In Summer N. England’s debut, The Impossible Garden of Clara Thorne, gardener Clara Thorne lives a cozy, isolated life in the town of Moss. Joined by her cute hedgehog, Clara spends her days growing vegetables and working on her book. However, a Goddess needs Clara’s help, and it’ll take the curmudgeonly gardener far away from her beloved village.
Clara must journey to the town of Dwindle, which was abandoned after being cursed by corrupt magic. Her task: grow a garden. The quest seems simple enough, except for the fact that Clara can’t seem to work her magic outside of Moss, something that she’s tried hard to keep secret. She doesn’t truly believe in the power of her abilities; instead, she thinks her magic mostly comes from her home. Joining her on the trip is Hesper Altanfall, a sunny yet mysterious bodyguard who is hopelessly enamored with Clara despite her prickliness. While the road trip element puts the pair in close quarters, the action doesn’t stop once they reach Dwindle and fully reckon with Clara’s assignment and their roles in fighting back an encroaching, evil magic.
This is a cozy fantasy romance; the stakes aren’t exactly low, but they never feel truly insurmountable for Clara, which may ease some reader anxiety. The magical system leans more toward the mundane, like talents people would more so use in their everyday lives as opposed to grand displays of power.
Clara’s an adorable grouch who is used to being alone, so accepting help or confiding in others is a muscle she isn’t used to flexing. England incorporates both the grumpy-sunshine and opposites-attract tropes when it comes to Clara and Hesper, and their different personalities are on full display once they become travel partners.
Hesper’s patience and optimism are a foil for the thorny and occasionally insecure Clara, whose standoffish demeanor is born out of fear, but the romance is sweet as Hesper works to wear down the walls of the protective and stubborn heroine. The Impossible Garden of Clara Thorne is as much about an outward journey as it is an inward one. The characters are complex, and their romance has just enough bite to keep the cozy scales from tipping too far into sugary sweet. This debut may burst with cottagecore whimsy, but it also taps into the sheer terror it takes to be vulnerable and rely on others.