie sidles out like one who's had much experience with narrow passage, though she immediately spins on her heels, apparently having forgotten something. Bay tilts her head to spy on Ruthie dipping her fingers into a bowl and flicking the air a few times before once more squeezing through the slim opening, pulling the door firmly shut behind her [page 166]
_________________________
"It was one of those mornings," Nan says. "Those misty summer mornings, when you might expect to find a rainbow in the garden, not a baby on the porch. But there she was. In a shoe box, if you can imagine. Do you know, for a while I considered naming her Adidas?" Nan shakes her head. "I don't know what I was thinking."
"Adidas?" Ruthie asks. "Isn't that a boy's name?" [page 235]
_________________________
Nan rises slowly, shuffling across the kitchen to look out the window, past the pinecones that litter the sill, barely noting the glass of foxglove with its silent bells. How funny it is, Nan thinks, that in some system of counterbalance she has never understood, the more snow that falls, the more she feels released. The snow falls on the brown grass and on the shoe garden of October flowers with its stalky stems and dried blossoms. The snow falls, and Nan feels strangely light. She might at any moment rise out of her clogs and fly above her house and garden, like a sparrow. The snow falls, and Nan covers her mouth with one hand, as though to prevent the exhalation that will release her from the gravity of a world more beautiful than anything she deserves. [page 280]
---------------------------------
There are already hundreds of good, informative reviews on ŷ, so I will not discuss the details of the story. I had read a number of shorter works by Mary Rickert, and thought that many of them were splendid. The Memory Garden, originally published in 2014, was Rickert's first novel. I found it fine and moving. Rickert is an excellent writer, and I look forward to reading more of her work.
Well, then close your eyes and try
To feel the way we do today;
And then if you can remember -
Keep smiling, keep shining,
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure.
That's what friends are for.
For good times and bad times,
I'll be on your side forever more.
That's what friends are for.
---Burt Bacharach & Carole Bayer Sager
***
From:
The Memory Garden
A Note from the Author
----Mary Rickert / October 28, 2013
When people ask me what my novel is about...
"It's about old women," I say. "Friends who haven't seen each other since the bad thing happened. It's about mothers and daughters, forgiveness. Here." I awkwardly thrust a small packet of forget-me-not seeds at the inquisitor. "It's about gardens."
**
It's about weather and ghosts and being young and getting older. It's about what changes and what does not. It's about tragic death and learning to face that end.
It's about food, lots of food, lots of kinds of food - sandwiches, pies, cakes, chocolate, feasts of edible flowers, beef stew, (many) pancakes, and much more.
And it's about a gift for using language, and spinning it into gold:
Thalia laughs so hard she collapses on the stairs, the white dress merengueing around her. Stella, her hand on the staircase newel, creates a perfect arch up her arm and over her shoulder, to the curve of neck, where laughter flutters in her throat as though she just swallowed a hummingbird. [page 165]
________________________
With a rattle, the dining room door slides open just enough to reveal lace and candlelight. Ruthie sidles out like one who's had much experience with narrow passage, though she immediately spins on her heels, apparently having forgotten something. Bay tilts her head to spy on Ruthie dipping her fingers into a bowl and flicking the air a few times before once more squeezing through the slim opening, pulling the door firmly shut behind her [page 166]
_________________________
"It was one of those mornings," Nan says. "Those misty summer mornings, when you might expect to find a rainbow in the garden, not a baby on the porch. But there she was. In a shoe box, if you can imagine. Do you know, for a while I considered naming her Adidas?" Nan shakes her head. "I don't know what I was thinking."
