The Walled Garden is a historical fiction novel written by Sarah Hardy.
The story focuses on the aftermath of WWII, as the men return home and are forced to live with the psychological scars of war.
The Walled Garden is Sarah Hardy’s debut novel. It went on to be longlisted for the HWA Gold Crown Award for Best Historical Fiction Novel of the Year.
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Book Blurb
It is 1946 and in the village of Oakbourne the men are home from the war. Their bodies are healing but their psychological wounds run deep. Everyone is scarred – those who fought and those left behind.
Alice Rayne is married to Stephen, heir to crumbling Oakbourne Hall. Once a sweet, gentle man, he has returned a bitter and angry stranger. He is destroyed by what he has seen and done, tormented by secrets Alice can only guess at.
Lonely and increasingly afraid of the man her husband has become, Alice must try to pick up the pieces of her marriage and save Oakbourne Hall from total collapse. She begins with the walled garden and, as it starts to bear fruit, she finds herself drawn into a new, forbidden love.
The Walled Garden Book Review
The Walled Garden was longlisted for the HWA Gold Crown Award for Best Historical Fiction Novel of the Year and I can absolutely see why.
While I’ve read many novels about WWII itself, this book focuses on its aftermath. I found it to be a really sensitive and moving take on post-war life.
The book depicts the challenges of rebuilding not just homes and towns, but also the relationships that survived the war. The themes of post-war trauma are sensitively handled, exploring the guilt and suffering that haunt the characters long after the fighting ended.
Stephen’s war experience was so traumatic that I genuinely felt for him. It was heartbreaking knowing he, and so many men like him, would carry that burden for the rest of his life. I also appreciated how the author addressed the struggles of families left behind. They were now faced with reconnecting with loved ones who returned as completely different people.
I liked how the story was told from multiple perspectives, as it provided a deeper understanding of each character’s struggles. However, I did struggle to fully connect with some of the characters, particularly Alice. I found it hard to warm to her, despite sympathising with the situation she was in.
The pacing felt a bit slow at times, particularly at the beginning. Even so, I was still intrigued enough to keep reading to see how the characters and their stories would develop.
Overall, The Walled Garden is a beautifully written novel about hope and renewal that does a great job exploring the aftermath of war. Even though I didn’t connect with Alice as much as I’d hoped, I’m still excited to see what Sarah Hardy writes next.