Three generations of witches must discover where their magic went wrong as secrets resurface that could solve a twenty-year-old mystery in this riveting debut, perfect for fans of Practical Magic and Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe.
There's something magical about Yarrow, Kentucky. The three empathic witches of the Haywood family are known for their shadow garden—from strawberries that taste like chocolate to cherry tomatoes with hints of basil and oregano. Their magic can cure any heartache, and the fruits of their garden bring a special quality to the local bourbon distillery. On one day every year, a shot of Bonner bourbon will make your worst memory disappear.
But twenty years ago, the town gave up more than one memory for the year; they forgot an entire summer. One person died. One person disappeared. And no one has any idea why.
As secrets from that fateful summer start to come to light, there must be a reckoning between the rival Haywood and Bonner families. But the only clue Irene Haywood has is in her tea leaves: a stranger’s arrival will bring either love or betrayal…
Sci Fi & Fantasy
Publication Date: 13 Sep 2022
-
Advance Praise for in the Shadow Garden:
“The perfect blend of magic and mystery.”―Rory Power, New York Times bestselling author
-
“This beautiful, remarkable book drew me in deep with its rich, soulful atmosphere and intriguing story. Imbued with a fascinating, wonderfully unique magic, and with relationships that feel really authentic, it is at once dreamlike and genuine. In the Shadow Garden is a powerful debut and a true gift for anyone who loves a mix of witchiness, mystery, and romance.”―India Holton, author of The League of Gentlewomen Witches
-
“This beautiful, remarkable book drew me in deep with its rich, soulful atmosphere and intriguing story. Imbued with a fascinating, wonderfully unique magic, and with relationships that feel really authentic, it is at once dreamlike and genuine. In the Shadow Garden is a powerful debut and a true gift for anyone who loves a mix of witchiness, mystery, and romance.”―India Holton, author of The League of Gentlewomen Witches
My Review:
5 Stars:
📖Book: In the Shadow Garden
⭐️Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️*
✍🏼Author: Liz Parker
📚Genre: Sci-Fi & Fantasy
🗏 Pages: 336
⚠️Warnings: Alcoholism, Domestic Abuse, Child Abuse, Cheating, Death of a Parent
🔖Readability: 2/5 - All Flashbacks are in italic font but with short chapters- Audiobook highly suggested for this one
✍🏼First Line: Yarrow, Kentucky, was big enough that you didn't know everyone but small enough that it felt like everyone knew you.
What to expect:
🐞Multiple POV
🪄A Garden That Can Take Away Pain
🥂Bourdon That Can Take Away Memories
💀A Mystery of one Summer
🫖Tealeaf Readings
❤️Multiple generations of Badass Women
🐌The Garden is a Character
Would you willingly give up your memories?
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind meets Practical Magic with elements of Taylor Swift Evermore in Liz Parkers' magnificent debut in the Shadow Garden. In Yarrow, Kentucky, magic runs deep within the soil. There you can find three generations of empathic witches who are known for their magical abilities to take away your pain, a local distillery that creates bourdon that can remove your memories, a mystery of murder, another man disappearing, and the entire town agreeing to ease their memories of one summer. Generation feuds, a magical garden, tea leaf readings, mysterious bourdon, where a forbidden romance and a 20-year-old secret threaten to unravel everything, in the Shadow Garden hits all the boxes.
Liz Parker tells the story of pain and suffering in one of the most elegant ways. The magical realism of the shadow garden taking away pain and growing it into something beautiful was an excellent theme throughout the story. In life, sometimes we are handed cards that aren't always the best, but it is how we play them and create beauty from them that matters. Liz told this theme with a side of mystery and romance in what I will be calling my favorite read of the year. Not only is the story unputdownable and beautifully written, but it shows growth in healing through gardening, which is real-life magic and makes me truly believe that it might exist. If you are a lover of magical realism, Alice Hoffman, Jessica Clare, or the movie Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind, you will love this novel and debut by Liz Parker. She is now an auto-buy author for me. In the Shadow, Garden comes to a bookstore near you this September 13, 2022. You won't want to miss this. Pre-order now.
* I normally take away an entire star if the book isn't accessible to everyone and showcases font that might be difficult for others to read. However, this gets an extra star for being one of my favorite books of the year, therefore making it a five-star book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
In the Shadow Garden on the Kelly Clarkson Show
PRINT LENGTH PAGES
AVERAGE REVIEW RATING
HARDCOVER COST
E-BOOK COST
AUTHOR
Liz Parker is an author and social media consultant. She loves gardening, a good cup of tea, and the kind of story that sinks it hooks into you and refuses to let go. Liz lives in California with her husband, dog, and too many houseplants to name (though she could if you asked).
IN THE SHADOW Garden is her debut novel. You can find her online at LizParkerWrites.com and on most social media platforms at @LizParkerWrites.
PUBLISHER
Forever, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, publishes a wide array of inclusive commercial fiction and romance perfect for your next book-club pick--from uplifting contemporary stories to captivating historical fiction and delightful romantic comedies, to sweeping historical romance and small-town love stories (including western romance and Amish romance).
Let's Get Started!
Subscribed to my notebook!
