The Twilight Garden is another masterpiece by Sara Nisha Adams. It follows a pair of neighbors, both in the past and present, of whom are dealing with personal situations that have caused them to be reclusive, and their shared garden brings brings them together.

"Winston thought he might bruise from the weight of her compassion"

It's a powerful story about taking the time to cultivate community, growth, and personal peace. It dives into matters of grief, change, growing up, growing old, and growing out of situations that no longer serve us. I love the nostalgia that Adams brings to her stories, connecting unlikely characters over an old chair, or the blooming of snowbells. I felt all the emotions when reading this, and if The Reading List was any indication, I think The Twilight Garden will be another book that lives rent-free in my brain.

This is an easy 5 star for me. I would recommend this book to anyone, knowing that there is a special human connection that many books are missing.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishing for Advanced Readers Copies of this book. This was one of my most anticipated reads and I could not be more pleased!

I had read Sara Nisha Adams’s debut novel The Reading List for book club over a year ago and really enjoyed it. During the author talk for that book, Adams mentioned that her next book would be about a community with a shared garden, which of course, turned out to be this book, her sophomore novel entitled The Twilight Garden. While I have to admit that I enjoyed her debut much more, I still found quite a few things that I liked with this new book, with the first and foremost of those being the characters. I couldn’t help loving the entire Stoke Newington community and all its interesting residents — it felt like it would be a dream to live among them and to be able to share in such a beautiful garden (though minus the foxes please).

Told in somewhat of a dual timeline format (though also divided into 4 parts based on the seasons), the story alternates between the perspectives of Winston and Bernice starting in 2018 — the neighbors live in Numbers 77 and 79 in a townhouse complex on Eastbourne Road (in Stoke Newington, London). The two houses have a garden that is shared among them (a non-negotiable written into the housing contract). The garden is in a state of disrepair after being neglected for years, which might as well be fine since the two neighbors can’t seem to get along anyway and are constantly arguing with each other. Winston is an immigrant from India who came to London hoping to fulfill his parents’ dream for him to be successful and happy, but instead, he quit his steady job in finance and works instead for his neighbors Sal and Angela in their shop (though they treat him lovingly, like their own son); on top of that, Winston’s relationship with his partner Lewis is on shaky ground. At the same time, he is forced to deal with his bossy new neighbor, Bernice, who just moved into the house next door with her 10 year old son Sebastian, finally on her own after separating from her ex-husband Simon. The two neighbors seem to be at odds from the start, arguing over everything under sun, but especially over the shared garden; one day, when Bernice tells Winston off and tries to claim the garden for herself, he decides to start clearing the garden and tending to it out of defiance. Bernice’s son Seb slowly gets to know Winston and soon enough, he is helping his new friend in the garden (much to Bernice’s chagrin). Over the course of a couple months, as Bernice joins her son in helping out with the garden, she begins to understand Winston better and they eventually become friends. Interspersed throughout the Winston-Bernice storyline is a narrative that flashes back to 40 plus years prior, starting in the 1970s, with the story of Maya and Alma, who were the previous residents of Numbers 77 and 79. Maya and her husband Prem are also of Indian descent, but arrived to London from Kenya, where most of their family still reside. Alma is an interesting character — someone whom all the residents love and fear at the same time. Maya and Alma — two women with such opposite personalities (and also from vastly different backgrounds) become fast friends and even turn their shared garden into a community garden where all their friends and neighbors frequently gathered. One of the things I really appreciated about this structure was how some of the characters ended up appearing in both narratives, which meant that we got to see them evolve and grow — as a reader who loves character-driven stories, I’m always game for watching characters develop and evolve throughout a story (even though this one was done nonlinearly).

This heartwarming read about friendship and community also had a poignancy to it that I wasn’t quite expecting — to the point that I found myself feeling a lump in my throat at certain parts. Though perhaps I should not have been surprised, given that the overall tone of this second novel is in a similar vein to The Reading List (which was especially poignant and moving). While this is a book I definitely recommend, I do have to warn that it is very much a “slow-burn” type of story where there is not much of a plot to speak of and nothing “exciting” (depending on one’s definition of course) ever really happens. And those who aren’t into gardening might find the detailed descriptions of various plants and flowers and gardening activities a tad less interesting (though thankfully, Adams incorporated these details in a way that wasn’t overwhelming).

