What do you think?
Rate this book
The Garden of Hopes and Dreams
Can love and friendship blossom on a rooftop?
The residents in Brisbane’s Riverview apartment block barely know each other. They have no idea of the loneliness, the lost hopes and dreams, being experienced behind their neighbours’ closed doors.
Vera, now widowed, is trying her hardest to create a new life for herself in an unfamiliar city environment. Unlucky-in-love Maddie has been hurt too many times by untrustworthy men, yet refuses to give up on romance. Ned, a reclusive scientist, has an unusual interest in bees and worm farms. Meanwhile, the building’s caretaker, Jock, is quietly nursing a secret dream.
When a couple of gardening enthusiasts from one of the apartments suggest they all create a communal garden on their rooftop, no one is interested. Not at first, anyway. But as the residents come together over their budding plants and produce, their lives become interconnected in ways they could never have imagined.
From award-winning novelist Barbara Hannay, The Garden of Hopes and Dreams is a timely and uplifting story about the importance of community and the healing power of connection.
The residents in Brisbane’s Riverview apartment block barely know each other. They have no idea of the loneliness, the lost hopes and dreams, being experienced behind their neighbours’ closed doors.
Vera, now widowed, is trying her hardest to create a new life for herself in an unfamiliar city environment. Unlucky-in-love Maddie has been hurt too many times by untrustworthy men, yet refuses to give up on romance. Ned, a reclusive scientist, has an unusual interest in bees and worm farms. Meanwhile, the building’s caretaker, Jock, is quietly nursing a secret dream.
When a couple of gardening enthusiasts from one of the apartments suggest they all create a communal garden on their rooftop, no one is interested. Not at first, anyway. But as the residents come together over their budding plants and produce, their lives become interconnected in ways they could never have imagined.
From award-winning novelist Barbara Hannay, The Garden of Hopes and Dreams is a timely and uplifting story about the importance of community and the healing power of connection.
336 pages, Paperback
Published August 3, 2021
16 people are currently reading
496 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Hannay
410 books294 followersMulti award winning author, Barbara Hannay, is a city bred girl with a yen for country life. Most of her 50 plus books are set in rural and outback Australia and they've been enjoyed by readers around the world.
Barbara has been nominated five times for Romance Writers of America's RITA Award which she won in 2007 and she has twice won Australia's Romantic Book of the Year award.
In her own version of life imitating art, Barbara and her husband currently live on a misty hillside in beautiful Far North Queensland where they keep heritage pigs, hens, ducks, turkeys and an untidy but productive garden.
Visit Barbara's website at www.barbarahannay.com
Follow her on Facebook and Twitter
Barbara has been nominated five times for Romance Writers of America's RITA Award which she won in 2007 and she has twice won Australia's Romantic Book of the Year award.
In her own version of life imitating art, Barbara and her husband currently live on a misty hillside in beautiful Far North Queensland where they keep heritage pigs, hens, ducks, turkeys and an untidy but productive garden.
Visit Barbara's website at www.barbarahannay.com
Follow her on Facebook and Twitter
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
August 2, 2021
Maddie was distraught after seeing her boyfriend through the window of the café with another woman and drowned her night in alcohol. Vera was lonely after leaving outback Queensland and her property of Jinda for the apartment in Brisbane. After she’d lost Felix, her garden gave her solace, but in an apartment in the middle of the city, a garden seemed impossible. Joe and Dennis had their apartment smothered in plants – both vegetarian, their love of all things green and beautiful was a delight to see. Maddie met them at a nearby nursery and a special friendship bloomed.
The idea of a communal garden on the rooftop of the apartment block seemed fanciful at first – certainly the powers that be disagreed with it. But gradually the tenants came together in their love of plants and flowers, nutrition and goodness. Meanwhile Vera had her eight-year-old grandson Henry staying for the school holidays and he loved the communal garden. The worm farm and the bees were especially enticing and Jock, the caretaker, Ned, the owner of the bees and a high school teacher, along with other residents, took Henry under their wing.
As these people who all had different lives and came from different backgrounds, came together and formed friendships, Maddie and Vera found a special kind of peace. But Maddie was still choosing the wrong men…
The Garden of Hopes and Dreams is Aussie author Barbara Hannay’s latest novel, and it is an enticing read with superb characters, and a delightful plot, which I thoroughly enjoyed. As we move through the past with Vera back in England, and the present day, the blending of characters and the movement of time works well. I’ve always enjoyed Ms Hannay’s writing, and this one is no exception. The Garden of Hopes and Dreams is an uplifting and gentle tale of a group of strangers becoming friends in an unusual and intriguing way. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Penguin Random House AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
The idea of a communal garden on the rooftop of the apartment block seemed fanciful at first – certainly the powers that be disagreed with it. But gradually the tenants came together in their love of plants and flowers, nutrition and goodness. Meanwhile Vera had her eight-year-old grandson Henry staying for the school holidays and he loved the communal garden. The worm farm and the bees were especially enticing and Jock, the caretaker, Ned, the owner of the bees and a high school teacher, along with other residents, took Henry under their wing.
