by Posy Lovell
“Are you sure?” Jim said. “I don’t want to push you into anything. I know the last week’s been a bit of a whirlwind.”
Ivy thought she’d never been surer of anything in her whole life.
“I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than marry you, Jim Dobson,” she said.
And she felt just the same when Friday arrived and she, Louisa, Win and Bernie were standing outside the door of St. Anne’s. The bells were ringing loudly, but instead of making Ivy feel guilty, as the sound always used to, it filled her with joy and hope for the future.
Inside the church were her mother and her siblings. Her dad might show up at some point, but Ivy found she wasn’t bothered either way; she had a new family now. Jim’s parents and his brothers were there, too, along with Louisa’s Teddy, all the gardeners from Kew, and the Suffragettes—Win had been right; Henrietta had done a wonderful job creating a dress for Ivy to wear. Perhaps it wasn’t quite what she’d have chosen, but considering there was a war on and she was hardly easy to dress, it was a triumph. Ivy smoothed the silky skirt over her stomach and admired the way it swirled round her legs.
“Ready?” said Louisa.
“Ready.”
Bernie held out his arm and Ivy took it. “Then let’s go and get you wed.”
It was a wonderful ceremony. The singing sounded more joyful than Ivy had ever heard it before, Reverend Miller was sweet, Jim looked so handsome in a new, clean uniform, and one of the Suffragettes—or maybe it was Louisa—coughed so loudly over the part when Ivy was supposed to promise to obey that she was fairly sure no one, least of all Reverend Miller, heard her leave that bit out.
And now, she was Mrs. Ivy Dobson and soon they would be a family. Jim was going to move into Win’s flat with her for a while—Win had been adamant that they should stay and Ivy was sure that while Win was looking forward to the baby’s arrival, she was also afraid of being on her own. This way they could care for each other, like a real family.
“Shall we head on over to the Gardens?” Mac said, as they filed out of the church. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”
Ivy and Jim exchanged a glance—they weren’t expecting any more surprises.
But when they all reached the Gardens, there waiting for them was a photographer.
“I thought we should have a memento of this special day,” Mac said. “This is Henry—an old friend of mine. He’s a dab hand with photography.”
Ivy kissed Mac on the cheek.
“Thank you,” she said. “This is a lovely idea.”
They all lined up for a photograph. Ivy and Jim in the middle, Bernie to Ivy’s side and Win to the side of him. Louisa next to Jim, with Mac by her side.
“Watch the birdie,” Henry cried, and the flash went off with a snap.
“Could we have one more?” Ivy asked.
“You and Jim?”
She blushed. “Actually, I was wondering if I could have one with Win and Louisa.”
Henry chuckled. “Of course,” he said. “Get together.”
Arm in arm, Ivy, Louisa and Win grinned at the camera. They were the Kew Gardens Girls, brought together by this wonderful place and held together forever by the bonds of friendship. Ivy felt her baby kick and thought one day she could show him or her this photograph and tell them all about her friends and the times they shared at Kew. Things may not always have been easy and who knew what the future held? When the next challenge came their way, they would face it together.
Author’s Note
This story is based on real-life events mixed with some imagination. The Suffragettes did vandalize the orchid house and burn down the tea pavilion at Kew in February 1913. Two women—Olive Wharry and Lilian Lenton—were imprisoned for the arson attack in March 1913, though neither served a long sentence.
Female gardeners worked at Kew during the First World War when the men were serving in the armed forces. They were given lighter duties at first but eventually proved their worth and did everything the male gardeners did. We know from records that they were paid the same as the men, but the fight put up by Louisa and the other women in the story to receive equal salaries is fictional.
Acknowledgments
A big thank-you has to go to everyone at Kew Gardens, who welcomed me with open arms, allowed me to root around in the archive and answered all my questions. Thanks also to my agent, Felicity Trew, who is a constant support.
Books are nothing without good editors, so I owe thanks to Phoebe Morgan, Sam Eades, Ashley Di Dio and Tara Singh Carlson. And thank you to all my readers, who always bring new insight to my stories.
The
Kew Gardens Girls
POSY LOVELL
* * *
READING LIST
DISCUSSION GUIDE
A CONVERSATION WITH POSY LOVELL
Reading List
To find out more about Kew Gardens and its history, I recommend The History of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew by Ray Desmond and The Story of Kew Gardens in Photographs by Lynn Parker and Kiri Ross-Jones.
Some of the books that helped inspire me while I was writing this story were The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden, on which I based Ivy’s journal, and My Growing Garden by J. Horace McFarland, which I drew on for Bernie’s fictional textbook, A Year in My Garden.
To learn more about the Suffragettes, I recommend My Own Story by Emmeline Pankhurst and The Suffragettes in Pictures by Diane Atkinson.
For an evocative account of the Gardens in the early twentieth century, Kew Gardens by Virginia Woolf is the perfect read.
Discussion Guide
1. How do you think World War I affected Louisa, Ivy, Bernie and Win? In what aspects could that change have been for the better or worse?