"Adidas?" Ruthie asks. "Isn't that a boy's name?" [page 235]
_________________________
Nan rises slowly, shuffling across the kitchen to look out the window, past the pinecones that litter the sill, barely noting the glass of foxglove with its silent bells. How funny it is, Nan thinks, that in some system of counterbalance she has never understood, the more snow that falls, the more she feels released. The snow falls on the brown grass and on the shoe garden of October flowers with its stalky stems and dried blossoms. The snow falls, and Nan feels strangely light. She might at any moment rise out of her clogs and fly above her house and garden, like a sparrow. The snow falls, and Nan covers her mouth with one hand, as though to prevent the exhalation that will release her from the gravity of a world more beautiful than anything she deserves. [page 280]
---------------------------------
There are already hundreds of good, informative reviews on ŷ, so I will not discuss the details of the story. I had read a number of shorter works by Mary Rickert, and thought that many of them were splendid. The Memory Garden, originally published in 2014, was Rickert's first novel. I found it fine and moving. Rickert is an excellent writer, and I look forward to reading more of her work.
November 22, 2015
The Memory Garden by Mary Rickert might be a début novel, but anyone who has read Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine in recent years, or keeps in touch with the plethora of Years Best anthologies, will be aware of M. Rickert’s quirky, unsettling, brilliant short fiction. For a number of her fans, myself included, the publication of her first novel is something to cheer about.
Unfortunately the novel is rubbish �
� I’m kidding, it’s fantastic. It’s so good that I’m a little sad the book hasn’t garnered more award attention, though I’m pleased that the Locus voters, in their wisdom, nominated The Memory Garden in the best First Novel category. Those who did should pat themselves on the back.
While Rickert never tells us where the novel is set, most of the action takes place in an old house in the woods owned by Nan, a woman in her seventies who everyone in town thinks is a witch. Fifteen years before the opening of the novel, Nan opens her front door to find a baby in a box, newly born with a caul over her little face. Although in her mid 60s, Nan adopts the baby and names her Bay. While Bay has always known how Nan found her, it’s only when she celebrates her fifteenth birthday that Nan reveals the caul that covered Bay’s face and her belief that Bay is a witch.
This revelation, not surprisingly, puts a strain on their relationship. The word “witch� is a pejorative, an insult, a curse and Bay refuses to accept that as she was born with a caul she can accurately predict the weather and speak to ghosts. Seeking assistance, Nan invites over two friends for the weekend, Ruthie and Mavis. This is the first time these friends have been together in more than fifty years, separated by the tragic death of their friend Eve.
For a novel that’s reasonably short and set mostly in the one locale, there’s allot of story to peel away. We have questions about how and why Eve died. Who the mysterious Mrs Winters is. Whether Bay is actually a witch. What secrets both Mavis and Ruthie are keeping from Nan. What’s marvellous is how Rickert oh so subtlety reveals the truth about each of the characters, reveals the tragedy of Eve, the influence of Miss Winters, the coming of age of Bay. And she does this without relying on lengthy flashbacks. Yes the past is revisited, specifically the lead up to Eve’s horrible death, but each of these flashbacks is short, almost abrupt. Because The Memory Garden is focussed more on dealing with the past than dwelling on it.
It’s also a novel that’s very much about motherhood and the tension between letting your child go and trying to protect her from all that might harm her. For Nan it’s this constant awareness of her own fragility and that suddenly Bay might find herself alone. For Bay, it’s about making her own decisions, forging her own path, while knowing that her time with Nan is limited. Rickert excels in teasing out this tension while avoiding the angst and melodrama that might come with it. There’s no screaming matches, broken crockery or slamming of doors. Just the realisation of a complicated and yet loving relationship between mother and daughter.
In the Author’s Note at the conclusion of the novel, Rickert explains that when she would describe the novel to other people she wouldn’t mention that it featured “witches.� She felt that the very word “seem[ed] to diminish rather than inform.� But as Rickert reflects, that’s actually the point. Not that witches have been getting bad press for centuries � which they have been � but how mainstream society diminishes the role of older women. Rickert’s intent, other than to recast the term witch in a more positive light, is to recognise that older woman still have a voice, especially when it comes to dealing with loss and pain and death.