As these people who all had different lives and came from different backgrounds, came together and formed friendships, Maddie and Vera found a special kind of peace. But Maddie was still choosing the wrong men…
The Garden of Hopes and Dreams is Aussie author Barbara Hannay’s latest novel, and it is an enticing read with superb characters, and a delightful plot, which I thoroughly enjoyed. As we move through the past with Vera back in England, and the present day, the blending of characters and the movement of time works well. I’ve always enjoyed Ms Hannay’s writing, and this one is no exception. The Garden of Hopes and Dreams is an uplifting and gentle tale of a group of strangers becoming friends in an unusual and intriguing way. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Penguin Random House AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
August 1, 2021
This is another fabulous story from such a wonderful author, Barbara Hannay never fails to disappoint me with her stories they are filled with characters that are so easy to make friends with, this one is a story of friendships made through a roof top garden there is love and heartache but so much joy and one that is sure to leave any reader feeling very happy.
Welcome to Brisbane’s Riverview apartment block where the residents are not known to each other, they don’t know what they have been through in their pasts or what will come in the future, but maybe they can become friends in some way, let’s meet some of the residents.
Vera is widowed and has live the majority of her life on a cattle station in north west Queensland, her son Archie and his family run the station now and Vera is living in Brisbane and trying hard to make a new life for herself but she misses her garden and family.
Maddie works hard in the city as a paralegal and has been hurt many times by men who really have been untrustworthy but still dreams that one day she will find her hero and her HEA.
Jock is the buildings caretaker married to a famous photographer and has his hopes set on making his dream come true.
Joe and Dennis are a fabulous, friendly couple who love their plants and their apartment is like a nursey to so many gorgeous plants.
Ned is a scientist who seems to stick to himself, he is very interested in bees and worms and growing plants and decides that they have a fabulous rooftop that cries out to made into a garden, a garden that will bring the residents together and make a beautiful place to relax.
Setting up this garden becomes a labour of love to so many of the residents they get to know each other very well, they are starting to help each other out in their personal lives as well as making this garden a place to be, a place to mix, relax and enjoy.
I cannot highly recommend this one enough, beautifully written it digs deep into these people’s lives and emotions and brings them all together in a new garden of hopes and dreams. There were tears from me and lots of happy smiles and joy. There are so many wonderful characters that added so much to this story, I loved Henry, Vera’s grandson, Carmen and Nancy. I loved the ending although I didn’t want to leave this family at Riverview. Thank you MS Hannay for another keeper, I loved it.
My thanks to Penguin AU for my copy to read and review.
Welcome to Brisbane’s Riverview apartment block where the residents are not known to each other, they don’t know what they have been through in their pasts or what will come in the future, but maybe they can become friends in some way, let’s meet some of the residents.
Vera is widowed and has live the majority of her life on a cattle station in north west Queensland, her son Archie and his family run the station now and Vera is living in Brisbane and trying hard to make a new life for herself but she misses her garden and family.
Maddie works hard in the city as a paralegal and has been hurt many times by men who really have been untrustworthy but still dreams that one day she will find her hero and her HEA.
Jock is the buildings caretaker married to a famous photographer and has his hopes set on making his dream come true.
Joe and Dennis are a fabulous, friendly couple who love their plants and their apartment is like a nursey to so many gorgeous plants.
Ned is a scientist who seems to stick to himself, he is very interested in bees and worms and growing plants and decides that they have a fabulous rooftop that cries out to made into a garden, a garden that will bring the residents together and make a beautiful place to relax.
Setting up this garden becomes a labour of love to so many of the residents they get to know each other very well, they are starting to help each other out in their personal lives as well as making this garden a place to be, a place to mix, relax and enjoy.
I cannot highly recommend this one enough, beautifully written it digs deep into these people’s lives and emotions and brings them all together in a new garden of hopes and dreams. There were tears from me and lots of happy smiles and joy. There are so many wonderful characters that added so much to this story, I loved Henry, Vera’s grandson, Carmen and Nancy. I loved the ending although I didn’t want to leave this family at Riverview. Thank you MS Hannay for another keeper, I loved it.
My thanks to Penguin AU for my copy to read and review.
July 5, 2022
Listened to as an audiobook. Duration time 9 hours.
