Thanks to Putnam Books for an advanced copy of The Kew Gardens Girls.

I enjoyed the story of Ivy & Louisa as they work at the Kew Gardens and also fight for what they believe in as suffragettes. That is adding an interesting element to this story of friendship and overcoming obstacles. I like seeing more WWI historical fiction.

This is such a lovely book filled with powerful friendships. 3 women begin working as gardeners during WWI since the men are all off at war. They are all from different backgrounds but become fast friends who are really supportive and become family. Social issues of conches and suffrage, love and loss all surface. The girls are faced with doing the right thing so many times. Some lovely characters here in Louise, Ivy and Win. And also the men who love and support them, Jim, Bernie, Matthew and Mac.

Wow! This book is amazing! It is heartwarming, heart-wrenching, breathtaking, full of powerful and poignant messages, and so much more! Whenever I picked up "The Kew Gardens Girls", I was whisked back in time, and went on such an emotional journey with this story.

This is the first book I have read by Posy Lovell, and it certainly won't be my last! Her writing style is beautiful! She truly knows how to transport her reader to a specific time and place. In addition, her characters feel like such incredibly real people, and I could envision each and every moment and location as well. From the first page to the last, you instantly feel connected and drawn in to the story. Ms. Lovell also seamlessly weaves history and fiction, and I found myself rooting for so many of these characters to find peace and happiness.

As more men go to fight in WWI, women begin to work at Kew Gardens. At the core of this story are women fighting for what they believe to be right, even though the odds are against them. What incredibly brave and strong women standing up for equality. Another amazing main aspect of this story are the friendships and relationships between the characters. You see what Louisa, Ivy, Winifred, Jim, and Bernie are dealing with on their own, as well as together. From similarities to differences, to kindhearted actions and horrific ones, to love, caring, protection, and forgiveness, you will be taken on such a journey with these characters. I do not want to spoil anything in this book, so, I will simply say, you must read this book.

I learned quite a lot while reading: I learned more about WWI, the suffragettes at this time, conscientious objector's, gardening, Kew Gardens, and much more. Moreover, I believe that gardens are such magical places that connect people to history, and I so hope to be able to visit Kew Gardens in person one day.

If you enjoy historical fiction, I highly recommend this book! It had me turning the pages into the early hours of the morning to see what would happen, and, I can't wait to see what Ms. Lovell writes next!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC of this book, it is simply incredible! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Kew Garden Girls is a heartwarming and poignant book, set in London during the Great War. Ivy and Louisa begin working at the gardens when the men are gone and help is hard to come by. It was lovely to watch them both gain confidence, become friends, and flourish at their jobs. The book explores the suffragette movement, the war, conscientious objectors, the home front, and even the language of flowers. The characters are lovely and compelling, dealing with adversity, pain and grief—but always doing so with love, compassion, loyalty, and friendship.

This is a book about friendships, forgiveness with a glimpse of the suffragette movement during the WW I time period. There seem to be more novels written about the second world war than the first war. This was inspired by true events about women who worked in the historic Kew botanical gardens. It was interesting to read more about this time period. Of course having gardens play a big role in this story was one of the attractions for me.

Women were not given the same considerations as their male counterparts when it came to the jobs in the gardens...or anything else for that matter. A man who never held a shovel was immediatley "hired" for the Kew garden work but the women were questioned as to their abilites. That had to be aggravating for those who grew up on farms and knew far more than the men in charge of the projects.

Our main characters are Louisa, Ivy, Bernie, Jim and Mac. Louisa has escaped a bad situation in Kent and made her way to London to start over. She carved out a life for herself is so happy to have escaped a brutal marriage to a drunken wife beater. Ivy is a suffragette and much younger than Louisa. They work side by side in the gardens with a conscientious objector named Bernie. No one knows this about Bernie but when it's discovered he's labeled a "Conchie," reviled and driven away from his work. There is much more to that story and it was very interesting to me.

I don't want to give spoilers but I can say this was an easy read, nothing violent and no bad language for those who are offended by those details. Reading about the friendships and support of one another during such a terrible time was inspiring.

Publication date April 20, 2021 by Penguin Group Putman. Genre: Historical Fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book. I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

Sharing with Joy's Book Blog for British Isles Friday and Marg at The Intrepid Reader for the 2021 Historical Fiction Challenge.