With its elegant, beautiful prose and its engaging, believable characters, and its themes about loss, guilt, death, magic and motherhood,The Memory Garden is one of the best genre novels published in 2014.
Unfortunately the novel is rubbish �
� I’m kidding, it’s fantastic. It’s so good that I’m a little sad the book hasn’t garnered more award attention, though I’m pleased that the Locus voters, in their wisdom, nominated The Memory Garden in the best First Novel category. Those who did should pat themselves on the back.
While Rickert never tells us where the novel is set, most of the action takes place in an old house in the woods owned by Nan, a woman in her seventies who everyone in town thinks is a witch. Fifteen years before the opening of the novel, Nan opens her front door to find a baby in a box, newly born with a caul over her little face. Although in her mid 60s, Nan adopts the baby and names her Bay. While Bay has always known how Nan found her, it’s only when she celebrates her fifteenth birthday that Nan reveals the caul that covered Bay’s face and her belief that Bay is a witch.
This revelation, not surprisingly, puts a strain on their relationship. The word “witch� is a pejorative, an insult, a curse and Bay refuses to accept that as she was born with a caul she can accurately predict the weather and speak to ghosts. Seeking assistance, Nan invites over two friends for the weekend, Ruthie and Mavis. This is the first time these friends have been together in more than fifty years, separated by the tragic death of their friend Eve.
For a novel that’s reasonably short and set mostly in the one locale, there’s allot of story to peel away. We have questions about how and why Eve died. Who the mysterious Mrs Winters is. Whether Bay is actually a witch. What secrets both Mavis and Ruthie are keeping from Nan. What’s marvellous is how Rickert oh so subtlety reveals the truth about each of the characters, reveals the tragedy of Eve, the influence of Miss Winters, the coming of age of Bay. And she does this without relying on lengthy flashbacks. Yes the past is revisited, specifically the lead up to Eve’s horrible death, but each of these flashbacks is short, almost abrupt. Because The Memory Garden is focussed more on dealing with the past than dwelling on it.
It’s also a novel that’s very much about motherhood and the tension between letting your child go and trying to protect her from all that might harm her. For Nan it’s this constant awareness of her own fragility and that suddenly Bay might find herself alone. For Bay, it’s about making her own decisions, forging her own path, while knowing that her time with Nan is limited. Rickert excels in teasing out this tension while avoiding the angst and melodrama that might come with it. There’s no screaming matches, broken crockery or slamming of doors. Just the realisation of a complicated and yet loving relationship between mother and daughter.
In the Author’s Note at the conclusion of the novel, Rickert explains that when she would describe the novel to other people she wouldn’t mention that it featured “witches.� She felt that the very word “seem[ed] to diminish rather than inform.� But as Rickert reflects, that’s actually the point. Not that witches have been getting bad press for centuries � which they have been � but how mainstream society diminishes the role of older women. Rickert’s intent, other than to recast the term witch in a more positive light, is to recognise that older woman still have a voice, especially when it comes to dealing with loss and pain and death.
With its elegant, beautiful prose and its engaging, believable characters, and its themes about loss, guilt, death, magic and motherhood,The Memory Garden is one of the best genre novels published in 2014.
May 6, 2014
She arrived one day inside a basket, left by wolves, left by fairies; nevertheless she was welcomed and loved by Nan. Like all children, she is embarrassed by her mother at times yet she would want no other person to wear the title “mom.� Bay lives in a complicated world. Her mother is accused of being a witch and some individuals don’t like their unique ways of doing things. Bay has been trying to talk to her mother about these issues but Nan doesn’t give Bay any clear answers. Nan has some news she really needs to tell Bay about, that she has been putting off for fifteen years. Now that she is getting older, now is the time to tell her. Calling on her friends from her past, Nan invites them for a visit but before she is knows it their house is full of visitors. Oh, the stories they tell from long ago and the great times that are occurring in the house with everyone here. Where once this house was so silent, is now alive and complete.