Opening Line
"Just 5 minutes before Maddy learned that her boyfriend was two timing her, she bought a pot plant. It had been sitting in a shop window rather like the dog like in the famous song, but instead of a waggerly tail the plant had eye catching healthy green leaves with splashes of showy bright splotches of pink."
.
I love Maddy and her attitude, but I don't know about that boyfriend of hers.
.
Love Henry, a boy of discovery. I laughed when he was telling Maddy all about the worm farm.
All in all I loved this story, Maddy to me seemed to be the highlight and I particularly was caught off guard with the authors note and the explaination about the pot plant on the front cover, what a pleasant and endearing thing to do. You know how you take a piece of the book with you? Well that was it for me.
Definitely worth 5 stars and I must buy the book.
Opening Line
"Just 5 minutes before Maddy learned that her boyfriend was two timing her, she bought a pot plant. It had been sitting in a shop window rather like the dog like in the famous song, but instead of a waggerly tail the plant had eye catching healthy green leaves with splashes of showy bright splotches of pink."
.
I love Maddy and her attitude, but I don't know about that boyfriend of hers.
.
Love Henry, a boy of discovery. I laughed when he was telling Maddy all about the worm farm.
All in all I loved this story, Maddy to me seemed to be the highlight and I particularly was caught off guard with the authors note and the explaination about the pot plant on the front cover, what a pleasant and endearing thing to do. You know how you take a piece of the book with you? Well that was it for me.
Definitely worth 5 stars and I must buy the book.
August 30, 2021
Barbara Hannay’s The Garden of Hopes and Dreams is a delightful, uplifting story of love, friendship, connection and community.
Centering around an apartment block in central Brisbane, neighbours become friends as the residents of Riverview bond over the creation of a rooftop garden.
Centering around an apartment block in central Brisbane, neighbours become friends as the residents of Riverview bond over the creation of a rooftop garden.
July 27, 2021
Thank you Penguin and Barbara for sending us a copy to read and review.
A group of very different people living in a apartment block come together to share the love of a community garden and search for the light on a journey of self discovery.
The occupants of Riverview Place in Brisbane keep to themselves.
Behind closed doors they have no idea what each person is going through but all that is about to change.
Widower Vera is creating a new life for herself after leaving her country property she has spent her life on.
Maddie believes Mr Right is just around the corner after a series of messy dates and dishonest men.
Ned is a quiet scientist who loves bees, worms and plants more than people.
Jock works in the high rise and misses his workaholic wife Zoe who is on the other side of the world.
Happy go lucky couple Joe and Dennis bring the happy and the shoulders to lean on.
Others are there following the rules and others are having fun.
When someone suggests a rooftop community garden all their worlds, secrets and life choices are about to collide and some for the better.
Barbara’s latest contemporary fiction offers readers a glimpse inside the drama of the building residents and how a garden brings them all together.
A story of relationships, social issues, life choices and some darker moments.
An author I trust to entertain my reading appetites and one I know will give me a captivating tale.
I was immediately hooked and drawn in to the lives of the characters, the creative setting and the interesting storyline.
I’ve been a long time fan of Barbara’s work and I consider myself quite the connoisseur of her books and this is one to add to your TBR pile.
A group of very different people living in a apartment block come together to share the love of a community garden and search for the light on a journey of self discovery.
The occupants of Riverview Place in Brisbane keep to themselves.
Behind closed doors they have no idea what each person is going through but all that is about to change.
Widower Vera is creating a new life for herself after leaving her country property she has spent her life on.
Maddie believes Mr Right is just around the corner after a series of messy dates and dishonest men.
Ned is a quiet scientist who loves bees, worms and plants more than people.
Jock works in the high rise and misses his workaholic wife Zoe who is on the other side of the world.
Happy go lucky couple Joe and Dennis bring the happy and the shoulders to lean on.
Others are there following the rules and others are having fun.
When someone suggests a rooftop community garden all their worlds, secrets and life choices are about to collide and some for the better.
Barbara’s latest contemporary fiction offers readers a glimpse inside the drama of the building residents and how a garden brings them all together.
A story of relationships, social issues, life choices and some darker moments.
An author I trust to entertain my reading appetites and one I know will give me a captivating tale.
I was immediately hooked and drawn in to the lives of the characters, the creative setting and the interesting storyline.
I’ve been a long time fan of Barbara’s work and I consider myself quite the connoisseur of her books and this is one to add to your TBR pile.
January 12, 2023
Such a beautiful story and cool to read one in such a familiar setting! I would easily read another 200 of these if I could! Perfectly easy read, extremely loveable characters and a well thought out plot.
August 2, 2021
The Garden of Hopes and Dreams by Barbara Hannay is an inspiration to us all about the importance of community, nurturing friendships and staying bright.
It really is amazing what can grow when people come together for residents at Brisbane's Riverview Apartments when a bright idea of a rooftop garden comes into place.
