A Memory of Violets - Hazel Gaynor

"In 1912, twenty-year-old Tilly Harper leaves the peace and beauty of her native Lake District for London, to become assistant housemother at Mr. Shaw’s Home for Watercress and Flower Girls. For years, the home has cared for London’s flower girls—orphaned and crippled children living on the grimy streets and selling posies of violets and watercress to survive.

Soon after she arrives, Tilly discovers a diary written by an orphan named Florrie—a young Irish flower girl who died of a broken heart after she and her sister, Rosie, were separated. Moved by Florrie’s pain and all she endured in her brief life, Tilly sets out to discover what happened to Rosie. But the search will not be easy. Full of twists and surprises, it leads the caring and determined young woman into unexpected places, including the depths of her own heart."

Oh my gosh. I was warned about this book. I was warned by another lovely blogger that it would make me "ugly-cry", (thanks Becca! x) and oh man, did I cry. The only way to describe this novel is just absolutely BEAUTIFUL. It is one of the most stunning novels I have ever read. 

I have sisters, and they mean the world to me and the thought of not having a a relationship with them, or losing them breaks my heart - the way Hazel Gaynor links the stories of these two sets of sisters conveys perfectly the relationships I have with both my sisters. Her writing is beautiful, her characters are just stunning and the storyline was perfect. I literally do not have a bad word to say about A Memory of Violets. What I will say is that it is a 5 star book, it will make you "ugly-cry" and is best enjoyed in the comfort of your own home, where no one can judge you for being an emotional wreck by the end of it. 

A Memory of Violets is out now and you can get it here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Memory-Violets

*I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from the publisher*