The Best of Intentions

Charming, nostalgic and brimming with optimism – a sparkling story of friendship, community and staying true to yourself for fans of Lissa Evans and AJ Pearce.

Perfect for fans of Dear Mrs Bird – Lorna Cook

A fond and funny novel about the power of patience, love and kindness – Fiona Valpy

I love how Caroline Scott writes . . . she has the ability to not only set the scene, but take you by the hand and make you feel right at home – LoveReading

1932: When gardener Robert Bardsley arrives at Anderby Hall, an Elizabethan manor house in the Gloucestershire countryside, it is home to ‘Greenfields’, a community of artists and idealists.

Robert has been employed to revive Anderby’s famous roses and restore the topiary garden, but he also soon befriends the other residents: from colourful neighbour Trudie, who makes a formidable cocktail and keeps her late-fiancé’s ashes on the mantelpiece, to composer Daniel, recovering from the horrors of the Great War. The only person he can’t win over is Anderby’s schoolteacher, Faye, who finds him . . . perfectly vexing.

But just as Robert starts to feel at home, the residents discover that the old orchard has been sold to a property developer who has plans for an estate of Tudorbethan bungalows. Can they find a way to keep their creative community alive or will the new housing development put an end to the spirit of Greenfields?

An ode to kindness, authenticity and optimism - just what we need at the moment! – Caroline Bishop

[A] warm and engaging story of community, friendship and resilience – Anita Frank

How to live your best life is a topic of perennial fascination. Caroline Scott explores the challenges facing a utopian community of the interwar period in a beautifully written and wonderfully atmospheric story. It's hard to put down – Rachel Hore

As clouds gather on the distant European horizon in the 1930s, the residents of Anderby Hall remind us of the importance of community, kindness and optimism – Flora Johnston

[A] wonderful, atmospheric read that I really couldn't tear myself away from. It's so beautifully written, with gorgeous, evocative descriptions of orchards, gardens, the seasons and an English country house. I was transported! – Tracy Rees

A wonderful novel about the power of a creative community to heal and educate – Suzanne Goldring