The floral companion cover

The floral companion

by Anthea Bell

An occasionally slow-going but nonetheless engaging second novel from Bell (A London Season, 1983), this one set in post-Regency England--circa 1830--and starring spunky heroine Mrs. Caroline ("Carey") Eliott, newly widowed, whose interest in botanical drawing (among other things) leads her to a long stay at scheming/greedy Cousin Clarissa's country estate. There, Carey will not only meet a (mostly) likable bunch of country folk--including the minister and his wife as well as the madam of the brothel across the street--but find a spot of real, grown-up romance. Pleasant entertainment for fans of the genre. Kirkus Review

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?