THE MEMORY GARDENER
An enchanting tale of the power of memory and the nourishing magic of gardens from the USA TODAY bestselling author of the “sparkling, witty” (Katie Crouch, New York Times bestselling author) How to Eat a Cupcake.
Lucy Barnes is a gardener with an uncanny ability to know exactly which scent among her flowers will illuminate to a person a key from their past that might change their future. Sadly, after a tragedy ten years ago, she no longer uses her gift and has fled her hometown.
But six months after her mother’s death,
An enchanting tale of the power of memory and the nourishing magic of gardens from the USA TODAY bestselling author of the “sparkling, witty” (Katie Crouch, New York Times bestselling author) How to Eat a Cupcake.
Lucy Barnes is a gardener with an uncanny ability to know exactly which scent among her flowers will illuminate to a person a key from their past that might change their future. Sadly, after a tragedy ten years ago, she no longer uses her gift and has fled her hometown.
But six months after her mother’s death, Lucy awakens to find her mother’s unmistakable scent drifting over her, and she knows that she is being called home. And when a mysterious note leads her to take a job as the gardener at the Oceanview Home, a senior-living residence, Lucy finds herself wondering if there is more to her gift—and her mother’s past—than she ever knew.
Her work among the lush gardens of Oceanview Home soon awakens the entire community, unearthing memories that will forever change all who cross Lucy’s path. But not everyone is happy to see how her presence has transformed the Oceanview Home, and when a secret comes to light that threatens to shatter the entire community, the future suddenly looks uncertain. Have the memories that Lucy has unearthed awakened something wonderful…or are some memories better left buried?
- Gallery Books
- Paperback
- November 2025
- 352 Pages
- 9781668205396
Buy the Book
$19.00
About Meg Donohue
Meg Donohue is the USA TODAY bestselling author of You, Me, and the Sea; Every Wild Heart; Dog Crazy; All the Summer Girls; How to Eat a Cupcake; and The Memory Gardener. Her novels have been translated into Dutch, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, and Turkish. Meg has an MFA from Columbia University and a BA from Dartmouth College. Born and raised in Philadelphia, she now lives in San Francisco with her husband, three daughters, and dog. She is working on her next novel.
Praise
“Meg Donohue transports her readers into another world of flora and fauna so gloriously described that I could feel the air cool when we stepped into the shady gardens. The Memory Gardener is sensual, lush, mesmerizing, and magical.” —Lori Nelson Spielman, #1 international bestselling author of The Life List
“Set in the overgrown garden where long-lost memories can be recaptured in the scent of flowers, Meg Donohue has written an endearing story about how healing, forgiveness, and love are the secret to growing a beautiful life.” —Heather Webber, USA Today bestselling author of Midnight at the Blackbird Café
Discussion Questions
1. Those who breathe in the fragrance of Lucy’s flowers don’t get to choose the memory to which they return, but if you could—if you could relive anything from your past—what would that moment be and why?
2. In Chapter One, Lucy reflects on the moment when she realized that gardens make her “heart sing in mysterious ways.” Is there a place that makes your heart sing in mysterious ways? The woods? A bakery? A bookstore? Why do you think that is? What memories and emotions do these places stir for you?
3. Louis remembers that he once loved to take photographs, and Cynthia taps into the community leader that she had been in her youth. Is there anything that you might like to reclaim from your past self? Can you recall a character trait, an old hobby, or a goal that has faded over time…something that you might like to reawaken?
4. In Chapter Six, Lucy reflects that “Every garden paints a portrait of the person who designed it.” Do you agree? If you have a garden, how do you think your garden reflects or represents you?
5. Lucy also explains that she believes that “caring for plants is symbiotic; as you tend to them, helping them thrive, they soothe the broken parts within you, too.” Do you agree? Do you believe that the act of caring for someone or something can be mutually beneficial?
6. Lucy’s favorite flower is the rose. Do you have a favorite flower? What are some adjectives that you would use to describe its appearance and scent? Do you have any specific memories or associations that are tied to your favorite flower?
7. In Chapter Twenty-Nine, Lucy’s father says that her mother believed her real magic lay not in her gift itself, but in the way that she could use her gift to help others. If you could have any magical power that you could use to help others, what would it be?