September 3, 2024
Sophie Beaumont’s latest novel, A Secret Garden in Paris, follows three women whose lives intertwine in Paris. The women are each at a substantial crossroads in their lives: Emma has just lost her mother and is searching for the identity of her father; Arielle is forced to decide if she is capable of providing the best life for her children; and Charlotte is trying to understand if her strained marriage is salvageable. The strongest element of this book is its sense of place. The Parisian gardens act as common ground for all three women to find peace and respite from their stressors and to meet each other. Beaumont’s familiarity with and love of France, as seen in The Paris Cooking School, makes her writing about the streets of Paris compelling. However, the book disappoints in its lack of character depth. Juggling all three women’s perspectives makes the novel very plot-heavy, leaving Beaumont little space to develop these characters fully. Some of the crescendo moments for the women felt rushed and as if there hadn’t been enough time spent introspectively with them to fully appreciate their joys. With major themes of grief, lust and identity, A Secret Garden in Paris is suitable for fans of Sophie Green (Art Hour at the Duchess Hotel) and for readers at the older end of young adult fiction, serving as a good transitional book between YA and adult fiction.