Overall, I enjoyed this one for what it was — a moving, emotionally resonant story with endearing, lovable characters (no villains in this story, which is refreshing…oh except maybe the foxes?) doing everyday things and dealing with everyday issues. The narrative does meander a bit though, especially in the middle section (the book overall probably didn’t need to be as long as it was), but luckily it didn’t lose me. I’m definitely looking forward to what Sara Nisha Adams writes next!

Received ARC from William Morrow via NetGalley.

This was a cute and wholesome read! I will read anything with a garden in it and this was definitely worth it.

The Twilight Garden is a heartwarming book with dual timelines set in a small London community. It centers around found family bonding over a community garden. I loved the Indian culture interspersed throughout the book. This is a must read for anyone wanting a touching storyline with diverse characters!

4.5/5

This book was like cat nip to my very specific preferences. Found families? Multi generational stories coming together? 30/40/50 year olds trying to figure out what might actually make them happy? Enemies to friends to family? Yes, please.

Sharing a wall has never been as annoying to Winston as when Bernice and her young son move next to her, Bernice complains about everything he does. A mysterious parcel arrives inspiring him to punish her by revenge gardening in their shared back space. When her son starts to help and he starts to realize maybe they all have more in common than they knew.

In the past, these walls were shared by Maya and young Kenyan immigrant who moved to London with her husband and Alma who grew up in this very townhouse and has never really left London in her 50 year life. The unlikely neighbors become close as they garden together.

As the threads of the neighborhood weave together revealing how much opening ourselves can give us so much more than we ever knew.

A heartwarming, feel-good, dual timeline and multiple POV novel about a community garden and the lives of those who band together to help work on it. While I didn't love this one quite as much as the author's debut, The reading list, it was still full of a diverse cast of British characters of all ages with interesting back stories. Good on audio and perfect for fans of books like Abbi Waxman's The garden of small beginnings. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This cover is OUTSTANDING and definitely has had me hooked for months in advance in eager anticipation!!

Sara Nisha Adams has again tugged at my heart by writing this lovely book that is an ode to the power of community to save lost souls. I absolutely loved The Book List, and was happy to be given an early copy of The Twilight Garden, her second novel. Aside from making me cry several times, this new book also made me anxious to get out in my garden again this spring as well as to get back in touch with a couple of old friends.

Adams's books are not action-packed, and The Twilight Garden was a bit of a slow mover through most of the book. The last 1/4, however, made up for the slow burn of the remainder. There are quite a few characters, in two timelines, which made me struggle to keep things straight although I became quite attached to most of them over the course of the story. As in her earlier novel, the loneliness of a couple of the characters and some serious themes (dementia, divorce, aging) make the book an emotional journey, through which we see the main characters' relationship evolve.

I would highly recommend The Twilight Garden for readers who enjoyed A Man Called Ove, as I felt similar themes and vibes in this novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the digital ARC of The Twilight Garden by Sara Nisha Adams. The opinions in this review are my own.

I was very excited to read this book. I loved Sara Nisha Adams’ first book, The Reading List. She has such a beautiful way of connecting the characters in her books. The Twilight Garden again takes place in England, the outskirts of London on Eastbourne Road in Stoke Newington. The story is told in a dual timeline. In the 70s, 80s and very early 90s the story revolves around Maya and her husband Prem who as a young couple have just arrived from Africa, and their older neighbor, Alma who ‘comes with’ the attached terrace house. They share a garden, which is the center of the story not only in this time line, but the later timeline, as well. The later timeline 2018/19 takes place in the same terrace house, which are now occupied by Winston and Lewis in number 78 and a single mother, Bernice and her son, Sebastian. Bernice and Winston butt heads, but soon start working to revive the long neglected garden together largely in part because of Seb, but also due to mysterious photos and messages that are dropped through their mail slots showing the garden as it was in its heyday. As you would expect, the garden is what eventually connects all of the characters in a somewhat predictable, yet marvelously beautiful way. I had a difficult time putting this book down, it drew me right in and kept me turning the pages. It comes out next week, and I highly recommend most especially if you enjoyed her first book, but also if you are a gardener. I must warn you, you will miss the garden when the book ends.

A charming story following the same formula Adam’s used for her first novel “The Reading List”. For some reason I have a weakness for stories that involve weaving together a motley crew of British neighbors. Both Adam’s and Clare Pooley have excelled at that and it always hits my sweet spot.