2. Were you surprised to find that women had differing perspectives on how to support their country during the war? Which perspectives did you agree or disagree with?
3. The Kew Gardens Girls sheds light on the Suffragettes movement during World War I but also the politics on the home front surrounding the war. Did you learn something new about this time period during your read? If so, what?
4. The women of Kew each suffered losses and terrible heartaches but found strength in one another. Which friendship was your favorite, and why?
5. Were you surprised by how Louisa reacted when she was told Bernie’s secret? If you were Louisa, would you have reacted the same or differently?
6. As time progresses during the war, Ivy and Jim’s relationship grows but is also faced with hardships. What was your favorite moment between them, and why?
7. Discuss the different issues that the Kew Gardens girls faced that are still relevant today. Which ones resonated with you the most?
8. Win is a late addition to Kew Gardens but quickly becomes an important figure in the novel. What good qualities do you think she added to the group? Was there a defining moment that showed you her true character?
9. What do you think it means to be a Kew Gardens girl?
10. What were your thoughts about the ending? If you could go beyond the last page, where do you see each character’s path leading?
A Conversation with Posy Lovell about The Kew Gardens Girls
What was the inspiration behind The Kew Gardens Girls?
I love history, but I often find it’s largely written by men. Often finding out what the women were doing during a certain time gives me inspiration for a new story, and this was no different. I loved discovering that the women gardeners at Kew were paid the same as men—something women are still fighting for in many sectors even now, one hundred years later. That discovery grew into an idea for the novel.
While this story is a work of fiction, the foundation is inspired by real-life events during World War I. What research did you perform in order to craft this story?
I’d never writ
ten about World War I before, so I had to do some reading about the war itself and women’s roles during the time. I also got the chance to spend a day in the archives at Kew, reading all the letters of application written by women who wanted to be gardeners in 1915. It was fascinating.
Are any of these characters based on real people?
None of the main characters are based on real people, but Emmeline Pankhurst was of course a prominent Suffragette, and her daughter Sylvia—whom Ivy works with in the East End of London—did as she does in the story and formed a breakaway group. The story of the Pankhurst women is fascinating and worth checking out, if you’re interested in the history of women’s suffrage.
While Louisa and Ivy are both Suffragettes, their initial beliefs on how best to support their country and their cause differ. What was it like crafting these opposing viewpoints? What research went into that writing process?
I am a huge admirer of Emmeline Pankhurst, so I was disappointed to discover that she was responsible for the white feather campaign, which I think was ill-judged, unempathetic, and often downright nasty. I realized I wouldn’t be the only person who thought that way—and equally, there would be people who disliked her approach to campaigning but approved of her patriotism. I decided a good way to present these opposing views would be for two friends—Ivy and Louisa—to hold them passionately.
At the center of this novel are courageous, inspiring women, but we also are introduced to Bernie, a man with an unpopular mind-set about the war. Why did you decide to add this interesting perspective into the story?
I’ve always thought that conscientious objectors were very brave in their own way. I wanted to explore the strength of feeling that would make someone refuse to fight, even though they knew others were dying on the battlefields. I found that when I was writing Bernie’s chapters, I was completely on his side, but when I switched viewpoints to Louisa, I saw the issue differently again. I’m still not sure who I agree with!
What was your favorite scene in the novel, and why?
It’s really sad, but I like the scene when Win gets the telegram about her beloved Archie from the Front, and Ivy and Louisa take her home and look after her. I think it shows the strength of their friendship, despite their different backgrounds.
Did you always know where Ivy and Jim’s relationship would lead as you were crafting their story? Was there one moment in particular that you enjoyed writing the most?
I adore Ivy and Jim together. Their romance was always going to be an important part of the story, but it took on a life of its own and grew. I especially enjoyed learning about the language of flowers and using it to keep Ivy and Jim in touch when he was sent to fight in France.
What was the biggest obstacle you faced while writing The Kew Gardens Girls?
Learning about plants! We are really lucky to have a small garden in our house in London, but I don’t know much about gardening. I knew that the experts at Kew would read my manuscript and check it for errors so I spent ages making sure that I wasn’t putting plants in the wrong place, or having them bloom at the wrong time of year or in the wrong color.
In The Kew Gardens Girls, the most powerful dynamics occur within female friendships. What do you believe are the key ingredients to these successful friendships?
Support and having each other’s backs, even when things are tough or you don’t agree about something.
What do you want readers to take away from The Kew Gardens Girls?
That by coming together and taking action, you can achieve anything. The women—and Bernie—had huge issues to overcome, and alone they wouldn’t have stood a chance, but together they triumphed. We’re always stronger together.
Photograph of the author © Harriet Buckingham
Posy Lovell is a pseudonym for British author and journalist Kerry Barrett. Born in Edinburgh, she moved to London as a child with her family. She has a passion for uncovering the role of women in the past. Kerry lives in London with her family, and The Kew Gardens Girls is her American debut.
Visit Posy Lovell Online
Kerrybarrett.co.uk
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