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The Paper Garden

Mrs. Delany Begins Her Life's Work at 72
Jan 02, 2014sharon711 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This book is a low-key but surprisingly fascinating read. Its window on a woman's life nearly 300 years ago details how the basic pleasures of living remain the same while the world around morphs this way and that. Added to what we learn about life on the lower rungs of the upper class in England during the 1700s is the beauty of the author's language. Her facility for metaphor and her fluid imagination as she studies Mrs. Delany's flowers bring the characters to life, whether they be paper collages or personalities from a time long gone. A beautiful book lovingly crafted, these words are well worth spending time with.