Not as captivating as the fist novel since I found a few parts slow moving, but still strong. One description on death that coincided with the appearance of snowdrops shattered me. If you’re a fan of this genre, it’s a good read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TW: loss of spouse, loss of parent

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I was really looking forward to this one as I enjoyed the author's last book and I love books about gardens.

I'll be honest - I was a little disappointed. I found this book to be a slow read and quite sad. The Beatles song "Eleanor Rigby" kept running through my mind while reading it (ahhh - look at all the lonely people....) There were also a few instances of loss that I wasn't entirely prepared for. I also didn't buy how few friends the main characters had.

I enjoyed the setting and the descriptions of the garden but this book just wasn't for me.

The Twilight Garden is a charming dual-timeline story about a shared garden between the two townhouses at Numbers 77 and 79 Eastbourne Road, Stoke Newington, London. The modern-day story starts in September 2018. Winston, an Indian immigrant, must deal with his new neighbor, Bernice, who tries to dictate his use of the rundown garden. He is struggling with guilt over not fulfilling his parents' dreams for him to work in finance and with his problematic relationship with his boyfriend, Lewis. Bernice is a single mother who is overly protective of her young son, Seb. Her ex-husband, Simon, continues to cause problems. Both Winston and Bernice start receiving mystery envelopes containing pictures of two women and the garden when it was flourishing.

Scattered throughout are flashbacks to the former residents, Alma and Maya. Maya and her husband, Prem, are a young Indian immigrant couple struggling to adjust to life in London. The very gruff Alma, who has always lived on the property, makes it clear that she does not want Maya to help her with the garden.

In both timelines, the garden brings the adjoining neighbors together. Unexpected friendships form that help the occupants to deal with their emotional struggles. The narrative explores the themes of intergenerational communication, cultural identity, family expectations, what constitutes family, and the transformative power of personal connections through having a shared goal. The twilight garden becomes a place of healing and personal transformation.

4-plus-stars

The Twilight Garden follows the story of Winston and his neighbor Berniece as they struggle to cohabitate civilly in their shared overgrown, weed-filled backyard space. With alternating narrators and time periods, the readers gain insight into the lives of Alma and Maya, the garden’s previous tenders and neighbors. This charming tale focuses on how unlikely friendships sometimes turn into family.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read The Twilight Garden by Sara Nisha Adams. I so enjoyed the dual timeline along with watching the friendships, along with the garden, grow.

This story went nowhere fast. I didn't care for the characters or the story. I was looking forward to reading this book and was very disappointed.

This gentle dual-timeline story reveals the transformational power of gardening. In 2019 London, Winston and Bernice are decidedly unfriendly neighbors. It doesn’t help that their backyards share an overgrown, unsightly garden. When Winston receives an anonymous letter with photos of the garden in its prime, he decides to restore the space. As the garden grows anew, so does the neighbor's relationship with each other and the greater community.

The Twilight Garden was a super sweet, happy tale about strangers coming together (twice!) to create a community garden. I looked forward to this second book by Sara Nisha Adams after reading her debut, and it didn’t disappoint. Two stories told in two timelines, they each entertain on their own and then weave seamlessly into one another. I loved the cast of characters, but I had a bit of trouble keeping track of who was who, especially across the two timelines. All in all, this was a comforting, feel good story that most will enjoy. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc.

It took me a few excerpts to get into Alma and Maya's story, and I found myself preferring Seb/Winston/Bernice's storyline more, but this book was a winner. The pacing is unfettered and unrushed which allows for a relaxing read with lower stakes. I would recommend this to fans of found family tropes, and books like Remarkably Bright Creatures, West with Giraffes, and the Finlay Donovan series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy in exchange for a review which will appear on Goodreads.
In England where having a garden is akin to American yards, one can see how sharing one would cause trouble. If the neighbors don’t take the time to get to know one another, assumptions are made and there is no room for understanding and helpful conversation. This is that garden.
There is a large cast of characters that you have to sort out and with the book set in England, there are expressions and sites and terms that take a lot of time to work out. This is also this book.
I liked it well enough but likely wouldn’t put it on our staff picks shelf. For me it was harder to get into than The Reading List, which I do recommend to my patrons.
3*

Two storylines from 1986 and 2019 connect through an empty lot community garden and the power of nature to build community and found family. The author of The Reading List brings us another novel full of connection between people exploring themes of grief, loneliness, love, and community.

I loved this book. I read it straight through. The story of friendship, family, and community, in all of its forms was wonderful and uplifting. Highly recommend.