“The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart is a book that glows — in the fire and heart of it; in the wonder and hope of it. Holly Ringland is a gifted, natural storyteller and her novel — about finding magic in the dark; about the power of freedom and the freedom of story — istruly a light-giving, tender thing. A vivid, compelling, utterly moving debut.” — Brooke Davis, author of international bestseller Lost & Found, winner of 2015 ABIA Fiction Book of the Year
“Not everyone who visits the central Australian desert understands the landscape of it. Holly Ringland does and shares her heart instincts in this epic telling. Each page arrives to us like the first flight of the butterfly from its cocoon. The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart is a literary gift.” — Ali Cobby Eckermann, Yankunytjatjara poet, 2017 Windham-Campbell winner.
“This novel shines with courage, with heart, and with love. Infused with a tender ferocity, and the beauty and warmth of native flowers, it invokes great stories of loss, kindness and home.” — Ashley Hay, author of The Railwayman’s Wife, winner of the 2013 Colin Roderick Award
“This story about family, love, and reinvention is defiant in its sweetness and is stirring to its end.” — Foreword Reviews
“What can I say about The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart that would live up to the beauty of the words in this book? … A gorgeous book inside and out.” — A Couple Reads
“An impressive coming-of-age debut.” — Baking Bookworm
“An engrossing novel imbued with passion and reverence for the Australian natural world, with a cast of characters that inspire affection in the reader even as they make mistakes.” — Books and Publishing
“A dark, floral fairytale ... There is a reason Ringland’s novel, her first, and already a bestseller, has been bought by publishers around the world, and it’s not the native flowers ... The first half of The Lost Flowers is delicate and dark as a fairytale, with violent details that stick to you like burrs. But it is in the second half, with Alice out in the real world, where Ringland really gets into gear, and her talent is undeniable ... Ringland’s storytelling is driven by an undimmed sense of wonder at the darkness and light, the damage and love in people. It makes for a determined investigation of abuse and survival accomplished with profound sensitivity.” — Sydney Morning Herald
“Domestic violence and the lies that surround it—rarely is the topic explored in such a beautifully written, hopeful, and enthralling tale.” — Herald Sun
“Lush, powerful ... This is an engrossing novel imbued with passion and reverence for the Australian natural world, with a cast of characters that inspire affection in the reader even as they make mistakes. Those who couldn’t put down The Natural Way of Things will find a gentler but no less compelling journey of female survival in this novel.” — Books+Publishing
“There’s an aching heart beating through Holly Ringland’s narrative that although at times seems almost broken, is stitched back together with shards of optimism that offer constant hope. These are characters we love, care about, and want to nurture ... A vivid and brave tale of love, loss, and inner power.” — Australian Women’s Weekly
“At its heart, this book is about finding a way to care for yourself, in a world that sometimes likes to step on its flowers.” — Courier‑Mail