Imagine watching one little seed grow into a flourishing rooftop garden where you can watch sunsets and catch the stars late into the night.
This is a novel for gardeners, all green thumbs and people making the transition from a large home and downsizing to an apartment where there can be body corporate laws and meetings.
So different from the freedom of your own home and learning how to adjust to a new lifestyle.
This novel is inspired by the author, Barbara Hannay's own personal experience.
The Garden of Hopes and Dreams is a gift to all her new and old readers and a joy to read.
It really is amazing what can grow when people come together for residents at Brisbane's Riverview Apartments when a bright idea of a rooftop garden comes into place.
Imagine watching one little seed grow into a flourishing rooftop garden where you can watch sunsets and catch the stars late into the night.
This is a novel for gardeners, all green thumbs and people making the transition from a large home and downsizing to an apartment where there can be body corporate laws and meetings.
So different from the freedom of your own home and learning how to adjust to a new lifestyle.
This novel is inspired by the author, Barbara Hannay's own personal experience.
The Garden of Hopes and Dreams is a gift to all her new and old readers and a joy to read.
September 1, 2021
Such a delightful gentle read. The story and the characters were beautiful. This book really is about taking time to stop and smell the roses. Just perfect for that lazy afternoon to just loose yourself.
August 5, 2021
Can love and friendship blossom on a rooftop?
The residents in Brisbane’s Riverview apartment block don’t know one another. They are all quiet different but behind closed doors all feel lonely and lost.
Vera is a windowed and left her farm life in her capable sons hands in search of a new life. Maddie always finds the wrong men, cheaters and liars. The cost at feeling do being let down has her loosing hope of finding her true love. Ned’s a bit of a science nerd, worms and bees are his guilty pleasures. Ned too also knows heartbreak and betrayal. We have power couple Joe and Dennis, Jock the buildings caretaker how has all but given up on his hopes and dreams and Nancy the resident mean girl who’s self inflicted loneliness has made her who she is today.
When a communal rooftop garden is suggested at first no ones really interested. But as they all grow to know one another they come together and the gardens flourishes along with their lives. Their lives all becomes intertwined and they form friendships to last a lifetime.
This beautiful novel mixes a rural romance with green thumbs city love affinity. Such a sweet way to show the importance of gardening not only as a hobby but a way to bring people together. It was so wholesome and community orientated. The perfect Sunday ready.
The residents in Brisbane’s Riverview apartment block don’t know one another. They are all quiet different but behind closed doors all feel lonely and lost.
Vera is a windowed and left her farm life in her capable sons hands in search of a new life. Maddie always finds the wrong men, cheaters and liars. The cost at feeling do being let down has her loosing hope of finding her true love. Ned’s a bit of a science nerd, worms and bees are his guilty pleasures. Ned too also knows heartbreak and betrayal. We have power couple Joe and Dennis, Jock the buildings caretaker how has all but given up on his hopes and dreams and Nancy the resident mean girl who’s self inflicted loneliness has made her who she is today.
When a communal rooftop garden is suggested at first no ones really interested. But as they all grow to know one another they come together and the gardens flourishes along with their lives. Their lives all becomes intertwined and they form friendships to last a lifetime.
This beautiful novel mixes a rural romance with green thumbs city love affinity. Such a sweet way to show the importance of gardening not only as a hobby but a way to bring people together. It was so wholesome and community orientated. The perfect Sunday ready.
October 29, 2021
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
‘It was true, the rooftop garden had made a huge difference to how Vera felt about living here, but it was the ‘with us’ part of Maddie’s sentence and the sincere smile that accompanied it that truly warmed her heart.’
Australian fiction author Barbara Hannay returns with a pure and invigorating new novel titled, The Garden of Hopes and Dreams. With themes of community, connection, second chances, love, healing, friendship and gardening, this much loved author has produced another truly heartwarming read.
With love, friendship and the natural world all playing a part in Barbara Hannay’s new novel, The Garden of Hopes and Dreams closely follows the lives of the residents of a city-based apartment block in Brisbane. With little by the way of connection or understanding, the distanced residents of Riverview are unaware of the troubles of their close neighbours. Vera is a widower adjusting to her new city life in Brisbane. Meanwhile, fellow Riverview resident Maddie is a loser in love when her relationship breaks down. Another key resident of Riverview is a solitary figure who would rather connect with insects than people. These lost souls find some solace in a communal garden that is situated on the rooftop of this apartment block. After initial resistance, the residents of this city dwelling find they are drawn to the garden. The rooftop garden provides these neighbours with a welcome opportunity to socialise and bond over shared experiences.
