Forbidden, passionate and all-encompassing, Margo and Richard’s love affair was the stuff of legends – but, ultimately, doomed. When Richard walked out, Margo locked herself away, leaving her three daughters, Rachel, Imogen and Sasha, to run wild.
Years later, charismatic Margo entertains lovers and friends in her cottage on the Isle of Wight, refusing to ever speak of Richard and her painful past. But her silence is keeping each of the Garnett girls from finding true happiness.
Rachel is desperate to return to London, but is held hostage by responsibility for Sandcove, their beloved but crumbling family home.
Dreamy Imogen feels the pressure to marry her kind, considerate fiancé, even when life is taking an unexpected turn.
And wild, passionate Sasha, trapped between her fractured family and controlling husband, is weighed down by a secret that could shake the family to its core…
Georgina Moore is an award-winning book publicist, who has worked in the publishing industry for twenty years. Her many years of experience has led her to write The Garnett Girls, Moore’s captivating debut that asks whether children can ever be free of the mistakes of their parents.
The Garnett Girls tells the story of Margo and her three daughters who grew up on the Isle of Wight without the dad who abandoned them. Full of heart and warmth, these three very different sisters – and their free-spirited mother – must grapple with life, responsibilities, and family secrets.
As one of four sisters myself, Moore has hit the nail on the head when it comes to sibling and family dynamics. I’m sure we’ve all been there: that strange in-between period of entering adulthood, trying to forge your own path while still holding onto your childhood. While all close, there’s always a sense of sibling rivalry/competition, trying to one-up each other. But there’s also an incomparable loyalty. Each of the Garnett girls has their own version of an imperfect childhood, and this story shows how that’s transcended to their adult lives.
The Isle of Wight setting is stunning and a central part of this novel. Their home, as an object, works as a metaphor for how each Garnett girl feels and what’s happening in their lives: their childhood home is crumbling, and so are they. Through their shared but individual experiences, we see the bonds that are built and the fractures it can cause. I felt personally drawn to Rachel and the path she’s navigating, but each sister has something readers can relate to.
The Garnett Girls is, in a nutshell, about domestic complexities, with layers you wouldn’t think to unpack. Moore writes beautifully and assuredly, allowing you to intimately peer into this world and its well-drawn characters. Margo, the mother, was at times frustrating with her erratic and unpredictable behavior, but ultimately there’s a lot about her story and personality to admire.
Moore has crafted a unique and stunningly portrayed story about sisterhood, family and abandonment that makes you question what home really means. There’s a twist that will knock your socks off but also reveals so much. I left this book wishing I could be a Garnett Girl and continue looking into their lives.
Leave a Reply