The Garden of Mercy

Some flowers heal, some flowers harm.
All seeds have a destiny.

The Garden of Mercy is a heart-rending coming-of-age novel about families lost and found, belonging, and finding meaning in places where fragrances stay.

If you knew the secret powers of flowers, would you use their spells to change lives?

Mercy knows humans aren’t the only beings capable of emotions and acts of compassion; flowers can also feel and do good deeds. And there are sweet-scented killers for those who won’t be saved. Mercy knows them all intimately.

Raised by a Bible-thumping mother and shunned by her peers for her peculiarity, she finds refuge in the neighboring woodlands, where she learns the secret language of flowers and the power of plants. As she grows, so does her curiosity, sense of smell, and use of the flowers’ skills to solve quandaries: Aster for patience, borage for courage, dandelion for anger…. But everything changes the day she gathers the wicked purple flower and considers the unthinkable…

Now a young woman, Mercy finds she isn’t alone in struggling with the wounds of her past; the quirky residents of a dilapidated Victorian mansion where she works are, too. Yearning for redemption—theirs and hers—she conjures a miraculous garden where scents mend broken hearts. As the flowers come to life, healing begins for all but one, leaving Mercy with an impossible dilemma. How far is she willing to go this time? How much is she willing to risk? What he asks of her isn’t a small feat; she could lose it all: a family found, a place where she belongs, love….

Enchanting and searingly honest, The Garden of Mercy will make you look at the world differently and question your beliefs about everything.

This was an absolutely moving and heartfelt read.

“The way the author can draw upon the unique and wonderful world of flowers and their inherent power in the world and the use of powerful imagery in the author’s writing allowed the flowers and the fantastic character development to become very cinematic in quality on the page.
The theme surrounding this story of life, death, and the love connection between them both was so well represented in this narrative, not only in the protagonist’s journey in her past and present but also in the complexity of the flowers themselves, from the unassuming flowers that heal to the deadly yet beautiful flowers that kill.” 

Anthony Avina, book blogger