It is always a gift to receive a new Barbara Hannay book. I have been a fan of Barabra Hannay for a long time now and I really love her recent move into contemporary fiction. The Garden of Hopes and Dreams is a delightful novel that is good for the soul. I liked the combination of friendship, connection, love, drama and community themes in this one.
Barbara Hannay takes a step away from her rural fiction novels and her latest story is based in the heart of a city environment. I haven’t had the chance to visit Brisbane, but I would like to and I almost hoped after reading this book that I could arrange a visit to the Riverview communal garden. It was an inviting, embracing and creative initiative. I do hope that this book will inspire others to create their own version of the Riverview rooftop garden. Barbara Hannay lays it all out for her audience, thanks to her generous descriptions of the people and location base of Riverview. There was definitely a warm sense of familiarity and comfort that washed over me while I indulged in this contemporary fiction treat.
There are some wonderful characters in this novel that I responded very well to. From dear Vera, a widower who is struggling to make the switch from country life to city life, through to young Maddie, a woman who has experienced an early setback in love. Hannay contrasts these two different characters well and she also creates a great bond between these two different protagonists. We are also involved in the dramas of the caretaker of the apartment block and another rather solo but highly interesting scientist who lives at this Brisbane building. There are other more minor cast members, such as a bright young child named Henry, who all contribute a great deal of interest to this engaging tale. I really appreciated the dialogue and genuine interactions between the protagonists featured in The Garden of Hopes and Dreams. Barbara Hannay’s latest was a gentle and easygoing read, that helped take my mind away from the troubles of everyday life.
With gardening, choices, chances, decisions, secrets, acceptance, community networks, rapport, support, commonality and solace leading the way in The Garden of Hopes and Dreams, I recommend this title with no hesitation.
*I wish to thank Penguin Books Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
The Garden of Hopes and Dreams is book #95 of the 2021 Australian Women Writers Challenge
‘It was true, the rooftop garden had made a huge difference to how Vera felt about living here, but it was the ‘with us’ part of Maddie’s sentence and the sincere smile that accompanied it that truly warmed her heart.’
Australian fiction author Barbara Hannay returns with a pure and invigorating new novel titled, The Garden of Hopes and Dreams. With themes of community, connection, second chances, love, healing, friendship and gardening, this much loved author has produced another truly heartwarming read.
With love, friendship and the natural world all playing a part in Barbara Hannay’s new novel, The Garden of Hopes and Dreams closely follows the lives of the residents of a city-based apartment block in Brisbane. With little by the way of connection or understanding, the distanced residents of Riverview are unaware of the troubles of their close neighbours. Vera is a widower adjusting to her new city life in Brisbane. Meanwhile, fellow Riverview resident Maddie is a loser in love when her relationship breaks down. Another key resident of Riverview is a solitary figure who would rather connect with insects than people. These lost souls find some solace in a communal garden that is situated on the rooftop of this apartment block. After initial resistance, the residents of this city dwelling find they are drawn to the garden. The rooftop garden provides these neighbours with a welcome opportunity to socialise and bond over shared experiences.
It is always a gift to receive a new Barbara Hannay book. I have been a fan of Barabra Hannay for a long time now and I really love her recent move into contemporary fiction. The Garden of Hopes and Dreams is a delightful novel that is good for the soul. I liked the combination of friendship, connection, love, drama and community themes in this one.
Barbara Hannay takes a step away from her rural fiction novels and her latest story is based in the heart of a city environment. I haven’t had the chance to visit Brisbane, but I would like to and I almost hoped after reading this book that I could arrange a visit to the Riverview communal garden. It was an inviting, embracing and creative initiative. I do hope that this book will inspire others to create their own version of the Riverview rooftop garden. Barbara Hannay lays it all out for her audience, thanks to her generous descriptions of the people and location base of Riverview. There was definitely a warm sense of familiarity and comfort that washed over me while I indulged in this contemporary fiction treat.
There are some wonderful characters in this novel that I responded very well to. From dear Vera, a widower who is struggling to make the switch from country life to city life, through to young Maddie, a woman who has experienced an early setback in love. Hannay contrasts these two different characters well and she also creates a great bond between these two different protagonists. We are also involved in the dramas of the caretaker of the apartment block and another rather solo but highly interesting scientist who lives at this Brisbane building. There are other more minor cast members, such as a bright young child named Henry, who all contribute a great deal of interest to this engaging tale. I really appreciated the dialogue and genuine interactions between the protagonists featured in The Garden of Hopes and Dreams. Barbara Hannay’s latest was a gentle and easygoing read, that helped take my mind away from the troubles of everyday life.
With gardening, choices, chances, decisions, secrets, acceptance, community networks, rapport, support, commonality and solace leading the way in The Garden of Hopes and Dreams, I recommend this title with no hesitation.
