The Memory of Violets by Hazel Gaynor

Missing Downton Abbey?  The Memory of Violets by Hazel Gaynor is an engrossing novel, which allows one to immerse Victorian London popularized by the movie My Fair Lady.  The story draws on real accounts of the young girls who struggled in filthy and disease-ridden slums and a philanthropist that founded an enduring charity to help the abandoned children.

Tilly is a young woman from the Lake District of England who is fleeing a family tragedy for employment at a unique charity in London. Tilly is to be a “house mother” at Mr. Shaw’s Home for Flower Girls. Not only are the girls destitute but  most are also physically disabled or blind.  Instead of simply being a charity, the women learn a useful trade by making intricate and beautiful silk flowers.  Their work not only supports the operation but also instills pride in the girls and women who’ve been marginalized by disability and poverty.

Tilly discovers a diary in “Violet House” written by a former occupant of her room named Florrie.  The diary describes the mysterious disappearance of Florrie’s younger sister Rosie.  Tilly is moved by the heartbreaking tale and resolves to solve the mystery.  In doing so, Tilly is able to confront and heal the relationship with her own sister. Tilly discovers her own confidence and is able to reconcile not only her losses but finally solve the mystery of the little girl’s disappearance through clever observations and coincidences.  There’s also a love story just for fun and some extra sweetness. Recommend for a fun, pretty read