Shelly's Book Journal

This is not a story about vampires or werewolves, criminals or mysteries, love or romance - but is the fictionalized life of a remarkable woman who loved her flowers, and worked her whole life to improve them through hybridization. Along the way, lots of things happen - people come and go in her life. Considering it is the turn of the century, a time in America where things changed tremendously, there was plenty for a farmer family to deal with.I have enjoyed Jane Kirkpatrick's books in the past, although I wasn't sure if I would like this one. But truly the characters are remarkable because they are real, as are those in many of her books. And although what happened in this book is probably not chronicled in any history text - this woman made history. Small things she did affected lilacs all over the world. She left a legacy, yet she simply did what she loved and shared it with others. Maybe that's the real lesson in this story.