The Kew Gardens Girls at War

Inspired by actual events, Lovell’s sequel to The Kew Gardens Girls returns readers to war-torn England, this time in 1940. The story follows three women who volunteer to tend the gardens as part of the war effort. Newlywed Daisy Cooper, whose parents met at Kew Gardens, volunteers to keep herself busy after her husband Rex’s departure for the RAF. Nurse Beth Sanderson wants to be a doctor, but her father won’t allow her to go to medical school. She is falling for Jamaican surgeon Gus Campbell—a wholly unsuitable match, according to her family. Louisa Armitage was part of the original Kew gardening group during World War I, and now she’s ready to join again. Although they come from different backgrounds, when tragedy strikes, the women come together and support each other through their darkest times. Seasoned narrator Elizabeth Knowelden moves seamlessly from voicing one character to another, giving each their own distinct personality and identity. Her elegant narration adds a somber tone to this moving story.