My review of Tales From The Garden by Sally Cronin

What Goodreads says:

Tales from the Garden reveals the secrets that are hidden beneath hedges and trees. You will discover what really happens at night as you sleep unaware in your bed. Stone statues and those hidden worlds within the earth are about to share their stories. The guardians who have kept the sanctuary safe for over fifty years will allow you to peek behind the scenes of this magical place. They will take you on a journey through time and expand your horizons as they transport you to the land of fairies, butterflies and lost souls who have found a home here.

Fairy Stories for children of all ages from five to ninety-five that will change the way you look at your garden forever.

My review:

I really enjoyed Tales From The Garden by Sally Cronin. A collection of short stories about life and love in the garden, each tale is completely different and filled with mystery and delight. Two of my favourite tales were Trouble in Paradise and The Boy, His Dog and a Fairy Princess.

Trouble in Paradise is a traditional tale of a woman scorned except that in this particular case, the woman happens to be the Queen of the Fairies. This is a story of disappointment and retribution as well as love and forgiveness. The story is beautifully told and is full of lovely imagery. One particular sentence that I really like was “They were bitter drops of sadness and soon the lovely petals began to shrivel and fall to the ground before their time.” This sentence speaks such volumes and really describes anguish and pain.

I read the story of The Boy, His Don and a Fairy Princess to my 11-year old son, Michael. He was quite enthralled by it. Sally’s description of the gorgeous fairy and the boy’s secret glimpses of her completely fascinated Michael. This pleased me greatly as my Michael is a “real boy” who loves swords, pirates and drumming. I was delighted to see that he was able to appreciate the delightful story and writing. Michael was especially pleased when the boy got his own puppy. Michael loves animals and was very thrilled about the idea of the boy having his own puppy all to himself (Mike has a brother he always has to share with). I must add that the story impacted Michael to such an extent that he shed a few tears at the end.

Tales From the Garden is illustrated with some very special photographs that really match the mood and tone of the book. I would recommend this book for everyone from ages 5 to 99 years old.

Other reviews

D.G. Kaye rated this book five out of five on Goodreads and said:

“Tales of the Garden is an eclectic compilation of home-made fairy tales, brought to life by the author’s interpretation with the fantasy stories created about the statues residing in her garden. Cronin gives life to these characters, complete with descriptions of who they are, what they represent, and their duties.

In this garden you’ll find fairies, royalty, animals, guards, musicians, and even some tales of infidelity, grief, and childhood trauma. Read about the queen who catches the king in the arms of another woman. What will his punishment be?

The brilliance of Cronin’s bringing together tales from centuries ago, combined with stories of mortals who ruled the land, are clever and intriguing. Her stories encompass some of the real-life situations that humans contend with; her statues are no different.

The book concludes with The Duchess’ story – Cronin’s mother. She shares the family background of the home and its inhibitors, where the garden sits, providing the backdrop for the characters who are brought to life in this wonderfully written story. A beautiful read for young and old alike.”

Janice Spina rated Tales From The Garden five out of five on Goodreads and said:

“Sally Cronin does it again with her imaginative Tales from the Garden. She will transport you to other worlds where fairies live and interact with the stone statutes of the garden. You will see through the eyes of each statue as they guard the garden and all its flowers and trees from trespassers.

This author weaves creative short stories that will keep you mesmerized and believing in the creatures no one can see that live under the magnolia tree. You will begin to look at your own garden and its gnomes with a careful eye and want to stop and pat the head of each stone figure as you pass.

This is an enjoyable read for all ages. I found it captivating and would recommend it to all. Sally Cronin has many other lovely books that are also entertaining. Check her out today!”

Find Sally Cronin:

You can find Sally Cronin here:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7979187.Sally_Cronin

Twitter: @sgc58

Blog: Smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com

Purchase Sally’s books:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sally-Cronin/e/B0096REZM2

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sally-Georgina-Cronin/e/B003B7O0T6

Amazon India: http://www.amazon.in/Sally-Cronin/e/B0096REZM2

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/SallyGCronin

Sally is currently running a special on another of her books, What’s in a Name. The link to the special offer is https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2017/03/22/whats-in-a-name-short-story-collection-special-ebook-offer/

Follow Robbie Cheadle on:

Blogs: robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com

Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15584446.Robbie_Cheadle)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bakeandwrite

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SirChocolateBooks/