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Consider the Lily
Elizabeth Buchan garnered both praise and a loyal readership with the bestselling Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman and The Good Wife Strikes Back. Now her many new fans can discover one of her beloved early novels. It is the summer of 1929. The Hinton Dysart estate is dying from lack of money, and Kit Dysart, the heir, sees no way out. Then, at his sister's wedding, he meets the vibrant Daisy Chudleigh and her cousin, the heiress Matty Verrall. In love with Daisy but troubled by his family's decline, Kit chooses to marry Matty, though neither Kit nor Daisy is able to forget the other. When Matty, growing increasingly unhappy in her troubled, empty marriage, decides to re-create the estate's garden, she discovers solace and a gift of which she never dreamed. A glorious fusion of love and gardening, Consider the Lily is a classic and poignant novel of love, loss, and, ultimately, a new flowering between the two world wars.
547 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
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409 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Buchan
51 books307 followersElizabeth Buchan began her career as a blurb writer at Penguin Books after graduating from the University of Kent with a double degree in English and History. She moved on to become a fiction editor at Random House before leaving to write full time. Her novels include the prizewinning Consider the Lily – reviewed in the Independent as ‘a gorgeously well written tale: funny, sad and sophisticated’. A subsequent novel, Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman became an international bestseller and was made into a CBS Primetime Drama. Later novels included The Second Wife, Separate Beds and Daughters. Her latest, I Can’t Begin to Tell You, a story of resistance in wartime Denmark, was published by Penguin in August 2014.
Elizabeth Buchan’s short stories are broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and published in magazines. She reviews for the Sunday Times and the Daily Mail, and has chaired the Betty Trask and Desmond Elliot literary prizes, and also been a judge for the Whitbread First Novel Award and for 2014 Costa Novel Award. She is a patron of the Guildford Book Festival and of The National Academy of Writing, and sits on the author committee for The Reading Agency.
Elizabeth Buchan’s short stories are broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and published in magazines. She reviews for the Sunday Times and the Daily Mail, and has chaired the Betty Trask and Desmond Elliot literary prizes, and also been a judge for the Whitbread First Novel Award and for 2014 Costa Novel Award. She is a patron of the Guildford Book Festival and of The National Academy of Writing, and sits on the author committee for The Reading Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
June 5, 2018
Joseph Campbell said that all myth is metaphor. In my opinion, so is a good piece of literature.
Elizabeth Buchan uses the English garden as a metaphor for the troubled Dysart family, and the young heiress Matilda ("Matty") Verral who marries into it. The plain Matty literally bribes the scion of the impoverished dynasty, Kit, into marrying her - and thus steals a march on her lovely cousin Daisy with whom he is in love. It is sweet revenge for her: the orphaned Matty has been looked after by Daisy's parents grudgingly, mostly because her upkeep bankrolled their rather penurious existence. Consequently, she has been humiliated throughout her childhood about her ill health and lack of social graces by her resentful aunt and cousins. Now suddenly, the boot is on the other foot.
Or is it? For Kit does not love Matty: he keeps on pining after Daisy, and the two continue to meet (clandestinely and otherwise) leading to potentially disastrous consequences - while Kit's sister Flora creates a small scandal of her own by falling for the village doctor. As the aristocracy slowly unravels, skeletons crawl out of the Dysart closet. Matty must take care of them, and her unhappy marriage. She does so by putting the neglected garden, which contains the heart of the distressing history, to rights.
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The English love their gardens. But a garden gone to seed is an eerie sight: the novel both starts with this image, and it is present throughout the story. The names of the girls ("Daisy", "Flora") are all related to flowers - and "Matty" is an obvious reference to a garden grown wild. The Lily (as mentioned by the sometimes narrator Harry at the beginning of the novel) is a symbol of resilience which is what Matty would become, as the garden and the family reinvent themselves at the end of the novel.
The timeline is perfectly set between the two wars, and during the great depression. The old order in England is taking its last dying gasps - for us as readers with hindsight, the partridge shoots, the fox hunts etc. have the aura of finality about them: an era about to disappear forever.. Similarly, the love triangle of Matty, Kit and Daisy circle around France and America: most of the watershed events occur on board ocean liners, the symbols of a leisurely way of life soon to vanish without trace.
The only thing that put me off a bit were the extensive discussions on gardening, which being severely challenged botanically, I could not relate to.
Elizabeth Buchan uses the English garden as a metaphor for the troubled Dysart family, and the young heiress Matilda ("Matty") Verral who marries into it. The plain Matty literally bribes the scion of the impoverished dynasty, Kit, into marrying her - and thus steals a march on her lovely cousin Daisy with whom he is in love. It is sweet revenge for her: the orphaned Matty has been looked after by Daisy's parents grudgingly, mostly because her upkeep bankrolled their rather penurious existence. Consequently, she has been humiliated throughout her childhood about her ill health and lack of social graces by her resentful aunt and cousins. Now suddenly, the boot is on the other foot.
