A soulful and exquisite (Shelf Awareness) novel about an abandoned young woman and her infant son, the townspeople who provide them with shelter, and the secrets that all of them are keeping.In this exceptional novel, Melanie Wallace conveys the depths and complexities of life in a seemingly uneventful New England village. The Girl in the Garden strikingly affirms Eudora Weltys belief that one place understood helps us understand all other places better.?Ron Rash, New York Times bestselling author of Serena When June arrives on the coast of New England, baby in arms, an untrustworthy man by her side, Mabelwho rents them a cabinsenses trouble. A few days later, the girl and her child are abandoned.June is soon placed with Mabels friend, Iris, in town, and her life becomes entwined with a number of locals who have known each other for decades: a wealthy recluse with a tragic past; a widow in mourning; a forsaken daughter returning for the first time in years, with a stranger in tow; and a kindly WWII veteran who serves as the towns sage. Surrounded by the personal histories and secrets of others, June finds the way forward for herself and her son becoming determined by the others pasts, including lovesand crimesfrom years ago.In vivid, nuanced prose, Melanie Wallacea writer with a tender regard for the marginal, the missing, and the lost (Hilary Mantel)explores the time-tested bonds of a small community, the healing power of friendship and love, and whether the wrongs of the past can ever be made right.PowerfulA quiet, contemplative novel that builds slowly and leaves a lasting impact.Publishers Weekly

A soulful and exquisite (Shelf Awareness) novel about an abandoned young woman and her infant son, the townspeople who provide them with shelter, and the secrets that all of them are keeping.In this exceptional novel, Melanie Wallace conveys the depths and complexities of life in a seemingly uneventful New England village. The Girl in the Garden strikingly affirms Eudora Weltys belief that one place understood helps us understand all other places better.?Ron Rash, New York Times bestselling author of Serena When June arrives on the coast of New England, baby in arms, an untrustworthy man by her side, Mabelwho rents them a cabinsenses trouble. A few days later, the girl and her child are abandoned.June is soon placed with Mabels friend, Iris, in town, and her life becomes entwined with a number of locals who have known each other for decades: a wealthy recluse with a tragic past; a widow in mourning; a forsaken daughter returning for the first time in years, with a stranger in tow; and a kindly WWII veteran who serves as the towns sage. Surrounded by the personal histories and secrets of others, June finds the way forward for herself and her son becoming determined by the others pasts, including lovesand crimesfrom years ago.In vivid, nuanced prose, Melanie Wallacea writer with a tender regard for the marginal, the missing, and the lost (Hilary Mantel)explores the time-tested bonds of a small community, the healing power of friendship and love, and whether the wrongs of the past can ever be made right.PowerfulA quiet, contemplative novel that builds slowly and leaves a lasting impact.Publishers Weekly