Books like A memory of violets by Hazel Gaynor

In the bustling, stratified streets of 1912 London, twenty‑year‑old Tilly Harper leaves the tranquility of the Lake District for a new life in the city. She takes a position as assistant housemother at Mr. Shaw’s Home for Watercress and Flower Girls, a shelter that cares for orphaned and disabled children who sell flowers for survival. When Tilly discovers a diary written by Florrie, an Irish flower girl who died after she and her sister Rosie were separated, she is moved to find out what happened to Rosie. The search draws Tilly into the hidden corners of London, challenging her perceptions of poverty and privilege, and reexamining her own heart. Through the diary’s memories and the city’s harsh realities, the story explores resilience, sisterhood, and the quiet courage of those who live and work in the shadows of the empire.

First publish date: 2015