*I wish to thank Penguin Books Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
The Garden of Hopes and Dreams is book #95 of the 2021 Australian Women Writers Challenge
May 25, 2022
Although this was an easy and lighthearted read, I certainly had a few issues with this book. I picked it up as I was excited to read a book set in Brisbane, and did enjoy the mention of many locations around the Toowong area.
However, I thought Maddie was absolutely spineless, and didn’t enjoy reading this portrayal of a young woman. Her only character trait was seeking a relationship and being unlucky in love, and it was disappointing to see her finally happy at the end of the book purely because she received Ned’s validation. Maddie and Ned had no chemistry whatsoever, and yet every character in the book - including an 8 year old - seemed to be rooting for them to get together. I thought Ned was problematic and had no respect for boundaries, particularly for kissing Maddie even though he knew she was seeing someone and their conversation at the end of the book when he asks her out only days after Maddie and Adam had broken up. It also didn’t sit well with me that after receiving borderline verbal abuse from Adam for cancelling the date that she still continued to see him?
All the characters in the book spoke to each other very robotically, and it felt like none of the characters really had any depth whatsoever.
Jock’s plot also could have been completely omitted, I felt like I was reading and reading and all that it was coming to was “there’s still not updates on Zoe”. I found his character the least interesting.
Overall, I wouldn’t really recommend this book.
However, I thought Maddie was absolutely spineless, and didn’t enjoy reading this portrayal of a young woman. Her only character trait was seeking a relationship and being unlucky in love, and it was disappointing to see her finally happy at the end of the book purely because she received Ned’s validation. Maddie and Ned had no chemistry whatsoever, and yet every character in the book - including an 8 year old - seemed to be rooting for them to get together. I thought Ned was problematic and had no respect for boundaries, particularly for kissing Maddie even though he knew she was seeing someone and their conversation at the end of the book when he asks her out only days after Maddie and Adam had broken up. It also didn’t sit well with me that after receiving borderline verbal abuse from Adam for cancelling the date that she still continued to see him?
All the characters in the book spoke to each other very robotically, and it felt like none of the characters really had any depth whatsoever.
Jock’s plot also could have been completely omitted, I felt like I was reading and reading and all that it was coming to was “there’s still not updates on Zoe”. I found his character the least interesting.
Overall, I wouldn’t really recommend this book.
August 15, 2021
I love that this was set in Brisbane as I had an instant connection to the city.
I loved the characters, however, there seemed to be an imbalance to their back stories. Some had very detailed history and others were just skimmed over.
I loved the characters, however, there seemed to be an imbalance to their back stories. Some had very detailed history and others were just skimmed over.
August 28, 2021
A fabulous read. I highly recommend this author. Enjoy.
August 22, 2021
In these times, reading about normal life is quite refreshing. I found this tale of a group of people who live in the same apartment building and come together through the building of a rooftop garden rather enchanting. It has a broad mix of characters and backstories and delights in the simple things.
The building is in inner city Brisbane, Australia with a range of ages and life stages of the characters. Maddie is a young, heartbroken paralegal while Vera feels as though she has been banished from the family station to the city. Ned is an academic with a passion for bees and plants while caretaker Jock is writing a novel and waiting for his wife to come home. Other residents support these characters such as couple Dennis and Joe and grumpy Nancy. However, the majority of the book focuses on Vera and Maddie. They are somewhat of a contrast due to their ages, yet they are going through (or have been through) similar things. Maddie is unlucky in love, having caught her boyfriend cheating and her new boyfriend has some very strange mood swings. Vera and her husband were exiled from England to Queensland after she found out the truth about his gambling on her wedding day. Both feel lost in the city, having come from smaller towns. There is a sense of each character trying to find where they fit in their current setting.
The other characters that come to play a larger role in the story don’t have as detailed backstories as Maddie and Vera. Jock, the caretaker, comes on the scene about halfway into the book and later, a tragic event has him as a central focus. I found this a bit off balance, especially given that as the caretaker he would have been known to all the residents. Likewise with Ned, he is very mysterious with the reader not knowing a lot about him, yet several of the residents gush about how great he is. There wasn’t much evidence to support that for me until his backstory was revealed very late into the book. I would have liked a bit more history of both of them earlier on in the story.
The themes of the story are very wholesome – friendship, helping people out and second chances. It has a real community spirit to it and the pages roll by. You can’t help but be entertained by this tale, it’s easy to read and genuinely engaging.
