A Memory of Violets: A Novel of London's Flower Sellers by, Hazel Gaynor
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, this was a very interesting
look at a sad time in London history when there were many homeless children who
would sell flowers and watercress on the streets by day and sleep in doorways
by night. Some did have families but going there and being beaten was worse
than sleeping on the streets.
We first meet , sisters Florrie and Rosie who is almost
blind and Florrie has a problem with her leg they live with their parents, a
sick mother and abusive father, they sell their violets and watercress in the
markets when their mother dies and the father is not someone you'd want to be
around, then the father dies too, that is when Rosie and Florrie spend the most
time sleeping on the streets. Rosie and Florrie are inseparable, Florrie always
tells Rosie don't let go of my hand no matter what don't let go until the worst
happens and one day Rosie’s hand slips out of Florrie’s and she's gone.
In the second part of the story we meet Tilly we are not
sure what exactly happened to Tilly’s sister but we know whatever it was Tilly
was blamed for it and that life at home is not happy at all, so she seeks a position
as a housemother at the Violet house home for orphan watercress and flower
girls.
We also meet Mr. Shaw the benefactor of the Training Home
for Watercress and Violet girls where he takes them in, gives them a home and
teaches them to make silk flowers to sell, including making thousands and
thousands of roses for the first Queen Alexandra Rose Day. Mr. Shaw also takes Florrie
in after she loses Rosie and gives her a purpose and a home. In a twist of
coincidence Tilly ends up in the room Florrie had been in and finds her
journals detailing her life-long search for her sister Rosie. We do not find
out what happened to Rosie until much later in the book.
This book is sad and hopeful all at the same time we get to
see Tilly blossom and become stronger with every step she makes away from her
home, she becomes a much loved housemother at Violet House, she also enjoys her
time at the Clacton Orphanage and starts to feel at home and comfortable in her
own skin. Florrie’s story is also sad but there is hope there too.
I don’t want to give
anymore away than I already have, this was such an interesting story I never
knew about these flower girls. This book is fiction but I was able to find out
more about the real Flower Girls home and the Alexandra Rose Charities that
truly exist but were elaborated upon for the book. The story of these 3 girls
and also Mr. Shaw’s story were quite fascinating and I would highly recommend
this well written book that you won’t be able to put down and will end up
reading into the wee hours of the night!
This is the second book by Hazel Gaynor I have thoroughly
enjoyed and I look forward to reading anything else she writes.
5 Stars
I was lucky enough to get an early review copy of this book
from Edelweiss and the Publisher for a fair and honest review.
This is an interesting link to the actual training home for
watercress and flower girls
Here is the history of the Alexandra Rose Charities starting
with the event that took place in the book in 1912. (the book is fiction but so
well researched )
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