I have to admit straight off that this novel takes a little while to hit it's pace!
But if you loved Atonement and your daydreams tend to feature Helena Bonham Carter looking pale and interesting in the rose garden then you will love this book.
Set in a Tuscan Villa in 1958, it follows a young scholar's attempt to decode the message hidden in its classical garden.
{I'll give you a clue, it's not ‘wow, I was in an extraordinarily happy mood when I designed this.'}
Along the way he meets formidable old ladies, post war resentment and smouldering Italian ladies.
Mark Mills creates a wonderful atmospheric piece, which captures all the hopes and fears of its idealistic hero then puts them and him through an emotional and physical roller coaster.
He takes his poor hero from the sedate and terribly nice rarefied air of Oxford and lands him in a humid Italian summer where he clearly feels out of his depth.
Once I'd got past the first few pages, this book had me in its grip and it had no intention of letting go until the very end so I would recommend this either as a treat for yourself or a present for someone who really needs an excuse to sit still for a few hours.
It’s just a shame that Mother's day has gone.