33 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
COVINGTON IS COMFORTABLE AND QUIET, July 19, 2001
This review is from: The Gardens of Covington: A Novel (Ladies of Covington) (Hardcover)
Gentle readers, and I do mean `gentle' in the literal sense, here's a book for you. It is amiable, peaceful, and pleasant. "The Gardens of Covington," Joan Medlicott's sequel to her engaging "The Ladies of Covington Send Their Love" (2000 ) brings us up to date on the three widowed women who moved across country, refurbished an old farmhouse, and revitalized their lives.
Now nearing seventy and settled in Covington, North Carolina, the ladies are very much unchanged. Hannah remains formidable and no-nonsense; Grace is the quintessential caregiver, and Amelia is well, Amelia - fluttery, vain, unable to assert herself but nonetheless endearing.
They've settled into a comfortable routine with each one's tasks suiting the individual's desires and interests. Hannah repairs, easily unsticks windows, and tends the garden. Grocery shopping falls to Grace who happily cooks, bakes, and sings off-key. Flowers and music are the bailiwick of Amelia who also finds contentment in dusting and cleaning. It's an easy, satisfying existence.
Yet, all is not as serene as the trio might wish because their beloved land onCove Road is threatened by development. Hannah attempts to spearhead an effort to stop the interlopers, but neighbors don't rally behind her. Instead, some look upon her with jaundiced eye, view her as a newcomer, a foreigner who doesn't know the difference between "dinner" and "supper."
Evidencing her independence, Grace opens a tearoom. Her partner is Bob, a man for whom she has come to care. Both discover that running a tea room is not a piece of cake.
Grace also makes a new friend, Miss Lurina, a woman who "used to walk behind Pa's plow settin' potatoes." She is now a spinster octogenarian, seen guarding her cabin porch with a shotgun. No one is more surprised than Grace when Miss Lurina starts spending time with "Old Man." Who could have foreseen that the two would decide to be "married up"? Selecting a wedding gown, let alone planning the ceremony stretches Grace's imagination and patience.
When Amelia, an incurable romantic, is involved in a minor two-car accident, she finds the driver of the other car, Lance Lundquist, to be handsome, "larger than life." Claiming to be a retired architect, he soon becomes her ardent suitor.
However, Lance is secretive, prone to weeks long unexplained absences. Amelia believes he will tell her about himself when she has won his trust, while Hannah and Grace are wary of him. They see him as manipulative and possessive.
These scenarios are played out against evocative descriptions of North Carolina's verdant countryside. Ms. Medlicott's appreciation of nature is made evident by her thoughtful word paintings. For those who enjoy a leisurely paced tale with no more violence than an annual invasion of ladybugs, "The Gardens of Covington" is certainly their cup of tea which, by the way, the ladies often enjoy on their shaded veranda.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The ladies of Covington return, better than ever, June 1, 2001
This review is from: The Gardens of Covington: A Novel (Ladies of Covington) (Hardcover)
The Gardens of Covington finds the ladies back in fine form. Hannah is busy with the nursery and worriedly looks to the threat of development that looms over the valley. Amelia is as self-absorbed as ever, busy with her photography. (one wonderful thing about this book is the characters remain the same....no rapid character changes). Grace is busy with the tearoom her friend, Bob, and the youngster, Tyler who had captured her heart. This book once again captures the nuances, the joys and the strains of small town life. The three women are distinct, and there is the give and take of family life...even though the three aren't a conventional family. Familiar themes are explored, the risks taken when you grow beyond your boundries, the tug of family, the quest for love, recovering from betrayal and leaning on friends to recover. There are also some new people to meet and new challanges to attack. This book was a delight, I was so glad to have the ladies back and true to form. A wonderful summer read.
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