The September Garden

by Catherine Law

Set in London during the Blitz, in occupied France, and among the rolling Chiltern hills, this is the story of two cousins thrown together by the outbreak of war. Nell and Sylvie grow up quickly during the early days of rationing, blackouts, and the arrival of RAF planes in the skies. But even as the war rages on around them, the competition and jealousy between the cousins battles on – especially in romance.

When the girls fall in love with the same man, he is spared having to choose between them as the war pulls them all apart and changes the course of their lives, with devastating consequences. For Nell, the only place she can ever find solace is inside the September Garden, her father’s walled sanctuary. It is here that she decides to hide her most dreadful secret . . .

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

382 pages, Paperback

First published August 20, 2012

About the author

Catherine Law is the author of eight historical romantic novels, set during the first half of the 20th century, inspired by the tales our mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers tell us, and the secrets they keep.

Her new novel, The Girl From The War Room is out now.

Catherine lives 10 minutes from the sea in Kent.

Reviews

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical romance set during WWII. The narrative centres around two cousins, (English) Nell and (French) Sylvie whose relationship is an uneasy one, full of jealousy and competitiveness - mainly on Sylvie’s part as Nell is initially a sunnier and less complicated character. However, when war breaks out, Sylvie is sent to England for safety and as their families fall apart and they both fall in love with the same man, the girls have to grow up quickly and learn to deal with what life throws at them.

This was an undemanding and quite enjoyable story, although the characters were a bit too ‘black and white’ for me and I didn’t engage as much as I’d hoped with the cousins. What I really enjoyed were the sections set in Occupied France, seen from the point of view of Sylvie’s childhood housekeeper Adele. With carefully chosen details, the author conveys the difficulties and dangers of the time and the tragic consequences of choices being made by ordinary people. 3.5* overall.

[L Worth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I'd had my fill of stories set during WWII but this magnificent book has proved me wrong.

Like the author's previous novel, this is a beautifully written story of love and loss, following the coming-of-age of two cousins - one from France, the other from Britain. It's an unusual family dynamic that isn't often explored in fiction and gives the story a fresh edge. I particularly enjoyed reading about the experiences the French had while under occupation, and the terrible price many had to pay during that difficult time. Ms Law has clearly done her research and I came away from the book feeling like I'd had a wonderfully moving history lesson.

It's such a visual story too - it would make a really original film! Highly recommended.

[C.J. Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very well-written novel, lovely prose and authentic characters. Set in both France and London during WWII the story tells of two cousins' experiences of life and love during that period. Lots of events happen but none of them obscure the others or are dwelt on for too long.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.

[peter walton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really beautiful & very sensitive WW2 novel where the hardships/turmoil of this war almost destroyed life in so many ways , but am so glad that both Nell & Alex found themselves again at the novel's end

[Margaret Wray · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story jumped all over the place. Confusing in parts. Two female cousins forced to live together . They didn’t like each other as young girls. One jealous of the other. Bring in WW11 and life as they know it changes.
Disappointed to say the least as this author usually is very good

[Mini Marce · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful characters!
Rather sordid, and not very uplifting.
I did initially enjoy the descriptiveness of the natural surroundings. Not very much about the garden to be honest. Rushed through to the finish.

[Peggy Lesko · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was like a Harlequin romance WWII story.
The narrator was very good.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Divided loyalties, broken dreams, dangerous secrets and illicit romance abound in Catherine Law’s mesmerizing Second World War saga, The September Garden.

Nell and Sylvie might be cousins, but they are as different as chalk and cheese. Nell is a plain and unworldly tomboy dreaming her way through her childhood in the Chiltern hills; whilst her French cousin Sylvie is beautiful, sophisticated, manipulative and able to wrap anyone round her little finger. With the gathering clouds of the Second World War approaching and with life in Normandy getting more and more unstable, Sylvie’s parents realize that the only way they can keep their daughter safe is by sending her to Buckinghamshire to be with their English relatives. Nell is not exactly overjoyed when she hears that her cousin is going to be staying in England for the duration of the war. Since childhood, Nell and Sylvie’s relationship has been frosty, and despite the fact that war has forced them to live under the same roof, a rapprochement seems impossible.