Celebrating birthdays are such a happy affair: a birthday feast, wine, cake, and a candle ceremony outside with tea lights, the weather does not matter. The candles arranged in a circle (the number depending on your age), candles lit and the ceremonial birthday song. No blowing out the candles! I loved this part. The candles needed to go out on their own, as if blowing them out would be “blowing out the years of my life.� Something ceremonial about the candles and the waiting for them to die down makes me feel good and warm inside. So many parts of this book make me feel good inside. When Nan calls up her besties and invites them over for a visit, she expected one thing and she ends up with something totally different in the end. She was worried about Bay and her future and that was the main reason for her reaching out to her friends after so long. When her friends arrive with luggage in hand, she starts to worry, thinking “what exactly have I done� “perhaps this wasn’t such a great idea� and Bay also has mixed thoughts since it has always been just the two of them and now the house is full of guests. When it is time for people to leave, Nan is not ready, so much more has happened, so much more than Nan had not even anticipated or hoped. Then we have Bay, she grows in this book. Not by leaps and bounds but maturely and deep down. She gets it; she has something to branch out from. The other woman in the book, I really wanted to do a group hug. An all-in. One last time on the last page. Nan got more than she hoped for and I definitely did too, I didn’t expect a memorable read from The Memory Garden but I got it. I got a great memory and a ceremonial birthday candle memory too.
I was provided a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. Thank you NetGalley.
Celebrating birthdays are such a happy affair: a birthday feast, wine, cake, and a candle ceremony outside with tea lights, the weather does not matter. The candles arranged in a circle (the number depending on your age), candles lit and the ceremonial birthday song. No blowing out the candles! I loved this part. The candles needed to go out on their own, as if blowing them out would be “blowing out the years of my life.� Something ceremonial about the candles and the waiting for them to die down makes me feel good and warm inside. So many parts of this book make me feel good inside. When Nan calls up her besties and invites them over for a visit, she expected one thing and she ends up with something totally different in the end. She was worried about Bay and her future and that was the main reason for her reaching out to her friends after so long. When her friends arrive with luggage in hand, she starts to worry, thinking “what exactly have I done� “perhaps this wasn’t such a great idea� and Bay also has mixed thoughts since it has always been just the two of them and now the house is full of guests. When it is time for people to leave, Nan is not ready, so much more has happened, so much more than Nan had not even anticipated or hoped. Then we have Bay, she grows in this book. Not by leaps and bounds but maturely and deep down. She gets it; she has something to branch out from. The other woman in the book, I really wanted to do a group hug. An all-in. One last time on the last page. Nan got more than she hoped for and I definitely did too, I didn’t expect a memorable read from The Memory Garden but I got it. I got a great memory and a ceremonial birthday candle memory too.
I was provided a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. Thank you NetGalley.
January 1, 2015
ALMOST 3 STARS.
The Memory Garden created a lot of warm spots for me. I loved the complexity of the relationships in this book - how young girls feel about each other while they're young and the way life takes them away from one another as they age. Although an extreme circumstance came between Nan, Ruthie and Mavis, the idea of "one fight", misunderstandings, and misguided accusations breaking up valuable friendships is relatable to many readers, I'm sure.
In some ways I enjoyed the flower captions at the beginning of each chapter and the way their meanings and uses entwined with the storyline. By the end of the book, though, I found myself not reading them to save time. I really wanted this book to be over.
It wasn't that it was a terrible story, in fact I feel the ideas of natural birth control/abortifacients, and the choices women have/have had to make is something that is grazed over in stories. The story of abortion is either the WHOLE story, or it's a quickly-passed facet to a novel. But in The Memory Garden, the weaving of those who crave children, those who think/know they don't, and those who cannot/should not have the children their bodies have blessed them with, is actually quite cleverly designed. However...
The emotion that these stories, needs, desires, and loves or hates should compel, is not handed to the reader. The reader must find some personal connection to the story, must sit and think on the subject and how it might affect them were they in the same situation. The emotional lines of the story fall quite flat, even though the subject matter itself was emotional for me and might be for many readers.