Or is it? For Kit does not love Matty: he keeps on pining after Daisy, and the two continue to meet (clandestinely and otherwise) leading to potentially disastrous consequences - while Kit's sister Flora creates a small scandal of her own by falling for the village doctor. As the aristocracy slowly unravels, skeletons crawl out of the Dysart closet. Matty must take care of them, and her unhappy marriage. She does so by putting the neglected garden, which contains the heart of the distressing history, to rights.
-----------------------------
The English love their gardens. But a garden gone to seed is an eerie sight: the novel both starts with this image, and it is present throughout the story. The names of the girls ("Daisy", "Flora") are all related to flowers - and "Matty" is an obvious reference to a garden grown wild. The Lily (as mentioned by the sometimes narrator Harry at the beginning of the novel) is a symbol of resilience which is what Matty would become, as the garden and the family reinvent themselves at the end of the novel.
The timeline is perfectly set between the two wars, and during the great depression. The old order in England is taking its last dying gasps - for us as readers with hindsight, the partridge shoots, the fox hunts etc. have the aura of finality about them: an era about to disappear forever.. Similarly, the love triangle of Matty, Kit and Daisy circle around France and America: most of the watershed events occur on board ocean liners, the symbols of a leisurely way of life soon to vanish without trace.
The only thing that put me off a bit were the extensive discussions on gardening, which being severely challenged botanically, I could not relate to.
May 14, 2017
Maybe it's just Elizabeth Buchan but her writing style never really captures me. I've found with both of her books that I've read that I haven't ever really been gripped by any of the characters until I'm about eighty percent of the way through. Or I could just be being a really grumpy cow who is projecting my emotions at the moment because I'm in hospital and its taken the nurses three hours to realise that I haven't had an evening meal. And I'm starving!
I think I liked Kit's character development towards the end of the book because he actually started to appreciate what he had and was prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to preserve that, even though it really wasn't what he wanted in the beginning. In contrast I liked Matty as the lady of the manor although I believe she was very naive and foolish to have proposed to Kit in the first place. And Daisy was just plain despicable I couldn't warm to her at all.
I think I liked Kit's character development towards the end of the book because he actually started to appreciate what he had and was prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to preserve that, even though it really wasn't what he wanted in the beginning. In contrast I liked Matty as the lady of the manor although I believe she was very naive and foolish to have proposed to Kit in the first place. And Daisy was just plain despicable I couldn't warm to her at all.
September 23, 2018
I have had this book on my bookshelf for a long time and at 575 pages it wasn't easy to find time to get round to reading it.
The story is set in the 1930s and at first the various characters are introduced so quickly and without clear description that I thought Matty and Daisy were sisters and when Daisy kissed Kit thought they were brother and sister (not the case of course!).
I struggled through the book as it felt longer than necessary. I enjoyed the relationship between Rupert and Danny and also Flora and the village doctor. I'm glad I read it just think it could have been 250 pages less and still told the same story
The story is set in the 1930s and at first the various characters are introduced so quickly and without clear description that I thought Matty and Daisy were sisters and when Daisy kissed Kit thought they were brother and sister (not the case of course!).
I struggled through the book as it felt longer than necessary. I enjoyed the relationship between Rupert and Danny and also Flora and the village doctor. I'm glad I read it just think it could have been 250 pages less and still told the same story
March 7, 2021
Came to this after reading The Museum of Broken Promises and was not disappointed. Set in the 1930s, with WW1 still casting a long shadow, it's a tale of a country house, a family with difficult memories and relationships, a village community, the power of money, and - very importantly - of a garden. It is both funny and disturbing, and the author keeps us in thrall to find out the answers to the mysteries she poses right to the very end. I know it's a cliche, but I couldn't put it down!
January 16, 2008
A quiet, but solid English novel about love and gardens.
August 13, 2012
A favourite of mine. Will, I believe become a classic. Gorgeous.
March 6, 2015
I could not put the book down for very long. It moved along at a fast pace and totally kept my interest. I was so glad I ignored the opinions of those that did not complete the book (only a couple). I do not read to judge the characters, I find by reading an assortment of genre with a wide variety of personalities, it gives me a little more tolerance for the people I come in touch with in my life. We tend to live in our little areas for the most part, and it seems today that there is so much "judging" going on. I just kicked back and enjoyed this story to the max........I managed to get the laundry done and meals taken care of, but not much else. I will surely look for Buchan books again soon.
July 14, 2019
Well written and enjoyable
At first, I was a little irritated at the main character, Matty. The family she grew up with so unsympathetic to the loss of her parents when she was so young and the nastiness of her aunt who only agreed to taking Matty on because she had been left a legacy. I wanted her to show more spirit. As the book progressed you get to know Matty more and. I guess she gets to understand her own weaknesses and many strengths herself. I grew to love this book and some of the characters. I found the chapters under Harry a little confusing at first, did not really think they added to the story. Would have liked more Kit and Matty at the end because this was always going to be the outcome one way or the other. I thoroughly enjoyed the story.
