The Summer Garden: A Novel (Tatiana and Alexander Book 3)
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more
Flip to back
Flip to front
The Summer Garden: A Love Story Paperback – June 21, 2011
$12.89
FREE Shipping on orders over $35.
Only 18 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Gift-wrap available.
 If you buy a new print edition of this book (or purchased one in the past), you can buy the Kindle edition for only $2.99 (Save 73%). Print edition purchase must be sold by Amazon. Learn more. |
Start reading The Summer Garden: A Novel (Tatiana and Alexander Book 3) on your Kindle in under a minute.
Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
Want to know our Editors' picks for the best books of the month? Browse Best Books of the Month, featuring our favorite new books in more than a dozen categories.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?.
|
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Paullina Simons knows how to keep the reader turning the pages.” (Courier Mail (Australia))
“Paullina Simon’s voice is engaging enough and there is much information in the broad sweep of the narrative, which covers the blockade of Leningrad, the Vietnam War and the saga of a Russian immigrant family that eventually finds happiness in the US of A.” (Melbourne Age)
“Well worth reading. (The Southland Times (New Zealand))
“Paullina Simon’s voice is engaging enough and there is much information in the broad sweep of the narrative, which covers the blockade of Leningrad, the Vietnam War and the saga of a Russian immigrant family that eventually finds happiness in the US of A.” (Melbourne Age)
“Well worth reading. (The Southland Times (New Zealand))
From the Back Cover
The Magnificent Conclusion to the Timeless Epic Saga
Through years of war and devastation, Tatiana and Alexander suffered the worst the twentieth century had to offer. Miraculously reunited in America, they now have a beautiful son, Anthony, the gift of a love strong enough to survive the most terrible upheavals. Though they are still young, the ordeals they endured have changed them—and after living apart in a world laid waste, they must now find a way to live together in postwar America.
With the Cold War rising, dark forces at work in their adopted country threaten their lives, their family, and their hard-won peace. To regain the happiness they once knew, to wash away the lingering pain of the past, two lovers grown distant must somehow forge a new life . . .or watch the ghosts of their yesterdays destroy their firstborn son.
The Summer Garden . . . their odyssey is just beginning.
More About the Author
Paullina Simons is the author of the acclaimed novels Tully, Red Leaves, and Eleven Hours as well as the Bronze Horseman Trilogy. Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia, she graduated from The University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, and has lived in Rome, London, and Dallas. She currently lives near New York City with her husband and most of her children.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
68 of 68 people found the following review helpful
By
K. Barnes
on July 30, 2007
Format: Hardcover
1 Comment
Sending feedback...
After reading The Bronze Horseman for the third time and Tatiana & Alexander for the second, I got my hands on The Summer Garden (after ordering it from amazon.uk, of course).
The last in the trilogy, The Summer Garden was worth the wait. It works at a different speed than the other two. Where The Bronze Horseman was white-hot, full of adventure, betrayal and love and Tatiana & Alexander was full of tortured love, The Summer Garden is the "what happens next?"
When Tatiana and Alexander are finally able to be together, how do the handle their past and still manage to move forward? This book was much more about their relationship, rather than their love. Can they survive the day-to-day life and everything that goes with it?
Though this may seem like a boring premise for a book, it is actually quite engrossing. Seeing Alexander and Tatiana handle jobs and family and age may throw off some fans of The Bronze Horseman, but I couldn't put it down. I loved following these characters through the years. I think it was a great way to end the trilogy, I felt like I had lived the lives of these characters and when the characters are Tatiana and Alexander, that is a great feeling to have.
Now that I have finished this trilogy, I look forward to reading Simons' other novels.
The last in the trilogy, The Summer Garden was worth the wait. It works at a different speed than the other two. Where The Bronze Horseman was white-hot, full of adventure, betrayal and love and Tatiana & Alexander was full of tortured love, The Summer Garden is the "what happens next?"
When Tatiana and Alexander are finally able to be together, how do the handle their past and still manage to move forward? This book was much more about their relationship, rather than their love. Can they survive the day-to-day life and everything that goes with it?
Though this may seem like a boring premise for a book, it is actually quite engrossing. Seeing Alexander and Tatiana handle jobs and family and age may throw off some fans of The Bronze Horseman, but I couldn't put it down. I loved following these characters through the years. I think it was a great way to end the trilogy, I felt like I had lived the lives of these characters and when the characters are Tatiana and Alexander, that is a great feeling to have.
Now that I have finished this trilogy, I look forward to reading Simons' other novels.
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
45 of 49 people found the following review helpful
By
Lostgirl
on September 23, 2006
Format: Paperback
Comment
Sending feedback...
*Possible Spoilers for those unfamiliar with the first two books*
The Summer Garden completes the trilogy that Paullina Simons began in The Bronze Horseman and continued in The Bridge to Holy Cross (UK title is Tatiana and Alexander), bringing to an end the story of lovers Tatiana and Alexander. The Bronze Horseman concerns the genesis of the love affair, when Alexander, a young soldier in the Red Army falls in love at first sight with Tatiana Metanova- the sister of his girlfriend, Dasha at the beginning of the second World War. The lovers first challenge is attempting to navigate their relationship to avoid hurting Dasha with whom Tatiana is very close. However that quickly takes a backseat when the siege of Leningrad begins and Tatiana fights for her own survival and that of her family. Eventually Tatiana and Alexander marry but Alexander is called back to the front- Tatiana follows him until Alexander realizes that a secret from his past is putting both of their lives in danger. In desperation he fakes his own death (which he believes is imminent) and assures that a pregnant and grieving Tatiana will give birth to her child in America. The sequel begins soon after- we learn that though Alexander has been taken prisoner he has survived and is desperately trying to get to Tatiana. Meanwhile a heartbroken Tatiana tries to make a life for herself and her newborn son in America, but is tormented by her lack of closure regarding Alexander's death. In desperation Tatiana leaves her son, Anthony with a friend, joins the Red Cross and goes to a recently defeated Berlin where she discovers Alexander in a POW camp. Alexander and Tatiana succeed in a desperate escape from Europe and are reunited with their son in America where they begin their lives together.Read more ›
The Summer Garden completes the trilogy that Paullina Simons began in The Bronze Horseman and continued in The Bridge to Holy Cross (UK title is Tatiana and Alexander), bringing to an end the story of lovers Tatiana and Alexander. The Bronze Horseman concerns the genesis of the love affair, when Alexander, a young soldier in the Red Army falls in love at first sight with Tatiana Metanova- the sister of his girlfriend, Dasha at the beginning of the second World War. The lovers first challenge is attempting to navigate their relationship to avoid hurting Dasha with whom Tatiana is very close. However that quickly takes a backseat when the siege of Leningrad begins and Tatiana fights for her own survival and that of her family. Eventually Tatiana and Alexander marry but Alexander is called back to the front- Tatiana follows him until Alexander realizes that a secret from his past is putting both of their lives in danger. In desperation he fakes his own death (which he believes is imminent) and assures that a pregnant and grieving Tatiana will give birth to her child in America. The sequel begins soon after- we learn that though Alexander has been taken prisoner he has survived and is desperately trying to get to Tatiana. Meanwhile a heartbroken Tatiana tries to make a life for herself and her newborn son in America, but is tormented by her lack of closure regarding Alexander's death. In desperation Tatiana leaves her son, Anthony with a friend, joins the Red Cross and goes to a recently defeated Berlin where she discovers Alexander in a POW camp. Alexander and Tatiana succeed in a desperate escape from Europe and are reunited with their son in America where they begin their lives together.Read more ›
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
By
Kris Elliott
on April 15, 2007
Format: Hardcover
Verified Purchase
Alexander and Tatiana met and fell in love in The Bronze Horseman. Separated by betrayal and a world war, the two overcame incredible odds to find each other again in Tatiana & Alexander. In The Summer Garden, the final book in the trilogy, they are together at last, yes, but strangers. Changed in irrevocable ways by the circumstances they endured while apart, both must strive to let go of painful memories and learn to communicate again. This book is full of emotional highs and lows, and great joyful moments, as Tatiana and Alexander carve out a new life for themselves and their young son in America. It's a must read for anyone who loved the first two books!
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By
Amy C
on March 6, 2010
Format: Hardcover
2 Comments
Sending feedback...
This third installment in the trilogy strongly finds its footing amidst the backdrop of America's Cold War. Tatiana & Alexander stumble along the way, trying to adjust to the more "mundane & everyday" course of living. They're trying to keep the fireworks alive in their marriage against the reality of 1950s conformity & conservatism (Simons really captures this era Extremely Well, reflective of peers, pressures -- very reminiscent of "Revolutionary Road").
On the path to rediscovering themselves and each other, this realistic portrayal of a Post-War Marriage finds universality no matter what era we're in, no matter which war. We all have our battles to face, be it our inner demons, our outer conflicts, finding meaningful work, while trying to meet each others needs and grow together. Everyday life ain't always easy.
To the Critics of this fine Swan Song, I say this: the thrill & adventure of the first 2 books (Bronze Horseman, Tatiana & Alexander) has No Place in this book! It is simply Not Realistic. The pacing is appropriate. And I still could not put the book down - I did not want this journey to end. For indeed, it is a journey of a lifetime.
To the Cynics of this story, is your life so fascinating & intense Every Day? Is it even possible to live it on the Edge like that? Bronze Horseman/Tatiana and Alexander captures all the highs & lows of a rollercoaster. And Summer Garden has plenty of highs & lows of its own. But it cannot be sustained in the "do or die" mode of WWII. It is not realistic.
My Grandfather fought in the French Resistance in WWII, hiding his family, risking his very life -- Can You Imagine the INTENSITY? The Stress? The Fear? The Audacity?Read more ›
On the path to rediscovering themselves and each other, this realistic portrayal of a Post-War Marriage finds universality no matter what era we're in, no matter which war. We all have our battles to face, be it our inner demons, our outer conflicts, finding meaningful work, while trying to meet each others needs and grow together. Everyday life ain't always easy.
To the Critics of this fine Swan Song, I say this: the thrill & adventure of the first 2 books (Bronze Horseman, Tatiana & Alexander) has No Place in this book! It is simply Not Realistic. The pacing is appropriate. And I still could not put the book down - I did not want this journey to end. For indeed, it is a journey of a lifetime.
To the Cynics of this story, is your life so fascinating & intense Every Day? Is it even possible to live it on the Edge like that? Bronze Horseman/Tatiana and Alexander captures all the highs & lows of a rollercoaster. And Summer Garden has plenty of highs & lows of its own. But it cannot be sustained in the "do or die" mode of WWII. It is not realistic.
My Grandfather fought in the French Resistance in WWII, hiding his family, risking his very life -- Can You Imagine the INTENSITY? The Stress? The Fear? The Audacity?Read more ›
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Customer Images
Most Recent Customer Reviews
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