The Memory Garden was just a little too long. I was frustrated with Nan's indecisiveness in telling "Bay" the secrets. Should I tell her? I should tell her! I shouldn't. I will. I am. I can't. I want to. I don't want to. It's important for her to know. It's better for her not to know. Okay, that's it, I'm telling her!! No, I can't do it. This is hard. And likewise, Bay's, I want to know. I don't want to know. I wish she would tell me. No!! Now that she's telling me i don't want her to. Why won't she tell me?! Why would she keep this from me? Now I wish I could unknow what I've found out. Thank you for telling me. *Crying because she's been told*. It was exhausting.
If the book had been a little shorter and if some of the characters had more of a place... (Why was Howard in this book?) I think it would have been 3 stars for me. Ho Hum.
The Memory Garden created a lot of warm spots for me. I loved the complexity of the relationships in this book - how young girls feel about each other while they're young and the way life takes them away from one another as they age. Although an extreme circumstance came between Nan, Ruthie and Mavis, the idea of "one fight", misunderstandings, and misguided accusations breaking up valuable friendships is relatable to many readers, I'm sure.
In some ways I enjoyed the flower captions at the beginning of each chapter and the way their meanings and uses entwined with the storyline. By the end of the book, though, I found myself not reading them to save time. I really wanted this book to be over.
It wasn't that it was a terrible story, in fact I feel the ideas of natural birth control/abortifacients, and the choices women have/have had to make is something that is grazed over in stories. The story of abortion is either the WHOLE story, or it's a quickly-passed facet to a novel. But in The Memory Garden, the weaving of those who crave children, those who think/know they don't, and those who cannot/should not have the children their bodies have blessed them with, is actually quite cleverly designed. However...
The emotion that these stories, needs, desires, and loves or hates should compel, is not handed to the reader. The reader must find some personal connection to the story, must sit and think on the subject and how it might affect them were they in the same situation. The emotional lines of the story fall quite flat, even though the subject matter itself was emotional for me and might be for many readers.
The Memory Garden was just a little too long. I was frustrated with Nan's indecisiveness in telling "Bay" the secrets. Should I tell her? I should tell her! I shouldn't. I will. I am. I can't. I want to. I don't want to. It's important for her to know. It's better for her not to know. Okay, that's it, I'm telling her!! No, I can't do it. This is hard. And likewise, Bay's, I want to know. I don't want to know. I wish she would tell me. No!! Now that she's telling me i don't want her to. Why won't she tell me?! Why would she keep this from me? Now I wish I could unknow what I've found out. Thank you for telling me. *Crying because she's been told*. It was exhausting.
If the book had been a little shorter and if some of the characters had more of a place... (Why was Howard in this book?) I think it would have been 3 stars for me. Ho Hum.
January 23, 2015
This is part of my personal 2015 reading challenge. This is #46 - A book by an author with the same initials as yourself.
The actual story is only 284 pages (as opposed to the 304 pages long it says it is on here). It took until page 192 for it to grab my interest. For last 92 pages I very much enjoyed this book. The rest that didn't capture wasn't particularly bad, just not great either. I couldn't feel any real emotion as I read through the book. It was on page 192 where I caught myself and thought "wait.....what?" I even sat up in my chair like "Hold on, I need to keep reading" and once I kept going it got better. The end felt a little abrupt, and the very end had me well up with tears. It's not even said outright, you have to connect some dots and over think things to truly understand what has happened. Which I think adds to the sadness of it.
I wasn't expecting much going in (as I had never heard of this book anyway, I just went to the library in search of M.R. authors) and was a bit surprised coming out. I would have given this a higher rating if it had not have taken so long to get interesting (to me). I still would recommend this book to those who like magical realism. It has a slight Practical Magic feel, only slight though. Don't want people expecting the characters to have THAT much magic, but there is magic all the same.