Thank you to Penguin for the ARC. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
The building is in inner city Brisbane, Australia with a range of ages and life stages of the characters. Maddie is a young, heartbroken paralegal while Vera feels as though she has been banished from the family station to the city. Ned is an academic with a passion for bees and plants while caretaker Jock is writing a novel and waiting for his wife to come home. Other residents support these characters such as couple Dennis and Joe and grumpy Nancy. However, the majority of the book focuses on Vera and Maddie. They are somewhat of a contrast due to their ages, yet they are going through (or have been through) similar things. Maddie is unlucky in love, having caught her boyfriend cheating and her new boyfriend has some very strange mood swings. Vera and her husband were exiled from England to Queensland after she found out the truth about his gambling on her wedding day. Both feel lost in the city, having come from smaller towns. There is a sense of each character trying to find where they fit in their current setting.
The other characters that come to play a larger role in the story don’t have as detailed backstories as Maddie and Vera. Jock, the caretaker, comes on the scene about halfway into the book and later, a tragic event has him as a central focus. I found this a bit off balance, especially given that as the caretaker he would have been known to all the residents. Likewise with Ned, he is very mysterious with the reader not knowing a lot about him, yet several of the residents gush about how great he is. There wasn’t much evidence to support that for me until his backstory was revealed very late into the book. I would have liked a bit more history of both of them earlier on in the story.
The themes of the story are very wholesome – friendship, helping people out and second chances. It has a real community spirit to it and the pages roll by. You can’t help but be entertained by this tale, it’s easy to read and genuinely engaging.
Thank you to Penguin for the ARC. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
August 8, 2021
This story was such a refreshing read in true, remarkable Barbara Hannay style. If you are a fan of gardening or love plants, then you will definitely enjoy this book.
Vera is almost seventy and recently moved from the country to the city, has left her sprawling gardens and is now stuck in an apartment building where she knows no one. Maddie is inspired to buy her first beautiful pot plant the day she finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her. The story is told from the points of view of these two remarkable women, both at very different stages in life, but who become good friends.
Everyone in the apartment building are drawn together when some residents wish to build a garden on the rooftop. Ned is a scientist who brings bees, worms, and compost into the mix. Dennis and Joe already have their apartment overflowing with pot plants so are keen to lend a hand. Vera's grandson Henry comes to stay and becomes obsessed with the worms. Jock is the handyman who helps out and experiences an almost-tragedy that his new friends support him through. And Nancy, who didn't like the idea of the garden, is drawn into the fold regardless as plants seem to bring everyone together.
This is the perfect read for everyone of all ages as it harbours a beautiful story about neighbours getting to know each other beyond the closed doors to form lifelong friendships. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Vera is almost seventy and recently moved from the country to the city, has left her sprawling gardens and is now stuck in an apartment building where she knows no one. Maddie is inspired to buy her first beautiful pot plant the day she finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her. The story is told from the points of view of these two remarkable women, both at very different stages in life, but who become good friends.
Everyone in the apartment building are drawn together when some residents wish to build a garden on the rooftop. Ned is a scientist who brings bees, worms, and compost into the mix. Dennis and Joe already have their apartment overflowing with pot plants so are keen to lend a hand. Vera's grandson Henry comes to stay and becomes obsessed with the worms. Jock is the handyman who helps out and experiences an almost-tragedy that his new friends support him through. And Nancy, who didn't like the idea of the garden, is drawn into the fold regardless as plants seem to bring everyone together.
This is the perfect read for everyone of all ages as it harbours a beautiful story about neighbours getting to know each other beyond the closed doors to form lifelong friendships. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
July 22, 2021
This is another great read by Barbara Hannay. The book ties together numerous characters' lives who live in an apartment block together. Vera is one of the main characters who has had a brutal shift from her farm to her city apartment in Brisbane after her son asked her to move. The son has taken over the farm with the new wife, and Vera's relationship with the daughter in law seems tenuous at best. Vera, never one to complain, moves and has to go through finding friends all over again, far away from where she lived. What she does enjoy is time with her grandchildren and little Henry is delightful. When a roof top garden is established in the apartment block, it gives the tenants a reason to get together. Maddie is a lovely character who has been cheated on by her boyfriend. Even though the right match for Maddie is staring her in the face, she still dates on tinder, finding a man who seems unsteady at best.
The book has the reader rooting for the characters right until the end.
What I love about Hannay's work is that she is always current. I really enjoyed watching the characters negotiate their lives and finding happiness. A great read which I highly recommend.
The book has the reader rooting for the characters right until the end.
What I love about Hannay's work is that she is always current. I really enjoyed watching the characters negotiate their lives and finding happiness. A great read which I highly recommend.
August 28, 2021
Once again, a delightful story from Barbara Hannay. Set in a unit complex close to Brisbane City Centre, we are treated to the varied people who inhabit the units, the aspects of life in a city setting and the quality of life when we share with others. I love the characters, most of them anyway, and the story flows a little back and forth as we follow one of the main characters, Vera, her trials and blessings and her very different life in Australia after moving from Britain. Very colourful and interesting characters flow into her life as she settles into her city unit after living most of her life in the country. I am not a gardener but I can very much appreciate the benefits of an inner city rooftop garden for the freedom and the beauty it gives and the comfort of company of other residents. I can imagine this garden as the story progresses.
