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Hedge
An emotionally charged, richly observed novel about a woman balancing the demands of motherhood and marriage with her own needs.
Maud is a talented garden historian and devoted mom to daughters Ella and Louise. Motivated to reignite her career and escape her troubled marriage, she accepts a summer job restoring the garden of a lush, 19th century estate in the Hudson Valley. Reveling in her work and temporary independence, Maud relishes her days in the sun. While waiting for her daughters to join her at the end of their school year, she strikes up a friendship with a coworker, archeologist Gabriel Crews. As the two share nightly dinners, their relationship grows more intimate, and Maud starts to imagine a future outside of her stifling marriage. Once Ella and Louise arrive, however, she is torn by her desire for Gabriel, her obligations to her daughters, and her growing concern for Ella’s dark moods. Is Ella acting out because she senses that Maud and Gabriel have fallen in love?
What happens next is a seismic shock that profoundly changes Maud's life, as well as the lives of everyone she cares about. Deeply moving and impossible to put down, Hedge is an unforgettable portrait of a woman’s longing to be a good mother while still answering the call of her soul and mind.
Maud is a talented garden historian and devoted mom to daughters Ella and Louise. Motivated to reignite her career and escape her troubled marriage, she accepts a summer job restoring the garden of a lush, 19th century estate in the Hudson Valley. Reveling in her work and temporary independence, Maud relishes her days in the sun. While waiting for her daughters to join her at the end of their school year, she strikes up a friendship with a coworker, archeologist Gabriel Crews. As the two share nightly dinners, their relationship grows more intimate, and Maud starts to imagine a future outside of her stifling marriage. Once Ella and Louise arrive, however, she is torn by her desire for Gabriel, her obligations to her daughters, and her growing concern for Ella’s dark moods. Is Ella acting out because she senses that Maud and Gabriel have fallen in love?
What happens next is a seismic shock that profoundly changes Maud's life, as well as the lives of everyone she cares about. Deeply moving and impossible to put down, Hedge is an unforgettable portrait of a woman’s longing to be a good mother while still answering the call of her soul and mind.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2023
87 people are currently reading
8,361 people want to read
About the author
Jane Delury
5books82followersJane Delury is the author of The Balcony, a novel-in-stories, which won the Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Her latest novel, Hedge, was a Summer 2023 People Magazine pick and an Oprah Daily Spring 2023 pick. Her stories and essays have been published in The LA Times, The Yale Review, Granta, and other publications. She is a professor of creative writing at The University of Baltimore, where she directs the BA in English.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews
April 17, 2023
In Hedge, Maud is a garden historian who takes a summer job restoring an estate in the Hudson Valley. While there, Maud connects with an archaeologist, her coworker, Gabriel. Maud is separated from her husband, Peter, and her daughters, Ella and Louise, come to the East Coast to visit her once school is out.
With Ella and Louise onsite, Maud keeps her interactions with Gabriel friendly, he joins them for dinner sometimes, or limited to late at night, once the girls have gone to sleep. Ella begins to act out and her dark moods take a toll on everyone.
As Ella’s behavior intensifies, Maud is forced to balance her roles as a mom, a professional, and a woman in a separated marriage. Hedge did not follow the path of the story I predicted, and while different, it kept me engaged. I needed to know what decisions Maud made and find out how her family was impacted.
I know very little about garden historians or garden restoration � I think Hedge is the first book I’ve read featuring this as a career or aspect of the story. It was original, which I appreciated.
Thank you to Netgalley and Zibby Books for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
With Ella and Louise onsite, Maud keeps her interactions with Gabriel friendly, he joins them for dinner sometimes, or limited to late at night, once the girls have gone to sleep. Ella begins to act out and her dark moods take a toll on everyone.
As Ella’s behavior intensifies, Maud is forced to balance her roles as a mom, a professional, and a woman in a separated marriage. Hedge did not follow the path of the story I predicted, and while different, it kept me engaged. I needed to know what decisions Maud made and find out how her family was impacted.
I know very little about garden historians or garden restoration � I think Hedge is the first book I’ve read featuring this as a career or aspect of the story. It was original, which I appreciated.
Thank you to Netgalley and Zibby Books for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 6, 2023
'When you married, you did nothing but compromise. And you lost your ability to make a home exactly as you wanted, down to the last detail'.
Realising her marriage is floundering, Maud welcomes taking a summer job, restoring a historic garden, across the country from her family, and letting her husband know she wants a separation. She relishes her freedom and independence; increasingly flirting with a co-worker and fantasising about how great her new life will be. Once her daughters arrive for a visit though, the juggle of a working mother begins. When Ella starts to act out, Maud isn't sure if it's typical teenage behaviour, resentment, or suspicion of Maud. However, a sudden scare for her daughter's safety has Maud reassessing all her recent decisions and reevaluating the balance between being a wife, mother, and herself, 'How had she ever thought she could leave her marriage without wrecking devastation?'
