The Garden

From a Costa shortlisted children's author and Daunts bookseller, The Garden is like The Secret Garden with an otherworldly twist – perfect for fans of Unsettled Ground, Piranesi, Leave the World Behind, and the speculative edge of Margaret Atwood.

A haunting, ethereal and beautiful twist on The Secret Garden, ideal for fans of Shirley Jackson, Piranesi, and Unsettled Ground.

'Extraordinary... it already feels like a classic' – Emerald Fennell, Oscar-winning director of PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN and SALTBURN

'A seductive modern fairytale' – Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters

In a place and time unknown, two elderly sisters live in a walled garden, secluded from the outside world. For as long as they can remember, Evelyn and Lily have only had each other. What was before the garden, they have forgotten; what lies beyond it, they do not know.

Each day is spent in languid service to their home – tending the bees, planting the crops, and dutifully following the instructions of the almanac written by their mother. So, when a nameless boy is found hiding in the boarded house at the centre of this new Eden, the reality of their existence is irrevocably shattered. Who is he? And where did he come from?

Reader's Responses to The Garden:

‘Definitely one of the most original books I've ever read and I loved every moment of the reading experience’ – 5-star reader review

‘LOVED this. Reminiscent of Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived In The Castle and Susanna Clarke's Piranesi’ – 5-star reader review

‘Newman's writing style and world-building are poetic and evocative, yet also eerie and suspenseful.’ – 5-star reader review

‘WOW! I was absolutely engrossed in this genre-bender for two days straight.’ – 5-star reader review

‘Fans of Emily St. John Mandel, Lily Brooks-Dalton, and Charlotte McConaghy will enjoy this book.’ – 5-star reader review

‘Part Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, part Lord of the Flies, part Shirley Jackson - all itself’ – 5-star reader review

‘Nick Newman's distinctly creepy, quirky, mountingly tense post-apocalyptic Gothic Garden of Eden novel is definitely weird, and remarkably wonderful.’ – 5-star reader review

‘Gave me a mixture of We Have Always Lived in the Castle and I Capture the Castle vibes’ – 5-star reader review

‘Outstanding. I was hooked on the story from the beginning. It had such a weird, evocative vibe from the beginning.’ – 5-star reader review

‘Whatever else I read in 2025, it's definitely going to be one of my top ten.’ – 5-star reader review