Reading Barbara Hannay stories is rather like reading about the people about me as her stories are never very far from the place I call home here in Queensland.
Thank you Barbara, another winner for me!
Reading Barbara Hannay stories is rather like reading about the people about me as her stories are never very far from the place I call home here in Queensland.
Thank you Barbara, another winner for me!
December 20, 2021
Quick and easy read.
But Maddie was insufferable and come on, it's 2021. The snobbery around online dating is honestly grating.
But Maddie was insufferable and come on, it's 2021. The snobbery around online dating is honestly grating.
Read
September 16, 2021Sometimes you get a good feeling about a book from the title or the cover, or simply because you've enjoyed the author's previous work. Barbara Hannay's new novel, The Garden of Hopes and Dreams appealed to me on all three accounts, and I found the story every bit as enjoyable as I'd hoped. A keen gardener myself, I loved the premise of city apartment dwellers coming together to create a rooftop oasis. I always find Barbara's characters relatable and her writing is so smooth that it takes no time to whip through her novels. Many thanks to Penguin Random House for sending me an early copy of this warmhearted story.
September 13, 2021
Lovely
This was a beautifully written book about how people can become a family without the normal blood ties. Obviously it is not always possible. There are always variables to any situation but for this collection of people, all different yet all willing to share of themselves, the garden brings them together. Some were unwilling in the beginning or hesitant. As the book takes us on its journey they come to understand the gifts possible when we open our hearts to caring and our minds to growing as the residents of this apartment block slowly but surely do.
Lovely reading.
This was a beautifully written book about how people can become a family without the normal blood ties. Obviously it is not always possible. There are always variables to any situation but for this collection of people, all different yet all willing to share of themselves, the garden brings them together. Some were unwilling in the beginning or hesitant. As the book takes us on its journey they come to understand the gifts possible when we open our hearts to caring and our minds to growing as the residents of this apartment block slowly but surely do.
Lovely reading.
July 27, 2021
Another great story by Barbara Hannay. A story about how we all need connections in our lives. It’s not good to keep to ourselves Barbara’s stories always revolve around current issues. Loved the garden theme.
September 10, 2021
Once again, Barbara doesn't disappoint. She blends a mixture of characters into a page-turning book, where each person matters and each one has their story told. She weaves an emotional and heartwarming story that's feel good AND with the happy ending we all want. Great job, Barbara. I always look forward to reading your books.
September 2, 2021
A beautiful feel good book that made me feel warm inside over the past few cold Wintery days 🥰
September 21, 2021
Fabulous feel good story, wonderful characters. Perfect for reading during Covid lockdown. Loved it!
November 4, 2021
This received four stars as it was just a sweet, enjoyable, relaxing read for a rainy afternoon.
Nothing surprising but a lovely read.
Nothing surprising but a lovely read.
August 16, 2021
A lovely, heart-warming story.
October 15, 2021
I really enjoyed reading about how the community garden brought so many of the residents together.
It proves that everyone has a story to tell but not everyone else is privy to hearing that story. People don't always want to share their private lives with others. Sometimes they would prefer to forget what's happened in their pasts.
I also loved the use of the modern day issues that affected some of the characters in this book and how they were shared with and explained to the older generation.
It was lovely to read about such loving, caring neighbours. What wonderful neighbours to have. It was like an extended family that you would love to be a part of.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.
It proves that everyone has a story to tell but not everyone else is privy to hearing that story. People don't always want to share their private lives with others. Sometimes they would prefer to forget what's happened in their pasts.
I also loved the use of the modern day issues that affected some of the characters in this book and how they were shared with and explained to the older generation.
It was lovely to read about such loving, caring neighbours. What wonderful neighbours to have. It was like an extended family that you would love to be a part of.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.
September 6, 2021
A lovely cover. Tells the story of a group of residents in an apartment building near the Brisbane River and how they interact and help each other when setting up a rooftop community garden. The novel touches upon family estrangement, the perils of internet dating, the joys of grandchildren and pets, with happy resolutions for everyone. An easy to read and warm Australian novel.
April 27, 2022
The residents of the Riverview apartment block lead very isolated lives until the idea of a communal rooftop garden brings them together in unexpected ways. They all have very different lives and backgrounds but as the storyline progresses, initial friendships deepen and strengthen and relationships evolve. This is a delightful read from Australian author Barbara Hannay.
October 26, 2021
Entertaining. Good story. Lovely characters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews