The Seeing Garden: A Novel

(Paperback)

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Description

Set on a lavish California estate, The Seeing Gardenis a moving story with strong female characters(Kirkus Reviews) for fans of Edith Wharton andDownton Abbey.

Its 1910, and Catherine Ogden is aching to live a creative and meaningful life. Thats not easy to do when her aunt and uncleand all of New York societyconsider a good marriage to be the pinnacle of feminine achievement. But when Catherine visits Oakview, the Northern California estate of handsome bachelor William Brandt, she thinks that it might be possible to satisfy her familys hopes as well as her own. In that beautiful place, she finds the promise of a new start and the opportunity to use her artistic gifts in designing the garden. But as Catherine is drawn into Williams hidden life, as well as the secrets of his estate staff, she discovers that Oakview holds both more opportunity and more risk than she ever imagined. It will take all her courageand the lessons of some shocking revelations from the pastto choose the path that leads to real freedom.

Full of rich period detail and complex characters, and set against an unforgettable backdrop, The Seeing Garden explores what it takes for a woman to discern the path to her most authentic life.

Reviews

The prose and dialogue flow naturally, with the author spinning phrases that beautifully capture the passion of youth and love . . . a moving story with strong female characters and twists that will satisfy readers who enjoy well-researched history alongside their romantic narratives.
Kirkus Reviews

This luscious literary romance has whiffs of a marriage between D. H. Lawrence and Rosamunde Pilcher. The Seeing Gardenisa finely drawn portrait of a woman torn between two diametrically opposed worlds. The unforgettable setting is the icing on the cake in this truly captivating novel.
Laurel Davis Huber, author ofThe Velveteen Daughter

This well-written and captivating novel about social manners and stifling expectations imposed on women shines a light on a piece of California history that has been overlooked. A delight for the senses with Moyers artistic descriptions of gardens and mansions, The Seeing Garden is a page-turner of a story that is sure to inspire todays women who seek creativity and love.
Ann Weisgarber, author of The Glovemaker

A lavish estate on the San Francisco Peninsula is the setting for this elegant historical tale of loss, love, and redemption. Moyers characters are as vivid and alive as the lush California garden that feeds one young womans soul and guides her in a struggle between family duty and following her hearts greatest desire. A sweeping coming-of-age story to savor.
Tammy Pasterick, award-winning author of Beneath the Veil of Smoke and Ash

Fans of historical fiction, romance, and intelligent women will relish The Seeing Garden. At its core, Ginny Kubitz Moyers debut novel is a passionate story of yearning and discovery, transporting readers back to early twentieth-century Northern California with vivid descriptions and colorful characters that will enchant readers everywhere!
Kristen Harnisch, internationally best-selling author ofThe Vintners Daughterseries

Like a flower that takes root in a garden, pushing its stem through gritty soil and unfolding its glory toward the sun, so does heroine Catherine Ogden. In The Seeing Garden, Moyer's story reminds us that the beauty of life can only be found when our eyes see the clear truths of our inner desires.
JanisRobinsonDaly, author of The Unlocked Path

At what price freedom In this finely tuned period novel set in 1910 New York and California, Ginny Kubitz Moyer quietly ramps up tension until its inevitable breaking point, opening the door for protagonist Catherine Ogden to make a pivotal choice: conforming to familial and societal pressures or following her heart. Laced with rich detail and historical accuracy,The Seeing Gardenwill satisfy readers of early twentieth-century historical fiction. A great book club read!
Ashley E. Sweeney, author of Eliza Waite

Author Bio

Ginny Kubitz Moyer is a California native with a love of local history. A graduate of Pomona College and Stanford University, shes an English teacher and avid weekend gardener, as well as the author of several books on spirituality, most recently Taste and See: Experiencing the Goodness of God with Our Five Senses (Loyola Press). She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, two sons, and one rescue dog. Learn more at www.ginnymoyer.org.