Jane Delury has drawn parallels between creating and caring for a garden and maintaining a mother's sense of self and worth, 'She wanted to resurrect the original garden, not some inauthentic, shrunken version.' Just as the historical gardens Maud tends to have been lost and buried over time; choked out by weeds, her life has been lost somewhere between being a young woman with dreams, falling in love, to dismantling her identity in order to ameliorate what others in her family needed. 'Hedge' tells the story of a woman whose gardens are painstakingly nurtured but her own has been neglected and as the weeds threaten to choke the beauty from it, she needs to draw upon the original blueprint to bring it back to life.
Realising her marriage is floundering, Maud welcomes taking a summer job, restoring a historic garden, across the country from her family, and letting her husband know she wants a separation. She relishes her freedom and independence; increasingly flirting with a co-worker and fantasising about how great her new life will be. Once her daughters arrive for a visit though, the juggle of a working mother begins. When Ella starts to act out, Maud isn't sure if it's typical teenage behaviour, resentment, or suspicion of Maud. However, a sudden scare for her daughter's safety has Maud reassessing all her recent decisions and reevaluating the balance between being a wife, mother, and herself, 'How had she ever thought she could leave her marriage without wrecking devastation?'
Jane Delury has drawn parallels between creating and caring for a garden and maintaining a mother's sense of self and worth, 'She wanted to resurrect the original garden, not some inauthentic, shrunken version.' Just as the historical gardens Maud tends to have been lost and buried over time; choked out by weeds, her life has been lost somewhere between being a young woman with dreams, falling in love, to dismantling her identity in order to ameliorate what others in her family needed. 'Hedge' tells the story of a woman whose gardens are painstakingly nurtured but her own has been neglected and as the weeds threaten to choke the beauty from it, she needs to draw upon the original blueprint to bring it back to life.
August 9, 2023
Horrible. Nothing really happens in this book. I was drawn in by the promises of “lush� writing, and I wish I’d found some, because richly descriptive writing can sometimes make up for some flaws in a book. But it was pretty simplistic, in my opinion, and features far too much pointless dialogue. I felt like I was reading a litany of “Maud went here. She did this. Ella said a thing. The hedge was green. Here’s a random and basic observation that is supposed to sound profound.�
And I honestly just found the whole thing to be a bit silly. So, Maud’s husband has multiple affairs for years. They separate, but don’t tell their children for Reasons. Maud begins a new romance with someone else, her co-worker Gabriel. The other people working the garden restoration project find out and get pissy. Then the soon-to-be-ex finds out and gets pissy. The snotty eldest daughter, Ella, finds out and gets pissy.
Ella stages a disappearance so she can imply that the boyfriend molested her. She lies about how often she used his wifi - not even kidding here, this was the whole basis of the accusations - and this breaks up Maud and her new guy.
Maud goes back to her husband or whatever he is, and the daughter spends the next two years cutting herself and fixating on that one time that she watched the entire sex session her mother had with the boyfriend, because that’s naturally what you hang around to do when you come across your mother getting it on.
Then the daughter, much later on, spills what she saw and blames it for everything she’s feeling. Maud gets a divorce, and her ex husband never has to reveal his own eight thousand different affairs to the kids. His image with the kids is preserved so that Maud can be the sole bad guy just for the crime of seeing someone new while separated from her husband, which everyone in the book punishes her for over and over for several years. Maud eventually tracks down Gabriel and he tells her that he never came on to her daughter, and her daughter is like, Oh yeah, I did lie about that, sorry, but all of this is still your fault. But don’t worry, because Maud is thankful that Ella “got her out of� the marriage. Yeah.
To recap this, for emphasis: “I love you so much! I’ve never loved anyone before because I’m a cad, but you’re different and it changed me, Maud!� “I love you too, let’s fuck in the woods!� “Hey, like, I used his wifi a lot.� “You pedo! We are OVER!� “OMG Maud slept with one person one time while separated from her spouse, what a whore.� “Right?! That’s why I slice open my thigh every day.� That’s this book.
I know I said that not a lot happens in this book and maybe this sounds like a lot - really, it is not. It takes a long time to learn what actually happened the night that Ella fake-ran away, and a long time for Maud to reconnect with the boyfriend to find closure of some sort. These reveals aren’t built up in a progressively anticipatory way - it’s just pages and pages of uninteresting stuff and Ella cutting her thigh a bunch (also many, many scenes of Maud looking for Ella’s vomit in toilets and describing it, can’t forget that one). I can’t even talk about the paper thin Alice side plot because it was thoroughly uninteresting and added nothing to the rest of the story.
So, “Hedge� will be dumped into a box and shipped back to Amazon along with all the rest of the duds I bought in the great Books that Were a Bust 2023 debacle. May this review save you and your wallet from a similar fate!
