Thursday 22 February 2018

Review ~ The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman



36598940
Sphere
22 February 2018

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

What's it all about..

In the three years since her husband died in a car accident, Lili has just about managed to resume her day-to-day life as a single mother and successful illustrator. She can now get her two girls to school, show up to work and watch TV like a pro. But there's still the small problem of the aching loss she feels inside.

When she's commissioned to illustrate a series of horticultural books, and signs up to a weekly gardening class, finally her life starts to bloom again.

The class provides Lili with a new network of unexpected friends - friends with their own heartaches and problems - and, maybe, another chance at love


My thoughts about it...

Lilian has had her share of life's difficulties but, three years after she was tragically widowed, she is bravely battling on, looking after her two children and keeping her job as a textbook illustrator. When she is offered the opportunity to illustrate a series of vegetable guides she is little taken aback when the proviso for her getting the job is that she must attend a vegetable growing class at the Los Angeles Botanical Garden. This is really far out of her comfort zone but with her children and sister accompanying her, Lilian finds that gardening opens up all sorts of unexpected possibilities.

Getting to know new people gives Lilian new found confidence and it was  interesting to see how her character progressed throughout the story. There are some lovely light hearted moments which made me smile but there also some quite sad reflective moments as Lilian, after a difficult few years, and with the help of her friends starts, to look forward into the future.

The Garden of Small Beginnings is a charming and inspirational story about finding out about what makes you truly happy. The author writes well and the novel has a lovely contemporary feel. I especially enjoyed reading the lovely gardening snippets which are interspersed throughout the novel.

Published today by Sphere.




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