Where The Wild Cherries Grow @esthercrumpet @TransworldBooks @hannahlbright29

Book synopsis:

How far must you run to leave the past behind you?

It is 1919 and the end of the war has not brought peace for Emeline Vane. Lost in grief, she is suddenly alone at the heart of a depleted family. She can no longer cope. And as everything seems to be slipping beyond her control, in a moment of desperation, she boards a train and runs away.

Fifty years later, a young solicitor on his first case finds Emeline’s diary. What Bill Perch finds in the tattered pages of neat script goes against everything he has been told. He begins to trace an anguished story of love and betrayal that will send him on a journey to discover the truth.

I closed my eyes as I tried to pick apart every flavour, because nothing had ever tasted so good before. It was love and it could not be hidden.

What really happened to Emeline all those years ago?

My Review:

Where the Wild Cherries Grow is a beautifully vivid and delicious story, and one that will definitely stay with me. The story is divided into two storyline told in alternating chapters. Emmeline’s from 1919 & Bill Perch’s from 1969. Unusually for me I found both storylines interesting and wanted to continue reading to find out what happened in both of them. I think this was helped hugely by the amazing characters the author has created. I liked how real they felt and how both go through such a huge journey throughout the book. It’s lovely how both of their stories are quite similar and that both of them end up finding themselves in one way or another. I found I cared about both of them and wanted to see them succeed and find happiness.

The author’s descriptions are so vivid that you can really imagine the scenery and places in your mind. She is especially good Shen it comes to describing food- warning do not read this book when hungry! The descriptions of the food Emmeline helps cook was so vivid I felt that I could almost smell of cooking! I ended up having to look up quite a few of the dishes as I wanted to try them for myself they sounded so delicious.

The story was quite realistic, with the events/ action seeming real and never forced. There wasn’t a lot of huge leaps to make the two stories fit together which was great and neither Emmeline or Bill had an easy journey. This was well done and often left me guessing as to what was going to happen next. The book was quite difficult to put down because if this as there always seemed to be new twists and turns that kept me intrigued and wanting to read more!

I really didn’t want this book to end and was quite sad when it did. I wish that the boom had continued for linger as I would have loved to have read more about Emmeline and Bill’s lives.

This is the second book I have read by this author and it definitely won’t be my last. I didn’t think it would be possible for her to top her debut but she had as I think this book is even better! This book would be perfect for fans of Kate Morton & Victoria Hislop as they are similar in style.

Huge thanks to Hannah Bright and Transworld Publishers for giving me a proof copy of this book. I loved it!

Rating: 5/5 stars!

About the author:

After a childhood spent acting professionally and training at a theatre school, Laura Madeleine changed her mind, and went to study English Literature at Newnham College, Cambridge. She now writes fiction, as well as recipes, and was formerly the resident cake baker for Domestic Sluttery. She lives in Bristol, but can often be found visiting her family in Devon, eating cheese and getting up to mischief with her sister, fantasy author Lucy Hounsom. You can find her on twitter @esthercrumpet.

Where The Wild Cherries Grow is available in eBook now and paperback on the 15th June 2017