This was an enjoyable read, WWI has become an era I tend to gravitate towards in Historical Fiction. This was well written and easy to read.

This was an easy read and exceptionally well written, even though it was predictable at some points. I loved the bonds the three main characters made and the importance of the garden. These women were remarkable for their time and forward thinkers.

This is becoming a popular theme. World War I is starting and the men are enlisting to fight the war. That leaves women to fill the jobs and London's Kew Garden reluctantly hires girls to do the work. This is also the same time that women are fighting for equal rights and the right to vote. Ivy and Louisa are hired and the gardens are beginning to thrive. Mac and Jim are teaching the girls about plants and soils. There is romance and of course bad news from the front. This looks like it might be Posy Lovell's first novel. I enjoyed the characters and history. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The strength of a woman

This book was a special read. I read it because I love gardens and gardening. It was so much more than a garden book. The characters were endearing and enjoyable, the book was well written and a wonderful read.

The book is about the women that took over the job of tending the Kew Gardens in England when the men went off to fight in WWI. They did the jobs the men were doing and did them well. They fought to get the jobs and they fought for equal pay with the men. They became a family and stood strong together in their fight for equality.

The book in its characters addresses the woman suffrage movement, the white feather campaign, the conscientious objector or conchie as they were called, and the woman's right to vote and to equal treatment in the workplace.

The story was heartwarming and heartbreaking. Each of the main characters have a story to tell and are helped by the character of Bernie who is a Quaker and a pacifist or a conchie as he was cruelly called. How each member dealt with their particular situations with the help of their fellow Kew Gardener's was a wonderful story. How even when one member is cruel in words or actions to another they still find the courage to help that member of the group. Teamwork, courage, strength, love, compassion and romance all figure into the book.

I enjoyed this book , it was a wonderful read and I didn't want it to end.

Thanks to Posy Lovell, Penguin Group Putnam, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of the book for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley.com for this ARC.

I loved this story. Really, that's all I have to say. Touching, well written story of the women who worked at Kew Gardens in London during WWI while the men were fighting the war. The story incorporates the horrors war, the suffragette movement, domestic violence, and rural living while describing the beauty of the flowers and gardens. It is sad at times and heartwarming at times.

“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul.”
Alfred Austin

The Kew Gardens Girls combines the “glory of gardening” with the glory of love, friendship and forgiveness. Posy Lovell’s three main characters who answer the ad for gardeners at London’s Kew Gardens in June,1915, are each hiding from loss and heartache. Louisa, at 35, escaping an abusive husband in Kent, flees to London in order to establish anonymity. Ivy, sixteen, compensating for her shameful conduct as a rebellious teenager, wants to be near Jim, assistant to the supervisor at Kew. First to be hired by supervisor Mac is sweet natured, gentle Bernie who is suffering personal humiliation from a past relationship and his pacifist beliefs. He knows nothing about gardening, but he IS a man. Mac must overcome reservations about women working at Kew Gardens, along with personal disappointment.
Readers will learn about World War I, the Conscription Act, Suffragettes, and the effects these each had on the early workings of London’s Kew Gardens. Posy Lovell’s characters are developed through reflection and slowly learn to share thoughts and feelings with each other, finally revealing personal truths and growing bonds of friendship. Examples of forgiveness, mentoring, trust, handling of grief through generosity and genuine care for others are character traits lovingly cultivated in The Kew Garden Girls. A bonus for poets and gardeners is the language of flowers Ivy weaves through the tasks of weeding and planting the ‘miles” of herbaceous flower beds. A bouquet of daisies, roses, and fern fronds from the Grateful Reader.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP, Putnam G.P. Putnam's Sons, and Net Galley for the Advanced Readers Copy.
The Kew Gardens Girls by Posy Lovell. This book was wonderful! I read it over the weekend and may have neglected some household chores to finish it...
Set during WW1, we enter the story in London at the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, where England is at War and the suffragette fight is on the rise. While families are torn apart by the war, women begin working outside the home and learn the value of their own work. Everyone has a part to play. Louisa, Ivy, and the other gardeners work to the beauty and integrity of Kew Gardens going while the world is turning upside down.