The actual story is only 284 pages (as opposed to the 304 pages long it says it is on here). It took until page 192 for it to grab my interest. For last 92 pages I very much enjoyed this book. The rest that didn't capture wasn't particularly bad, just not great either. I couldn't feel any real emotion as I read through the book. It was on page 192 where I caught myself and thought "wait.....what?" I even sat up in my chair like "Hold on, I need to keep reading" and once I kept going it got better. The end felt a little abrupt, and the very end had me well up with tears. It's not even said outright, you have to connect some dots and over think things to truly understand what has happened. Which I think adds to the sadness of it.
I wasn't expecting much going in (as I had never heard of this book anyway, I just went to the library in search of M.R. authors) and was a bit surprised coming out. I would have given this a higher rating if it had not have taken so long to get interesting (to me). I still would recommend this book to those who like magical realism. It has a slight Practical Magic feel, only slight though. Don't want people expecting the characters to have THAT much magic, but there is magic all the same.
August 29, 2015
What frightens Nan is the way the past sneaks up on the present, consuming all in its path.
Give me a story featuring a young adult, who doesn't quite know the person she is yet or what she wants to do with her life, living with an old woman, who has secrets to tell and wisdom to bestow, set in a small town in which the two rank highest on the gossip hounds' list, and I'm happy as a petunia in early July. The Memory Garden was that, times 100.
I loved how every chapter started with a plant description; how Nan could tell who was lying by the way their words tasted; how the garden was almost as predominant a character as Bay, Nan, Mavis and Ruthie; how Nan used the shoes people threw at her house as planters; how I could taste every dish during the Flower Feast; how magic felt completely real and incredibly possible.
But my favorite thing about this book was the way it explored friendships: the loyalty and devotion; that it's never too late to forgive, let go and move on.
4 stars
Give me a story featuring a young adult, who doesn't quite know the person she is yet or what she wants to do with her life, living with an old woman, who has secrets to tell and wisdom to bestow, set in a small town in which the two rank highest on the gossip hounds' list, and I'm happy as a petunia in early July. The Memory Garden was that, times 100.
I loved how every chapter started with a plant description; how Nan could tell who was lying by the way their words tasted; how the garden was almost as predominant a character as Bay, Nan, Mavis and Ruthie; how Nan used the shoes people threw at her house as planters; how I could taste every dish during the Flower Feast; how magic felt completely real and incredibly possible.
But my favorite thing about this book was the way it explored friendships: the loyalty and devotion; that it's never too late to forgive, let go and move on.
4 stars
April 21, 2014
This is a story of three old women and one young girl. The women haven't spoken to each other since they were teenagers. Secrets tore these women apart, and secrets now bring them back together.
Bay a young teenager, adopted by Nan, has realised she is not like everyone else. She thinks Nan is a Witch, and thinks Ruthie has killed someone. She keeps see in mysterious people in the garden, only to find out that they are really ghost, and Bay herself was born a Witch. We meet Howard, who dosent want to tell his family he is Gay. Mavis, and odd duck, and Ruthie who loves to cook.
Mavis and Howard end up moving to Africa, and Bay finds out that both Nan and Ruthie are witches.
This stories has ghost, mystery, and a few spontaneous moments throughout the book.
Overall I enjoyed the story, but do wish we could of learned more about Bay's Birth mot
Bay a young teenager, adopted by Nan, has realised she is not like everyone else. She thinks Nan is a Witch, and thinks Ruthie has killed someone. She keeps see in mysterious people in the garden, only to find out that they are really ghost, and Bay herself was born a Witch. We meet Howard, who dosent want to tell his family he is Gay. Mavis, and odd duck, and Ruthie who loves to cook.
Mavis and Howard end up moving to Africa, and Bay finds out that both Nan and Ruthie are witches.
This stories has ghost, mystery, and a few spontaneous moments throughout the book.
Overall I enjoyed the story, but do wish we could of learned more about Bay's Birth mot
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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