All the Pretty Places

Joy Callaway returns with a captivating story of a strong woman in a striking setting,examining the life-changing effects of the beauty of nature and how that splendor is restricted to the rich and privileged in the Gilded Age. 1893: In the little town of RyeNew Yorkit seems everyone–like the rest of the country–is in an economic panic. Once acclaimed for its rare and exotic plant speciesRye Nurseries–the largest nursery on the East Coast–is the supplier of choice for the most respected landscape architectsbut now businesses in the community seem to close by the handful weekly. The threat to her family’s livelihood keeps twenty-two-year-old Sadie Fremd up at night. Her father seems unconcerned by the crisis and is determined to pass the nursery on to one of his sons–despite Sadie’s ardent study of horticulture. Her dreams are all wrapped up in the nurserya company on the brink of closingwhich would leave hundreds of people out of jobs and Sadie’s dream lost forever. Sadie encourages her father to seek partnerships with big names of the day–the RockefellersGouldsand Starinsamong others–to help their nursery remain stable. As she becomes more involved in the business of natural beautyshe begins to notice something. Outside the gates of mansions owned by the elitepeople linger–the mourningthe poorthe struggling. Sadie is forced to reckon with whether only the privileged deserve a right to the beauty she helps inspire. Then a conversation with a man who lost everything changes Sadie’s perspective forever and prompts her to make a choice that has the potential to leave the nurseryher familyand her dreams in ruins.