Three generations of witches must discover where their magic went wrong as secrets resurface that could solve a twenty-year-old mystery in this riveting debut, perfect for fans of Practical Magic and Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe.
There's something magical about Yarrow, Kentucky. The three empathic witches of the Haywood family are known for their shadow garden—from strawberries that taste like chocolate to cherry tomatoes with hints of basil and oregano. Their magic can cure any heartache, and the fruits of their garden bring a special quality to the local bourbon distillery. On one day every year, a shot of Bonner bourbon will make your worst memory disappear.
But twenty years ago, the town gave up more than one memory for the year; they forgot an entire summer. One person died. One person disappeared. And no one has any idea why.
As secrets from that fateful summer start to come to light, there must be a reckoning between the rival Haywood and Bonner families. But the only clue Irene Haywood has is in her tea leaves: a stranger’s arrival will bring either love or betrayal…
Sci Fi & Fantasy
Publication Date: 13 Sep 2022
-
Advance Praise for in the Shadow Garden:
“The perfect blend of magic and mystery.”―Rory Power, New York Times bestselling author
-
“This beautiful, remarkable book drew me in deep with its rich, soulful atmosphere and intriguing story. Imbued with a fascinating, wonderfully unique magic, and with relationships that feel really authentic, it is at once dreamlike and genuine. In the Shadow Garden is a powerful debut and a true gift for anyone who loves a mix of witchiness, mystery, and romance.”―India Holton, author of The League of Gentlewomen Witches
-
“This beautiful, remarkable book drew me in deep with its rich, soulful atmosphere and intriguing story. Imbued with a fascinating, wonderfully unique magic, and with relationships that feel really authentic, it is at once dreamlike and genuine. In the Shadow Garden is a powerful debut and a true gift for anyone who loves a mix of witchiness, mystery, and romance.”―India Holton, author of The League of Gentlewomen Witches
My Review:
5 Stars:
📖Book: In the Shadow Garden
⭐️Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️*
✍🏼Author: Liz Parker
📚Genre: Sci-Fi & Fantasy
🗏 Pages: 336
⚠️Warnings: Alcoholism, Domestic Abuse, Child Abuse, Cheating, Death of a Parent
🔖Readability: 2/5 - All Flashbacks are in italic font but with short chapters- Audiobook highly suggested for this one
✍🏼First Line: Yarrow, Kentucky, was big enough that you didn't know everyone but small enough that it felt like everyone knew you.
What to expect:
🐞Multiple POV
🪄A Garden That Can Take Away Pain
🥂Bourdon That Can Take Away Memories
💀A Mystery of one Summer
🫖Tealeaf Readings
❤️Multiple generations of Badass Women
🐌The Garden is a Character
Would you willingly give up your memories?
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind meets Practical Magic with elements of Taylor Swift Evermore in Liz Parkers' magnificent debut in the Shadow Garden. In Yarrow, Kentucky, magic runs deep within the soil. There you can find three generations of empathic witches who are known for their magical abilities to take away your pain, a local distillery that creates bourdon that can remove your memories, a mystery of murder, another man disappearing, and the entire town agreeing to ease their memories of one summer. Generation feuds, a magical garden, tea leaf readings, mysterious bourdon, where a forbidden romance and a 20-year-old secret threaten to unravel everything, in the Shadow Garden hits all the boxes.
Liz Parker tells the story of pain and suffering in one of the most elegant ways. The magical realism of the shadow garden taking away pain and growing it into something beautiful was an excellent theme throughout the story. In life, sometimes we are handed cards that aren't always the best, but it is how we play them and create beauty from them that matters. Liz told this theme with a side of mystery and romance in what I will be calling my favorite read of the year. Not only is the story unputdownable and beautifully written, but it shows growth in healing through gardening, which is real-life magic and makes me truly believe that it might exist. If you are a lover of magical realism, Alice Hoffman, Jessica Clare, or the movie Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind, you will love this novel and debut by Liz Parker. She is now an auto-buy author for me. In the Shadow, Garden comes to a bookstore near you this September 13, 2022. You won't want to miss this. Pre-order now.
* I normally take away an entire star if the book isn't accessible to everyone and showcases font that might be difficult for others to read. However, this gets an extra star for being one of my favorite books of the year, therefore making it a five-star book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
In the Shadow Garden on the Kelly Clarkson Show
PRINT LENGTH PAGES
AVERAGE REVIEW RATING
HARDCOVER COST
E-BOOK COST
AUTHOR
Liz Parker is an author and social media consultant. She loves gardening, a good cup of tea, and the kind of story that sinks it hooks into you and refuses to let go. Liz lives in California with her husband, dog, and too many houseplants to name (though she could if you asked).
IN THE SHADOW Garden is her debut novel. You can find her online at LizParkerWrites.com and on most social media platforms at @LizParkerWrites.
PUBLISHER
Forever, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, publishes a wide array of inclusive commercial fiction and romance perfect for your next book-club pick--from uplifting contemporary stories to captivating historical fiction and delightful romantic comedies, to sweeping historical romance and small-town love stories (including western romance and Amish romance).
Let's Get Started!
Subscribed to my notebook!