At first, I was a little irritated at the main character, Matty. The family she grew up with so unsympathetic to the loss of her parents when she was so young and the nastiness of her aunt who only agreed to taking Matty on because she had been left a legacy. I wanted her to show more spirit. As the book progressed you get to know Matty more and. I guess she gets to understand her own weaknesses and many strengths herself. I grew to love this book and some of the characters. I found the chapters under Harry a little confusing at first, did not really think they added to the story. Would have liked more Kit and Matty at the end because this was always going to be the outcome one way or the other. I thoroughly enjoyed the story.
July 4, 2012
UGH!!!!! This one flunked my 100 page rule -- if I don't like it by page 100 it goes. . . out, back to the library, to the thrift store, whatever, but OUT OF HERE.
abandoned
March 5, 2015i usually like elizabeth buchan books, but i can't focus on this one. i keep getting bogged down in the gardening passages and annoyed with the characters.
March 10, 2023
OK, but nothing brilliant.
I chose this book as it promised a depction of England (sic) between the wars. Whilst it did that to an extent, the historical context in the book was limited. The much larger family sage element made me think at times of Delderfield, although he is more accomplished. Although not a gardener, I enjoyed the short gardening chapters and I thought that the way in which the narrator of these chapters was brought into the story in the very last page was very good indeed.
I note that this is one of Elizabeth Buchan's early novels. There was enough here to make me give one of her later books a read.
I chose this book as it promised a depction of England (sic) between the wars. Whilst it did that to an extent, the historical context in the book was limited. The much larger family sage element made me think at times of Delderfield, although he is more accomplished. Although not a gardener, I enjoyed the short gardening chapters and I thought that the way in which the narrator of these chapters was brought into the story in the very last page was very good indeed.
I note that this is one of Elizabeth Buchan's early novels. There was enough here to make me give one of her later books a read.
June 21, 2024
I loved this - Elizabeth Buchan is such a good storyteller. In addition, the story is set in the part of Surrey where I was at art college, and to me it helped to know the terrain. The story is set between the wars and contrasts a passionate love affair with a marriage which is made almost as a business contract, and makes the reader ponder about the nature of true love. A hidden story is unearthed as a hidden and neglected garden is brought back to life and nurtured.
August 30, 2018
Excellent read. 3rd book I've read by Elizabeth Buchan and they are all quite different in subject matter. This is a between the wars story of fading family fortunes and the power of money, or lack of it to change lives. Matty is a brave character and Daisy her pretty horrid cousin both in love with Kit. Then there is the younger sister and the local GP, all intertwined with the aftermath of WWI.
April 1, 2020
Amazing and beautiful
Such a range of knowledge is encompassed in this story. Anyone interested in gardens and flowers should have a pen and pad to hand, I discovered too late what wealth I was missing! Each book by this author is so different and always riveting and informative. A writer not t be missed, just wonderful.
Such a range of knowledge is encompassed in this story. Anyone interested in gardens and flowers should have a pen and pad to hand, I discovered too late what wealth I was missing! Each book by this author is so different and always riveting and informative. A writer not t be missed, just wonderful.
June 1, 2017
Considering how much I'd just enjoyed Ms Buchan's 'Light of the Moon', I couldn't wait to read another of her books, so plunged straight in to this one ..... wow, what a contrast: it was dull, pretentious, boring, pointless
November 10, 2017
Although I enjoyed the basic story, I couldn't get interested in the mini-chapters about gardening. I don't like gardening, so perhaps that was the problem, but I really couldn't see the point of them. In my opinion, the book would have been better without all the extraneous odd 'chapters'.
July 7, 2021
A lovely, though rather long book. Daisy and Kit are very much in love but Kit will not commit to marrying Daisy as he does not have much money. However Daisy`s cousin Matty suggests that Kit marries her instead as she is quite wealthy. Not really good grounds for marriage.
June 8, 2017
The first Elizabeth Buchan I read. Slow to start with, but builds to an engaging story and made me want to read more of her work
July 9, 2017
One of the best books I have read in ages. I loved Matty more than anyone else. The shy timid girl turned into a formidable lady.
January 3, 2019
Rated 5 out of 10. I really slogged through this one.
February 19, 2019
Left unanswered questions.
April 7, 2021
It was a good story, but not captivating in that “can’t put it down” way I look for in a book.
May 31, 2023
It was quite an interesting story but so slow, there was no impetus to it so no incentive to want to read on,I did finish it but shan’t rush to read another of hers.
August 24, 2023
Tough to get into the story/ but okay later!
December 4, 2023
Very intricate and interesting. I skipped over the chapters of the gardener, it didn't add to my enjoyment of the book.
March 4, 2024
Could not finish this book - didn’t like the characters or the storyline.
July 4, 2024
After three starts. I finally finished. It was slow reading, but once you got into the meat of the book, it was a great read.
Read
December 17, 2024sad and poignant, unrequited love.
October 12, 2025
This is a great book for gardeners.
January 20, 2023
A beautifully written book, rich in word portraits of a garden. One of the jacket reviews calls it an old-fashioned novel in the best sense of the term and I think that is an accurate description. The characters and their dynamics are fascinating and I am docking a couple of stars only because of the predictable ending and the ineffability of Kit's decision.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews