Product Description

A novel of the enduring power of love and commitment -- against the forces of war and the equally dangerous forces of keeping the peace From the bestselling author of The Girl in Times Square, comes the magnificent conclusion to the saga that was set in motion when Tatiana fell in love with her Red Army officer, Alexander Belov, in wartime Leningrad in 1941. Tatiana and Alexander have since suffered the worst the twentieth century had to offer. After years of separation, they are miraculously reunited in America, the land of their dreams. They have a beautiful son, Anthony. They have proved to each other that their love is greater than the vast evil of the world. But though they are only in their twenties, in their hearts they are old, and they are strangers. In the climate of fear and mistrust of the Cold War, dark forces are at work in the US that threaten their life and their family. Can they be happy? Or will the ghosts of yesterday reach out to blight even the destiny of their firstborn son? Epic in scope, masterfully told, The Summer Garden is a novel of unique and devastating emotional power that spans two thirds of the twentieth century, and three continents.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17749 in Books
• Published on: 2007-07-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback

Review
The Summer Garden 'Simons has written a book that is high on feeling and suspense' Sydney Morning Herald Tatiana and Alexander 'This has everything a romance glutton could wish for: a bold, talented and dashing hero, a heart-stopping love affair ! It also has -- thank goodness -- a welcome sense of humour and discernable characters rather than ciphers.' Victoria Moore, Daily Mail The Bronze Horseman 'Pulling off the passionate love story embedded in a truly epic narrative is a difficult thing to do. Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind remains the blueprint for the genre, while Tolstoy's War and Peace carries off the literary honours ! it's quickly apparent that the Russian-born author Paullina Simons has the measure of this kind of epic romantic saga ! She is able to make some powerful statements about the durability of the human spirit, but never at the expense of descriptive passages refulgent with power and beauty' Barry Forshaw, amazon Praise for Tully: "Pick up this book and prepare to have your emotions wrung so completely you'll be sobbing your heart out one minute and laughing through your tears the next.! Read it and weep -- literally" Company

About the Author
Paullina Simons was born in Leningrad in 1963. As a child she emigrated to Queens, New York, and attended colleges in Long Island. Then she moved to England and attended Essex University, before returning to America. She lives in New York with her husband and children.

Customer Reviews

the love story continues!
at long last...the finale to the greatest love story, of tatia and shura....
i realy wasnt sure i wanted to read more due to the love story of the two being young....to see them grow old was something that took my mind a while to adjust to. i did enjoy the book, paullina is brilliant. no doubt about it. i look forward to more from her and the ending saga of the barringtons was emotional. yet again we are under the paullina simons spell. sleepless nights whilst we read'one more chapter-then i will go to bed', the endless thoughts going through your head wondering whats coming up next in the book, it's sad it's heart wrencing. it's happy. thankyou paullina and goodbye tatiana and alexander i've had immense pleasure in being drawn in to your lives!!!

The Summer Garden, A Preview
'The Summer Garden' is the third epic love story of Tatiana and Alexander, who were first introduced to us in 'The Bronze Horseman'. While it's content and style aren't to the standard of it's predecesors, fans of the first two novels will be gripped by the shocking plot and enduring love of the two central characters.

'The Summer Garden' tells the story that 'The Bridge to Holy Cross' (or 'Tatiana and Alexander') only briefly skimmed over - the period from Alexander's return onwards. It is largely centred around Alexander's battle with the emotional scars of war and his son Anthony's determination to prove himself to his father. The result is a tense and emotional drama, although it is likely to be more thoroughly enjoyed by those familiar with the characters.

Every sentence in the novel oozes the sentimental and almost haunting, emotional style of Paullina Simmons, so fans of the author will not be disappointed. Tatiana and Alexander are recreated so vividly for the final saga, and Anthony and Vikki, who readers will remember from the last book, were also well constructed by the author.

The one disappointing aspect of the novel was that, in my opinion, it continued for too long, resulting in a somewhat scrappy ending. A number of characters were introduced in the last few chapters of the novel, leaving the reader with little time to get to know them, which basically created confusion. The ending was also a case of telling the reader a bit more than we needed to know - some things are best left to the imagination, especially when the reader is so well acquainted with and fond of the central characters.

Essentially, however, it is another magnificent novel, highly recommended to fans and beginners alike. I would definitely recommend, however, that the first two books have been read before attempting 'The Summer Garden', or I don't think the plot can be appreciated at all.

Breathtaking...
After reading The Bronze Horseman and Tatiana & Alexander (The Summer Garden is the third book in this sequel)I just had to have this book - from Australia,as it's not out in the UK yet.
It is the story of Tatiana and Alexander trying to pick up the pieces of their lives, trying to build themselves a new life in America after escaping the iron fist of war and communism in Russia. How can Alexander, an ex-Red Army officer who spent years in special camps and prisons, cope with everyday life?

"-Tania, Will you forgive me for dying?
-Yes.
-You'll forgive me for going to prison?
-Yes.
-Will you forgive me ...
-I will forgive you for everything."

Read it and find out whether Tania is true to her words and is she really willing to forgive EVERYTHING - because there's a lot to forgive.

I could not put this book down though I think you have to read the first two books to really appriciate this one.