The Garden Just Beyond
The Garden Just Beyond by Lindsey Leavitt is a middle grade novel published by Henry Holt and Company (BYR) on May 20, 2025. This 320-page book is written in English and follows the story of fourteen-year-old Magnolia Gartner, who values her family’s traditions, particularly their magical dinner parties. These gatherings, held at their estate in Humble Hollow, have the unique ability to transform the emotions and fortunes of those who partake in the meals prepared from their enchanted crops.
Readers will discover Magnolia’s journey as she strives to prove her worth within her exceptional family, especially when she prepares her first dinner. The arrival of a mysterious stranger threatens the family’s long-held secrets, prompting Magnolia to enlist the help of her new friend Graham and the supportive townsfolk. The narrative explores themes of family life, friendship, and the challenges of growing up, while weaving in elements of fantasy and magic. The Garden Just Beyond presents a rich tapestry of heritage and identity, inviting readers to delve into a world where the extraordinary intertwines with the everyday.
Official synopsis Publisher
Get ready for a middle grade novel steeped in magic that you won’t want to miss!
For fourteen-year-old Magnolia Gartner, nothing is more important than tradition, and the most important traditions in her eccentric family are the magical dinner parties they’ve been hosting for generations. Anyone lucky enough to have dined at the Gartner’s estate in Humble Hollow will claim the meal was life-changing, and that’s true — because the crops the family harvests and the dishes they prepare have the power to alter the emotions, and fortunes, of anyone who eats them.
It’s not just the food, either; for as long as anybody can remember, the whole Gartner family has been exceptional, though Maggie often feels like the exception. That’s going to change when Maggie cooks her first dinner and proves she’s just as special — just as Gartner — as everyone else. But when a mysterious stranger moves to town and threatens the family’s century-old secrets, the Gartner family and all of Humble Hollow are at risk of losing far more than a seat at the table. With the help of new kid, Graham, as well as trusty townsfolk and family folklore, Maggie must dig deep to see what others can’t, especially buried truths that feel just beyond her reach.
Devilishly absurd and heartachingly true, The Garden Just Beyond untangles themes of heritage, identity, and legacy in a tale that twists and turns until the enchanted end.
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