Reading this book in the springtime during our own family's planting season brought a greater depth of understanding to the author's writing. I learned so much about the language of flowers in reading this book.

All the men are gone and no one is left except women to tend to the Kew Gardens in London during WWI.

Can women really do this job? Of course!!

Louisa and Ivy certainly can. They form a wonderful friendship that neither ever had, but then something happens that pulls them apart.

We also meet adorable, helpful Lady Winifred and Bernie who is a Quaker and trying to avoid conscription.

Ivy is an endearing character and my favorite. She and her boyfriend, Jim, were the sweetest couple.

Louisa had troubles of her own and caused trouble for Bernie which upset me because Bernie was another wonderful, caring character.

You will love the friendships that develop and the support and forgiveness everyone eventually gave each other.

This book is a very enjoyable read telling of real-life events that happened at the Kew Gardens.

It also touches on a suffragette event that got pay equality for the women working in the Kew Gardens, but most importantly it addresses the beauty of friendship and love.

If you need a book that is going to lift your spirits, a book that will teach you the meaning flowers have, and a book that will have you take a look at the wonderful friendships these characters have and that you hopefully have, you won't want to miss THE KEW GARDENS GIRLS.

It is the most heartwarming book I have read in a while. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was really pleased to be given a chance to read this title, and I enjoyed it so much. Books set during the First World War are not nearly as plentiful as books set during the Second World War, so this one was a treat. I really liked that the author made the Suffragettes part of the story, and I could tell that she had done her research well. I look forward to recommending this title to our library patrons.

Lately I’ve been drawn to books set during WWI. It’s a time that hasn’t been featured as much within the historical fiction genre. However, I think that may be changing.

The focus of The Kew Garden Girls centers around the lives of a small group who work within it during WWI. The Suffragette movement, the White Feather campaign and the effects of classism all are featured in this book. I enjoyed the friendships that developed and seeing how life was in England during this period. At times, though, the story felt slow and it took me out of the rhythm of the book. I would definitely say this is more a character driven book rather then a plot driven one. And I know I tend to lean more plot driven novels.

Overall I was entertained by the tale and was curious how it would all work out for each character. Thank you Netgalley and G. P. Putnam and Sons for my DRC.

I really enjoyed this look into another part of London's history during the war. I didn't know much about the Suffragette movement in the UK and I had never heard of the Kew Gardens. I did know that many women stepped and took over the day to day jobs in England while the men were off to war but knew nothing of the women who took over the gardening duties at the Kew Gardens. This was a very good story and really interesting to hear from the perspective of the women left behind while the men were away.

I really enjoyed learning about the upkeep of the Kew Gardens during the war. This book was emotionally moving. It was sad to read about all the difficulties these women faced, but also very inspiring to see how they overcame those difficulties.

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This historical fiction set during the first world war when the men were signing up to go to the war was an enjoyable read about the women who worked at the Kew Gardens while the men were off fighting at the war. The women were strong, fighting for equal rights and pay and supportive of the suffragette's movements with some exceptions after having met a co-worker who was a conscientious objector. I liked several of the characters who worked at the gardens, and they all had issues they were dealing with and their comradeship helped them work through their problems. The descriptions of the flowers and their meanings throughout the story were interesting. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This story follows the lives of three women Kew Garden workers and their supervisor and the men in their lives during World War I in Great Britain. Louisa is on the run from an abusive husband, Ivy is a 16 year old who learned gardening from her dad and is trying to help her mother, and Win, Lady Ramsay is waiting for her naval husband to come home and wants to0 do something useful. All the women are different ages and economic background and all become involved in the suffrage movement. Ivy has a lover from the garden who enlists and makes good friends with a Quaker who objects to the war. The author has based the story on facts from the time period and gives lots of garden lore. I would have rated this higher, but one character does something in the middle of the book that struck me as very unsympathetic and inhumane and which did not fit the character that I had been reading. However, other readers may not find it so. I received a digital copy from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review and I thank them.

Who knew? In the early days of WWI, British women lined up to apply for jobs as gardeners at Kew Gardens in London. Because so many men were heading off to war, the management of the gardens reluctantly gave some of these women much needed employment. The author explores the culture of the day including the issues of women's suffrage and equal work for equal pay. Beautifully written with believable characters and loads of historical insight.