Winter Bloom

Tara Heavey

Oct 2010 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

There would be tunnels of roses, beds of strawberries, fountains of overflowing herbs. And there might even be love. . . .


In the heart of bustling modern Dublin is a littered, overgrown garden of tangled weeds and a stagnant, hidden pond. Belonging to an iron-willed elderly lady named Mrs. Prendergast, who is rumored to have murdered and buried her husband there, the garden draws Eva Madigan, a young mother struggling to move on from the pain of her past. Eva is joined by Emily, a beautiful but withdrawn college dropout; Uri, an old-world immigrant; Seth, his all-too-handsome son; and occasionally even Mrs. Prendergast herself. But what drives Eva to transform the neglected urban wilderness? What makes the others want to help her? Even as Mrs. Prendergast puts the land up for sale, the thorny lives of all the gardeners are revealed and slowly start to untangle. Overgrown secrets are dug up and shared. Choices are made; a little pruning is in order. Now Eva is about to discover that every garden is a story of growth toward a final harvest. . . .

Ratings and reviews

Eva Madigan and her young son Liam move to Dublin after the unexpected and tragic death of her husband and son. Once settled Eva hears gossip about an old lady named Mrs. Prendergast who supposedly murdered her husband. Local lore seems to think Mrs. Prendergast buried him in her overgrown garden near a murky pond. Apparently the husband hasn't been seen in some time. As a self prescribed remedy, Eva approaches Mrs. Myrtle Prendergast about tending to her overgrown garden and bringing it back to its former glory. Eva posts an ad for garden helpers and Uri, a Holocaust survivor, his handsome son Seth, and Emily, a college student, eventually join with her. As can be assumed, the garden grows and so do the characters. I would have liked for the author to build in a bit more suspense surrounding the missing husband. We read about the gossip early in the story then nothing else, really, until the ending after the garden is complete. Also, Uri has a deep and moving tale to tell but its relegated to a few pages and comes at a point in the story where the story was basically, and predictably, nearly over. The other flaw was the explanation of the last time Myrtle saw Martin. Without ruining the story, it just didn't seem plausible given the condition Martin was in, the size differences between the man and woman, and the fragility of the wife. A simple story, no real surprises, but an easy, and enjoyable, 1 or 2 hour read.

About the author

Tara Heavey was born in London, where she was raised until moving to Dublin at the age of 12. A former lawyer, she is currently a full-time author who lives in Dublin with her family.