With the war continuing to gather momentum, Sylvie realises that she cannot continue idling her time away in deepest Buckinghamshire. Out of her mind with worry about how her parents are faring in France, Sylvie is in desperate need of distraction. Determined to do her bit to vanquish the enemy, Sylvie decides to head off to London, where she is soon swept away by all the danger and excitement of the war. Her quieter and more introverted cousin Nell decides to stay closer to home and keep an eye on her parents, whose fragile marriage seems to be unraveling and disintegrating in front of her very eyes. Peril, adventure and jeopardy soon become the norm for the two girls, however, nobody is more surprised than Sylvie and Nell when they find themselves overwhelmed by love when they meet the dashing and charismatic RAF pilot, Captain Alex Hammond…

Men are drawn to Sylvie like moths to a flame, so naturally Nell thinks that Alex’s feelings for her are purely platonic. When Alex shocks her by declaring that he is attracted to her, Nell and Alex embark on a passionate affair. However, when circumstances conspire to tear the two of them apart, Nell realises that she must concede defeat and give up the man she loves with every fibre of her being.

With their lives constantly threatened by war, will Alex and Nell ever find their way back to one another? Will Sylvie ever realise that she can never be happy unless she allows herself to be? And will Nell ever manage to tell a living soul about the heart-breaking sacrifice she had been forced to make and the secret which will haunt her till her dying day?

The September Garden is a vivid, compelling and emotional tale of love, duty, family and war that will enchant and enthrall fans of Elizabeth Jane Howard’s Cazalet Chronicles. Catherine Law is an outstanding storyteller who writes with flair, deftness and compassion about the changes wrought by war, the suffering, pain and loss that was endured and the triumphant power of love against all odds.

Nell and Sylvie are exquisitely drawn, richly-layered and highly believable characters who come alive from the moment they set foot on the page and the reader is sure to laugh and cry with them – as well as want to shake them from time to time in certain parts of the book. I also thought that the supporting characters, such as Sylvie’s housekeeper Adele, Nell’s mother and Diana, were wonderfully written and beautifully wrought, thus enabling the reader to see how the Second World War affected women from a generation different from Nell and Sylvie.

A wonderful historical novel that will linger in the mind long after the last page is turned, The September Garden is a spellbinding tale that shouldn’t be missed!

This review was originally published on Single Titles.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful story that captures the harsh times and captivates the heart

Alternating between London during the blitz, occupied France and the rolling picturesque Chiltern Hills this exquisitely evocative story takes you back in time… Reminiscent of Rosamunde Pilcher or Sebastian Faulks this powerfully stirring, heartrending tale encapsulates the impacting nature of the Second World War and those whose lives it dramatically effected. More than merely a novel about the war, Catherine Law’s book is ultimately a love story about a man who ensnares two girls and equally enchants them with both heart and soul. This story highlights how the war determined the fate of both life and love for so many, and how hidden secrets when unveiled can discern the catalyst that may alter the course of the future. Profoundly moving, truth drawing and emotive this unforgettable tale about brutal conflict that tears apart lovers and draws others closer together, is but a small part of how the war effected people on so many different levels. I regard this novel as one part/ portion of depicting the war, in a vast multilayered web of interconnecting events that ensued as a result of such horrific events. Truly unforgettable and piquant The September Garden is a stirring, scintillating story that will melt the heart and fill you with warmth and satisfaction.

“The field of wheat behind the gate was turning to gold. Blazing scarlet poppies, paper-light in the breeze, invaded its bounds…”

- Quotes such as these form vivid images of symbolic meaning, both beautifully written as well as evoking thoughts connected to the war {i.e. red poppies}

“…Sylvie, ma chèrie, children are being evacuated from Paris, the whole of France is in turmoil. Your father and I feel it’s just not safe for you to travel back home. Who knows what the ports will be like, what the state of the roads will be? Stay with Auntie Mollie, and we’ll think of something, ma chèrie…we miss you so dreadfully”

- Letters such as this one for instance are so simple and yet they stab at your inmost soul, by speaking to the heart and provoking depth of thought and emotion. I found myself often with tears trickling down my cheeks, entirely consumed by the characters stories that were utterly believable, authentic and ‘real’.

As additional reading material for English students examining the war this is an excellent example of ‘light’ reading, which quintessentially contains everything in one volume. Easy to read, gripping and undeniably engaging this compelling novel is to be enjoyed by those who have a passion for a wide-rage of fiction. It is well written and contains a cast of colourful characters, which makes this an interesting read that is definitely not to miss!

I was delighted to have won a signed copy of Catherine Law’s new novel ‘The September Garden’ {through a Goodreads, first-read giveaway}, as I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful read. I am henceforth going to look out her other published works, such as for instance ‘The Flower Book’.

