The Winter Garden is a novel by Alexandra Bell that weaves together magic, mystery, and historical fiction.
The story follows Beatrice, who, after discovering the magical Winter Garden as a child, embarks on a quest to find it again as an adult. Along with her friend Rosa, she competes to create the most spectacular pleasure garden, with the prize of a magical wish.
Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases
Book Blurb
Welcome to the Winter Garden. Open only at 13 o’clock.
You are invited to enter an unusual competition.
I am looking for the most magical, spectacular, remarkable pleasure garden this world has to offer.
On the night her mother dies, 8-year-old Beatrice receives an invitation to the mysterious Winter Garden. A place of wonder and magic, filled with all manner of strange and spectacular flora and fauna, the garden is her solace every night for seven days. But when the garden disappears, and no one believes her story, Beatrice is left to wonder if it were truly real.
Eighteen years later, on the eve of her wedding to a man her late father approved of but she does not love, Beatrice makes the decision to throw off the expectations of Victorian English society and search for the garden. But when both she and her closest friend, Rosa, receive invitations to compete to create spectacular pleasure gardens – with the prize being one wish from the last of the Winter Garden’s magic – she realises she may be closer to finding it than she ever imagined.
Now all she has to do is win.
The Winter Garden by Alexandra Bell Review
The Winter Garden is a beautifully written blend of historical fiction and magic. It has more of a magical realism feel than full-on fantasy, which I felt worked well for the Victorian setting and the sense of wonder that surrounds the mysterious garden.
One thing I really loved about this book was the atmosphere. The writing is whimsical and imaginative, and Bell’s descriptions of the gardens were so vivid I could see the magic so clearly in my mind. The imagery is fantastic and pulled me right into this magical world.
My main issue with the story is the characters. Beatrice is a complex character and not always easy to like. She has a bit of a superiority complex at times, and I hated how she treated James, who was one of the few genuinely kind and likeable characters.
I also struggled to connect with Rosa, who was self-serving and driven by her own ambitions. While I understood their motivations, both women were so focused on their own goals that it made them feel distant and hard to root for.
I did empathise with their struggles, especially given the constraints placed on women in their time. However, I would have liked to see more of a sense of sisterhood between them. Instead, they end up being quite ruthless, competing against each other in a way that undermines the feminist undertones of the story. Feminism isn’t really about pitching women against each other, so that element fell a little flat for me.
The most likeable character was James, who is hunting for rare orchids. His gentleness and passion for the natural world made him stand out among the more ruthless characters, and I found myself rooting for him the most.
Overall, The Winter Garden is an imaginative, beautifully written novel that is sadly let down by its unlikeable characters.