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thefrozensea

The Frozen Sea

Books to the ceiling, books to the sky, my pile of books is a mile high. How I love them! How I need them! I'll have a long beard by the time I read them!

The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley

A romantic and utterly enchanting novel involving time travel, grief, and love. 

 

 

I have to say that I think this is one of my favourite time travel novels. Susanna Kearsley is definitely not a science fiction writer. There's no explanation given as to why Eva is able to go back and forth between 17th century Cornwall and the modern day and no discussion as to the theoretical physics behind the affect she may have on the past. Like a lot of things in life, it remains a mystery, and in this instance, I prefer it that way.

 

I think it's also an interesting take on a trope used often in literature, and even in films and television - that of your soulmate having been born long before you were. A love out of time. The romance is subtle and understated and all the more powerful for it. I quite enjoyed the historical aspects of the novel - the smuggling, the support of the Jacobite rebellion, and the mentions of travelling by sea. I also enjoyed Eva's gradual realisation of where her 'home' might be, and that this might not be a place, but a time, instead. 

 

Overall, the novel has a definite wistful feel, and is both engaging and beautiful. If you're after something well-written but magical, give this one a go.