And I honestly just found the whole thing to be a bit silly. So, Maud’s husband has multiple affairs for years. They separate, but don’t tell their children for Reasons. Maud begins a new romance with someone else, her co-worker Gabriel. The other people working the garden restoration project find out and get pissy. Then the soon-to-be-ex finds out and gets pissy. The snotty eldest daughter, Ella, finds out and gets pissy.
Ella stages a disappearance so she can imply that the boyfriend molested her. She lies about how often she used his wifi - not even kidding here, this was the whole basis of the accusations - and this breaks up Maud and her new guy.
Maud goes back to her husband or whatever he is, and the daughter spends the next two years cutting herself and fixating on that one time that she watched the entire sex session her mother had with the boyfriend, because that’s naturally what you hang around to do when you come across your mother getting it on.
Then the daughter, much later on, spills what she saw and blames it for everything she’s feeling. Maud gets a divorce, and her ex husband never has to reveal his own eight thousand different affairs to the kids. His image with the kids is preserved so that Maud can be the sole bad guy just for the crime of seeing someone new while separated from her husband, which everyone in the book punishes her for over and over for several years. Maud eventually tracks down Gabriel and he tells her that he never came on to her daughter, and her daughter is like, Oh yeah, I did lie about that, sorry, but all of this is still your fault. But don’t worry, because Maud is thankful that Ella “got her out of� the marriage. Yeah.
To recap this, for emphasis: “I love you so much! I’ve never loved anyone before because I’m a cad, but you’re different and it changed me, Maud!� “I love you too, let’s fuck in the woods!� “Hey, like, I used his wifi a lot.� “You pedo! We are OVER!� “OMG Maud slept with one person one time while separated from her spouse, what a whore.� “Right?! That’s why I slice open my thigh every day.� That’s this book.
I know I said that not a lot happens in this book and maybe this sounds like a lot - really, it is not. It takes a long time to learn what actually happened the night that Ella fake-ran away, and a long time for Maud to reconnect with the boyfriend to find closure of some sort. These reveals aren’t built up in a progressively anticipatory way - it’s just pages and pages of uninteresting stuff and Ella cutting her thigh a bunch (also many, many scenes of Maud looking for Ella’s vomit in toilets and describing it, can’t forget that one). I can’t even talk about the paper thin Alice side plot because it was thoroughly uninteresting and added nothing to the rest of the story.
So, “Hedge� will be dumped into a box and shipped back to Amazon along with all the rest of the duds I bought in the great Books that Were a Bust 2023 debacle. May this review save you and your wallet from a similar fate!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2022
I loved this book! It was about motherhood/daughterhood but it was really about personhood. It was about being a human and figuring out who you are and what you really want. It was about marriage, love, lust and in a way it was about growing older and into or out of those things. Anyone who has a beating heart, anyone who has ever wanted something for him or herself (a career, love, a marriage, a divorce) will connect to this book on so many levels.
I read an advance review copy. I'm not sure when it's coming out, but you can definitely preorder it.
I read an advance review copy. I'm not sure when it's coming out, but you can definitely preorder it.
July 2, 2023
I was hoping this would get better. Parents who cave to their bratty teenager. A step back to the Stone Age when men can do what they want but a woman is ridiculed. Not many smart characters.
July 12, 2023
I was incredibly disappointed to find that the best thing about The Hedge was the main character's job. Maud is a garden historian, someone who restores historically significant gardens, and for the first few chapters, this unique and interesting premise is explored as Maud works on an estate in the Hudson Valley. Gabriel is an archaeologist working on the same estate, and of course, Maud finds herself falling for him. She has separated from her husband in California but her daughters are coming to stay with her for the summer.
Other reviewers have said that here the novel turns a corner; I thought it fell apart completely. I'd love to read a novel about a garden historian who doesn't have a deceptive and devious teenage daughter, but this is not that novel.
Other reviewers have said that here the novel turns a corner; I thought it fell apart completely. I'd love to read a novel about a garden historian who doesn't have a deceptive and devious teenage daughter, but this is not that novel.
July 11, 2023
Good grief, I just went from one sh**y DNF to another. This one is even worse. I absolutely can’t stand the audio narrator (she speaks like she is reading to 3 year olds), the characters are boring and one dimensional. The main character (Maude 🤮) has an awesome job restoring old gardens (why I chose this book) but nothing else about her or her life is interesting and she is seriously TMI about stuff no one cares about. Really, no one wants to hear about your daughter’s or your bloody period unless we are in 5th grade health class! I almost stopped right after the author threw “cl*t� in for no reason at all but when I got to checking under the toilet for vomit and crusty blood on you know what hairs, I knew I was not enjoying this at all. Now, that I am reading some of the comments and the main character is about to think her new man crush is sexualizing, possibly assaulting her daughter, I am SUPER done. Next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2023
DNF the audio at 50%. NOT FOR ME. I was shocked at about 40% when the story took a turn I didn’t at all expect and then it quickly angered me. I’m not sure if it was the audio that made the change of tone / content so jarring and unlikeable for me, but to go from a woman with a unique career exploring a new relationship when her marriage is failing, to all of a sudden turn into the new man being suspected (only by her) of sexually abusing her daughter was whiplash I wasn’t ready for. I avoid all books about sexual assault of children and while at 50% there was none, it was thought about and accused a lot. It got super serious super fast and didn’t work for me especially on audio.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2023
I thought I was reading one story but then it turns into something different.It reminded me a bit of Alice McDermott’s novels. That is high praise.
July 17, 2023
I had no idea what this was about and I also have no idea who Zibby is, but for some reason she gives an actual intro to this uninspired selection. That’s a first and off-putting. I don’t need to be told how wonderful a novel is when I’ve already decided to listen to it.
The beginning was interesting—I liked the asides about gardens and the old Hudson Valley estate setting—and then it becomes a predictable unhappy marriage and motherhood story. And then it takes a turn I wasn’t anticipating and really really didn’t like. Ugh. The narrative never recovers and becomes progressively naval-gazing. Also, I never warmed up to the characters, especially the MC, due to a combination of a lack of character growth and substantial privilege. I listened to this, which is a unfortunate because the narrator's tone is so arrogant and aloof that it further ruined the whole not great book.
Content note below 👇🏼
If you have any sensitivity regarding sexual abuse of a minor (not factual, but it’s suspected and discussed), self harm, infidelity, and/or ableism, proceed with care.
The beginning was interesting—I liked the asides about gardens and the old Hudson Valley estate setting—and then it becomes a predictable unhappy marriage and motherhood story. And then it takes a turn I wasn’t anticipating and really really didn’t like. Ugh. The narrative never recovers and becomes progressively naval-gazing. Also, I never warmed up to the characters, especially the MC, due to a combination of a lack of character growth and substantial privilege. I listened to this, which is a unfortunate because the narrator's tone is so arrogant and aloof that it further ruined the whole not great book.
Content note below 👇🏼
If you have any sensitivity regarding sexual abuse of a minor (not factual, but it’s suspected and discussed), self harm, infidelity, and/or ableism, proceed with care.
November 11, 2023
I read this book because of its in the Washington Post. I'm not sure we read the same book as the Post's critic. This novel started out a fluffy, trite summer-romance-for-middle-aged-woman story and switched about halfway through into a family soap opera with retrograde, sexist values. The audiobook's narrator sounded smug part of the time and like she was reading to 4-year-olds the rest. (And she could not do a convincing British accent to save her life.) I only finished because I didn't have another audiobook queued up, but I wish I had stopped. 1 1/2 stars, begrudging it an extra half star because some of the descriptions of gardens were nice.
March 26, 2023
This is one of those books that pushes my buttons, all in a bad way. The main character is about as interesting and has about the same amount of interiority as a barn door, and the errors throughout the book make me think it hasn't been edited very well. Soem examples: archivists or people working in archives DO NOT wear gloves when handling archival documents--gloves do more damage to paper than bare hands. "Antiquarian" does not mean old (the author writes "antiquarian stove"); an antiquarian is someone who does research on or deals in antiques or old books. "Inuendo" is used incorrectly, and is missing an n. Adding lemon juice to milk DOES NOT make it buttermilk. There are issues with tech and chronology. I could go on. And then there's the main character's flaccidity, her absolute lack of wit, and doormat tendencies. I guess we're supposed to think she rises heroically and overcomes these things? But she doesn't. She reacts rather than acts, and I, as a reader, find this incredibly annoying and infuriating....especially because most of the other characters are much the same, and they're possibly worse, because they're very two-dimensional.
June 18, 2023
This is HORRIBLE. The main character is unlikeable. She assumes a person is “on the spectrum� based on a brief encounter and based on how they look which is not possible. She then is so strongly antiabortion which I can’t deal with right now. And a disgusting twist occurs halfway through that I really don’t want to know more of.
August 2, 2023
I’m not a big fan of books that deal with adultery but the family drama and heartache made up for that fact. My mother’s heart is still aching fromMaud’s story. The aftermath of mistakes, lies, and its effects on a family and their children is devastating. This was definitely not a story that was wrapped up and left readers with a feeling of a happy ending. I enjoyed the rich descriptions of gardening.
December 22, 2022
I read an advance copy of HEDGE and was really transported by the novel. If you have ever struggled with how the decisions you've made have affected your loved ones (and who hasn't?), you will relate to the main character here. She is as capable as all of us hope to be and as flawed as all of us fear we are.
June 1, 2023
“When you married, you did nothing but compromise. And you lost your ability to make a home exactly as you wanted down to the last detail.�
Maud is in a marriage with a man she no longer loves, so she jumps at the chance to spend the summer away restoring the gardens of a historic estate in the Hudson Valley. She comes to life as she unearths the mysteries of the garden beds with the help of a handsome archaeologist and colleague. But, when her children join her, the budding relationship she has built and the independence she felt becomes stunted by an event that changes everything.
I found myself relating to this book so deeply as a mother and wife. The parallels between gardening and a mother’s sense of worth were so beautifully written. While Maud tends to the gardens and nurtures her children, her own sense of self and worth become overgrown with weeds. In the end, though, there is hope as she begins to build a life on her own terms.
Hedge was so much more than I was expecting. It is deeply moving, full of rich, elegant language, and hard to put down. This one will stay with me for quite some time.
Thank you to NetGalley, Zibby Books and Jane Delury for an advance copy of this book.
Maud is in a marriage with a man she no longer loves, so she jumps at the chance to spend the summer away restoring the gardens of a historic estate in the Hudson Valley. She comes to life as she unearths the mysteries of the garden beds with the help of a handsome archaeologist and colleague. But, when her children join her, the budding relationship she has built and the independence she felt becomes stunted by an event that changes everything.
I found myself relating to this book so deeply as a mother and wife. The parallels between gardening and a mother’s sense of worth were so beautifully written. While Maud tends to the gardens and nurtures her children, her own sense of self and worth become overgrown with weeds. In the end, though, there is hope as she begins to build a life on her own terms.
Hedge was so much more than I was expecting. It is deeply moving, full of rich, elegant language, and hard to put down. This one will stay with me for quite some time.
Thank you to NetGalley, Zibby Books and Jane Delury for an advance copy of this book.
April 27, 2023
I was so intrigued by the synopsis of this book that I just had to read it. A combination of a garden historian with an archaeologist working on a nearby site. This book had my name all over it and I was so right! I love this book so much; I devoured it in one day. Jane Delury hooks you from the beginning with her fantastic characters. That are incredibly real, relatable, and scarred in some way. Making you instantly connect. The descriptions and details sweep you away from New York to California. The story is about love. The love of a mother to her daughters and everything she is willing to do to keep them safe.
Maud has decided she needs a change in her life. She is separated from her husband, and has taken a job across the country in New York. Her two daughters are coming to join her once school is out. She is already feeling more vibrant, and more freedom than she has in years. Especially when she strikes up a friendship with the archaeologist who is working on a site on the same grounds. She feels an instant connection, a passion she has never experienced before. When her daughters finally land, with her husband. All things take a drastic turn when her oldest daughter Ella's deeply buried secret comes to light. Making Maud immediately forget about herself and only live for her family.
This book is incredible! The number one worry to any mother is your children. How will they be affected if you do this or that. Will they be, okay? Or will I ruin them for life? Do I suffer through a life I do not want in order to make them happy? Or do they already know that I am not, that I do not smile enough, or laugh aloud. I love the journey Maud must take to find these answers for herself and her daughters. Thank you to Jane Delury and Zibby Books for my gifted copy of this incredibly real story.
Maud has decided she needs a change in her life. She is separated from her husband, and has taken a job across the country in New York. Her two daughters are coming to join her once school is out. She is already feeling more vibrant, and more freedom than she has in years. Especially when she strikes up a friendship with the archaeologist who is working on a site on the same grounds. She feels an instant connection, a passion she has never experienced before. When her daughters finally land, with her husband. All things take a drastic turn when her oldest daughter Ella's deeply buried secret comes to light. Making Maud immediately forget about herself and only live for her family.
This book is incredible! The number one worry to any mother is your children. How will they be affected if you do this or that. Will they be, okay? Or will I ruin them for life? Do I suffer through a life I do not want in order to make them happy? Or do they already know that I am not, that I do not smile enough, or laugh aloud. I love the journey Maud must take to find these answers for herself and her daughters. Thank you to Jane Delury and Zibby Books for my gifted copy of this incredibly real story.
June 23, 2023
Thank you @zibbybooks @librofm for the #gifted ALC and physical copy of this book!
What it’s about:
Maud is a garden historian and in a transitional time in her life. Fresh off a separation from her husband she takes a summer job restoring a garden away from her family. She meets and falls for a fellow coworker named Gabriel. As their friendship blossoms Maud’s children, Ella and Louise come for a visit. Ella is at the age where she is a hormonal teenager with moods that change by the second. Maud is stuck constantly trying to make a hard decision between her own happiness, her children’s happiness and her failing relationship with her husband.
I thought this book was engaging and a little bit heartbreaking. I was able to feel the struggle in Mauds life and understood why she made the decisions she did. I have emotional teenagers now so I could 💯 relate to the constant wonder and stress of what is going on. Maud was a great mother, questioned herself when needed and sacrificed herself as a person. It’s hard to watch but I’m not sure I would have made different choices. I also really appreciated her and her husband’s ability to put their kids first and coparent pretty darn well. Overall I just thought this book felt “real� and very much though it encompassed being human. Looking forward to what Jane comes up with next!
What it’s about:
Maud is a garden historian and in a transitional time in her life. Fresh off a separation from her husband she takes a summer job restoring a garden away from her family. She meets and falls for a fellow coworker named Gabriel. As their friendship blossoms Maud’s children, Ella and Louise come for a visit. Ella is at the age where she is a hormonal teenager with moods that change by the second. Maud is stuck constantly trying to make a hard decision between her own happiness, her children’s happiness and her failing relationship with her husband.
I thought this book was engaging and a little bit heartbreaking. I was able to feel the struggle in Mauds life and understood why she made the decisions she did. I have emotional teenagers now so I could 💯 relate to the constant wonder and stress of what is going on. Maud was a great mother, questioned herself when needed and sacrificed herself as a person. It’s hard to watch but I’m not sure I would have made different choices. I also really appreciated her and her husband’s ability to put their kids first and coparent pretty darn well. Overall I just thought this book felt “real� and very much though it encompassed being human. Looking forward to what Jane comes up with next!
April 7, 2023
Hedge by Jane Delury is an emotional look into the life of Maud; a garden historian, mother, wife and woman. Unhappy in her marriage, and after her husband reluctantly agrees to a separation for the summer, Maud takes a job restoring a garden in the Hudson Valley, and befriends an archeologist, Gabriel. While her daughters and husband are across the country in California, Maud begins to picture a different, happier life for herself. After an unexpected and unnerving event takes place after her family arrives in New York, everything she had pictured for her future life has changed. I absolutely loved this book because it makes you ponder so many questions, especially as a mother. How much do others needs and happiness come before your own? How well do you really know someone you love? How far do you go to protect your children's feelings over your own truth? How much of what goes on between two parents do children need to know? I would highly recommend this book, especially to other mothers and I think it would make an excellent book club discussion! Thank you to Zibby Books and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
August 23, 2023
Trigger Warnings: infidelity, child self-harm/cutting
This novel follows Maud, a garden historian, who takes a summer job in New York State during a separation from her husband, Peter. An unexpected relationship develops between her and a co-worker, an archeologist named Gabriel. Her two young daughters come to spend the summer with her, which causes complications and challenges for her in more than one way.
This novel was at times more character-driven than plot-driven. I appreciated the uniqueness of the story, as many books these days seem to be so formulaic and unoriginal. We follow Maud’s journey as she struggles with a failing marriage, her feelings for another man, being a devoted mother, a complicated relationship with her eldest daughter, and finally finding her true happiness.
I found this book to be a refreshing change from most books that seem to have the same repetitive plotlines. Pick this one up if you’re looking for something a little different and off the beaten path.
This novel follows Maud, a garden historian, who takes a summer job in New York State during a separation from her husband, Peter. An unexpected relationship develops between her and a co-worker, an archeologist named Gabriel. Her two young daughters come to spend the summer with her, which causes complications and challenges for her in more than one way.
This novel was at times more character-driven than plot-driven. I appreciated the uniqueness of the story, as many books these days seem to be so formulaic and unoriginal. We follow Maud’s journey as she struggles with a failing marriage, her feelings for another man, being a devoted mother, a complicated relationship with her eldest daughter, and finally finding her true happiness.
I found this book to be a refreshing change from most books that seem to have the same repetitive plotlines. Pick this one up if you’re looking for something a little different and off the beaten path.
Read
April 12, 2023Lots to take in - mother/daughter relationships, parenthood, duty, desire, imperfection. Really fascinated with the garden historian content! Great read!
I received a PDF ARC of this novel from the publisher.
I received a PDF ARC of this novel from the publisher.
July 21, 2023
I wanted to like this but it drove me crazy. Maud isn’t balancing her demands of self, motherhood and marriage like the description says, she’s telling herself stories and avoiding her reality. How this book went by with the teenager being the only one doing actual honest work in therapy was beyond me. Somehow she took all the blame when her husband was the reason the separation ever even happened. Maud’s inability to deal with relationships and then smother her daughter to help her deal with all the aspects of herself she was running from. Just� no� ugh!
June 22, 2023
I listened to this book, & the narrator’s voice was terribly annoying, but the story was trite and even silly.
July 28, 2023
I hated all the characters except for Alice and Louise. I especially hated Peter. I hated the storyline and all of the stupid decisions everyone made for ridiculous reasons. I hated the endless, irrelevant details. The only enjoyable part was learning about the main character’s job.
This is about the fifth book that I’ve read that I did not like, that was recommended by the local newspaper. I’m going to be ignoring that section of the paper from now on!
This is about the fifth book that I’ve read that I did not like, that was recommended by the local newspaper. I’m going to be ignoring that section of the paper from now on!
July 22, 2023
Didn't love how it took a surprising turn and focused on the daughters mental state vs the mothers healthy and non healthy relationships.
October 3, 2024
This book is broken into 3 parts, the first part is 2012, 2nd is 2014, and the 3rd is 2014-2015 (although this part is more like an epilogue). To give a brief overview: 1st part, amazing and couldn't put it down. 2nd part, super slow and honestly lost all excitement for the rest of the book. 3rd part, wrapped up the ending and was a little better but was so short that it didn't carry much weight.
This book is not a happy story. Maybe I've spent too much time reading only happy novels, because this is what I expected as Maud and Gabrielle were falling in love in 2012. Yes it was an affair and yes Maud's husband cheated on her too, but happy ever after can still exist right? WRONG!
Having little expectation or understanding of what this could possible be about, I was so surprised with the direction this book turned at the end of the first part; and continued to stay pointed in this weird direction for the rest of the story. Sneak peak: child molestation, self harm, infidelity
There are also random characters that are introduced that I didn't think needed to be there. Chris, for example, had no depth as a character and could've had a great arc. Alice from part 2 was the weirdest person I'd ever read about. This relationship was just overall strange. Maria, could've been much more developed especially since they remained in touch after Maud's work ended at the Presidio.
I think I understand the overall theme: everything is lonely. It's lonely being trapped in a loveless marriage, lonely being a mom, lonely being the only outlet for her daughter's anger, etc.. But this book teases the worst characteristics of people and makes you believe maybe they can be true. Maybe Gabrielle is a pedophile; maybe Maud is thinking about Alice romantically and trying to replace Alice's partner Gloria. Maybe she is a terrible mother. Personally I like to see the good in people. I generally like to read novels with happy endings. I really took a chance on this book, and what I took away is fear. Fear of marriage, relationships, and raising children. ALSO, the fact that Maud has wanted to divorce her husband for so long and the author couldn't even give her that! Her husband is the one that asks for the divorce and "frees" her. Like come on. Throw the girl a bone!
And it was all because of 2 people meeting at a hedge... If you want to be somewhat entertained but also mildly bored with a side of fantastic imagery of the Bay Area, then this should be your next read.
This book is not a happy story. Maybe I've spent too much time reading only happy novels, because this is what I expected as Maud and Gabrielle were falling in love in 2012. Yes it was an affair and yes Maud's husband cheated on her too, but happy ever after can still exist right? WRONG!
Having little expectation or understanding of what this could possible be about, I was so surprised with the direction this book turned at the end of the first part; and continued to stay pointed in this weird direction for the rest of the story. Sneak peak: child molestation, self harm, infidelity
There are also random characters that are introduced that I didn't think needed to be there. Chris, for example, had no depth as a character and could've had a great arc. Alice from part 2 was the weirdest person I'd ever read about. This relationship was just overall strange. Maria, could've been much more developed especially since they remained in touch after Maud's work ended at the Presidio.
I think I understand the overall theme: everything is lonely. It's lonely being trapped in a loveless marriage, lonely being a mom, lonely being the only outlet for her daughter's anger, etc.. But this book teases the worst characteristics of people and makes you believe maybe they can be true. Maybe Gabrielle is a pedophile; maybe Maud is thinking about Alice romantically and trying to replace Alice's partner Gloria. Maybe she is a terrible mother. Personally I like to see the good in people. I generally like to read novels with happy endings. I really took a chance on this book, and what I took away is fear. Fear of marriage, relationships, and raising children. ALSO, the fact that Maud has wanted to divorce her husband for so long and the author couldn't even give her that! Her husband is the one that asks for the divorce and "frees" her. Like come on. Throw the girl a bone!
And it was all because of 2 people meeting at a hedge... If you want to be somewhat entertained but also mildly bored with a side of fantastic imagery of the Bay Area, then this should be your next read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2024
Maud restores gardens to historically accurate representations and although she and her husband and two daughters live near San Francisco, she has taken a summer job in New York’s Hudson Valley. She and her husband agree it’s a separation for them, but he thinks it is a trial one whereas Maud is done and ready to move on. She works with an archaeologist who she starts growing closer to. Her daughters come to stay for a few months, and after some initial bumps, everything is going well - until her husband comes to visit. A big event happens, and Maud retreats with the family. Maud’s roles as mother, wife, garden restorer, and even independent woman are competing for her attention, which makes this literary fiction more of a women’s fiction read, in my opinion. The story puts the reader in Maud’s shoes, to wonder what is too much to give up for your family? I really enjoyed this viewpoint, and the narration was good, even though this was a new-to-me narrator Molly Parker Myers (even though the audiobook isn't on ŷ!). I am going to recommend this one to my mom, too, so we can discuss it.
If you’re interested in this one, I’m including some content warnings in case you’d like to check them out, depending on your sensitivities.
CONTENT WARNINGS: self-harm, infidelity, suspected sexual abuse of a minor
If you’re interested in this one, I’m including some content warnings in case you’d like to check them out, depending on your sensitivities.
CONTENT WARNINGS: self-harm, infidelity, suspected sexual abuse of a minor
June 17, 2023
Maud is tired in her marriage that she has tried to make work for a long time, ignoring her own desires, like landscape history. One summer, she tells her husband she’s going to work on a garden project. She loves the work, and there is Gabriel, who makes her see herself differently.
There are some triggers for this book about family issues - both marital, parenting and teenage mental issues (cutting, therapy, etc)
“She’d married him thinking that he operated with a secret code that she’d eventually crack. But she could never decipher the symbols, and once Ella arrived, she stopped trying.� Ch 2
“She imagined…And when the moon came out, the two of them would say good night, then walk to their tent, take off their clothes, and zip out the world.� Ch 5
“Maud had understood viscerally in the hospital room when she saw the scars on Ella’s thighs: The dangerous secret that makes you feel alive. The secret that gives you control.� Ch 11
“You found clarity, and you made resolutions, and you had epiphanies, and then you lost the clarity, and you broke the resolutions, and you watched the epiphanies turn to sand.� Ch 16
““It’s sad,� Maud said.
“For him or for me?�
“For him. Losing his daughter.�
“All kids leave their parents. Some of us slam the door on our way out.� Ch 17
There are some triggers for this book about family issues - both marital, parenting and teenage mental issues (cutting, therapy, etc)
“She’d married him thinking that he operated with a secret code that she’d eventually crack. But she could never decipher the symbols, and once Ella arrived, she stopped trying.� Ch 2
“She imagined…And when the moon came out, the two of them would say good night, then walk to their tent, take off their clothes, and zip out the world.� Ch 5
“Maud had understood viscerally in the hospital room when she saw the scars on Ella’s thighs: The dangerous secret that makes you feel alive. The secret that gives you control.� Ch 11
“You found clarity, and you made resolutions, and you had epiphanies, and then you lost the clarity, and you broke the resolutions, and you watched the epiphanies turn to sand.� Ch 16
““It’s sad,� Maud said.
“For him or for me?�
“For him. Losing his daughter.�
“All kids leave their parents. Some of us slam the door on our way out.� Ch 17
June 7, 2023
“I’m madly in love with my children. But why can’t I have more than one mad love?�
HEDGE is a gorgeous novel about a garden historian struggling to balance the demands of motherhood and marriage with her own ambitions and desires. When she takes a summer job restoring the gardens of an estate in the Hudson Valley, the distance from her husband makes room for a new relationship with a colleague. The intimacy between the two grows until one night changes everything—for Maud and Gabriel, but also for Maud and her family. The will-they-won’t-they aspect of the story makes this book unputdownable, and I found the story and characters so absorbing they infiltrated my dreams at night! @jane.delury is such a talented writer, and her exploration of motherhood, marriage, being a woman, and raising daughters is exceptional. Loved this book!
#hedgethebook #hedgeinahedge #zibbybooks #pubday #newrelease #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #amreading #summerreading #bookrec
HEDGE is a gorgeous novel about a garden historian struggling to balance the demands of motherhood and marriage with her own ambitions and desires. When she takes a summer job restoring the gardens of an estate in the Hudson Valley, the distance from her husband makes room for a new relationship with a colleague. The intimacy between the two grows until one night changes everything—for Maud and Gabriel, but also for Maud and her family. The will-they-won’t-they aspect of the story makes this book unputdownable, and I found the story and characters so absorbing they infiltrated my dreams at night! @jane.delury is such a talented writer, and her exploration of motherhood, marriage, being a woman, and raising daughters is exceptional. Loved this book!
#hedgethebook #hedgeinahedge #zibbybooks #pubday #newrelease #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #amreading #summerreading #bookrec
May 30, 2023
Hedge
Jane Delury
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Maud is a garden historian and has taken a job in NY to restore a garden to its previous splendor. She is separated from her husband and the two daughters (Ella and Louise) will be joining her from CA as soon as school is out. Maud is loving her new job and feels so much better about herself. Gabriel is an archeologist working at the estate too. They become friendly and enjoy being with each other. Will they take this relationship to another level?
On the day that their father comes to visit, Ella does something that will change a lot of lives!! How far will a mother go to protect her child???
This was a fast paced and wonderfully book about the messiness of families, the desire to excel in your chosen job, friendship and finding out how to navigate life. Highly recommend this book which will be out on 6/6.
Jane Delury
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Maud is a garden historian and has taken a job in NY to restore a garden to its previous splendor. She is separated from her husband and the two daughters (Ella and Louise) will be joining her from CA as soon as school is out. Maud is loving her new job and feels so much better about herself. Gabriel is an archeologist working at the estate too. They become friendly and enjoy being with each other. Will they take this relationship to another level?
On the day that their father comes to visit, Ella does something that will change a lot of lives!! How far will a mother go to protect her child???
This was a fast paced and wonderfully book about the messiness of families, the desire to excel in your chosen job, friendship and finding out how to navigate life. Highly recommend this book which will be out on 6/6.
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