[Shreedevi Gurumurty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer 1939-When war breaks out, Sylvie is marooned with her cousin Nell's family in the Chiltern Hills and can't return to her French home.
During the early days of rationing, blackouts,and the threat of bombers in the skies,Sylvie and Nell have to grow up quickly.Yet as the war rages around them,it's the competition and jealousy between the two that dominate their lives.When the girls fall in love with the same man, their relationship is truly tested. But the war pulls them all apart and changes the course of their lives–until their secrets are revealed, with devastating consequences.
During WWII,there were a number of distinct fields where geographers served: reflecting specialist interests in the subject. Academic geographers were in intelligence;surveyors gravitated towards survey and mapmaking,climatologists were in the meteorological services,explorers took on an active role in special operations,political geographers contributed in Dominion,Colonial and Foreign Office activities and economic geographers in economic warfare.Geography has always been vital to war in 3 ways: intelligence, logistics and in action on disposition of forces,where to attack or defend,what routes to follow,where to land invasion craft etc.Terrain,settlement distributions,communication lines,land use and climate,all became critical.Intelligent use of geographical knowledge win wars.The Chiltern Hills are a chalk escarpment in the UK northwest of London, covering across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, and Bedfordshire,stretching from Goring-on-Thames in the southwest to Hitchin in the northeast. Significant housing and industrial development took place in the first half of the 20th century and continued throughout the 20th century.The hills have been used for their natural resources for millennia.

[Cleopatra Pullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The September Garden is the patch of ground that Nell’s father has turned into a beautiful autumn haven, full of wonderful blooming flowers. Nell’s father fought, but never really recovered from the First World War and it is at the advent of the second is where this book begins.

The story centres around Nell and her cousin Sylvie who lives in France, the two cousins a year apart in age but a mile apart in attitude share an uneasy relationship which only intensifies when Sylvie has to stay in England when the war breaks out.

At first I was unsure about this book. I thought the characters were simply outlines at the beginning but as the book commences and the two girls face up to life in wartime Buckinghamshire they soon become filled in. Alongside the cousin’s story we have the tale of life in France, shown to us through the eyes of Sylvie’s maid, Adele. What looks from the cover to be a fluffy romantic book, is anything so although there is a romance, Catherine Law does not spare us the details of life in either country with some truly horrifying events befalling each of the young characters. The young Nell doesn’t simply shrug off an air-raid with the insouciance of so many books, no stiff upper lip and her feeling of sheer terror leaps off the page and the details of life in France as the Germans began their occupation in France were often brutal but never left me feeling they were anything but true.

A well-researched novel that makes me truly grateful that I didn’t have to live through those terrible times.

I received a signed copy of this book from a Goodreads Giveaway and I'm delighted to have this opportunity to read this honest book.

[Ape · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sentimental and slightly melodramatic little tale set during the second world war. Perfectly fine light reading when you don't want anything too heavy going. It was a bit better than I was expecting, but it was nothing amazing.

Set in France and England - but mostly in England - it's about two cousins, Sylvie from France, and Nell from England, who first meet in their mid teens, then grow up to their twenties in England during the war. Sylvie is beautiful, talented and completely self involved. A little bratt who grows up into a bitch. Nell is the whiter than white little martyr who simpers about and is a little dull and tiresome at times. They go through their troubles, with Nell's parents splitting up when her father runs off with a teacher. Sylvie's English mother is sent to a camp in Paris for the duration of the war; her father is considered a collaborator. But their biggest issue is dashing young airman Alex Hammond, whom they both love. Sylvie chases him and fools him into getting engaged to her. But the real love story is between Alex and Nell... well, apparently, but I found their romance rather passionless and just... I don't know, I wasn't convinced by it, and I really wasn't overly bothered whether they would ever meet again or get back together. I also found the random side story about Sylvie and her father - thrown in without any build up or reference, right at the end in a couple of paragraphs, as if to underline, yes, he really was a bastard, a bit unnecessary.

So, perfectly ok light reading, but I wasn't blown away by it.

[Tredaran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling wartime saga set in England and France, comparing the wartime experiences of two cousins and their families and acquaintances. This has been well researched and gives an insightful perspective of the contrasting experience of occupied Northern France, London during the Blitz and the wartime English countryside. A really enjoyable first reads giveaway.

[Nancydrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyed the setting & story but felt the character of Nell was somewhat soul-less.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than i thought it was going to be. Great storyline with enough little twists to keep you guessing, it had pace, drama, pathos, humour and insight into some tough moral dilemmas.

[Beverly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a very uplifting story.