.Julia Kelly writes beautiful historical fiction, encompassing story with a personal immersion in the social and physical context of the times. This novel brings to life Pasadena in the early 1900s through dual timelines: one following Adele — an English rose imported from England against her inclination in 1903 — and Theresa — a woman journalist trying to break away from the dead-end (pun intended!) obit desk in 1960. An opportunity to interview a reclusive “old lady” living out of town in a gorgeous rose nursery may be the break she is looking for. Pasadena (as we all know after the recent fire) is fire country, and fire plays a role in both timelines.
I love Kelly’s writing — she’s a “show not tell” writer so all of the detailed and gorgeous prose describing life, surroundings, manners, and society comes naturally as part of the story. There are no long, dreary (to me) descriptions of wainscoting, tableware, or dress tufts that I am forced to skim through, and yet I can picture the houses, the grounds, and the clothing with ease. And the ambiance of the place at that time — the openness, the newness, the literal feel of opportunity and space — are incredibly real. I happened to be reading this while in a nearby section of Los Angeles — definitely a stark contrast! The pace is slow, and yet never boring. Just the right amount of words used to smoothly carry you from start to finish. Never choppy. I forgot that I was reading. Plenty of story with a satisfying conclusion. Gardening — in a way appealing (I think) to even non gardeners.
Very enjoyable.
Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book was published on October 20th, 2026.
