Book Review: The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman
The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: May 2, 2017
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
Lilian Girvan has been a single mother for three years—ever since her husband died in a car accident. One mental breakdown and some random suicidal thoughts later, she’s just starting to get the hang of this widow thing. She can now get her two girls to school, show up to work, and watch TV like a pro. The only problem is she’s becoming overwhelmed with being underwhelmed.
At least her textbook illustrating job has some perks—like actually being called upon to draw whale genitalia. Oh, and there’s that vegetable-gardening class her boss signed her up for. Apparently, being the chosen illustrator for a series of boutique vegetable guides means getting your hands dirty, literally. Wallowing around in compost on a Saturday morning can’t be much worse than wallowing around in pajamas and self-pity.
After recruiting her kids and insanely supportive sister to join her, Lilian shows up at the Los Angeles botanical garden feeling out of her element. But what she’ll soon discover—with the help of a patient instructor and a quirky group of gardeners—is that into every life a little sun must shine, whether you want it to or not…
2020 was the year of Abbi Waxman for me – I read three out of her four books! She was new to me and now she’s made the list of my favorite authors. The Garden of Small Beginnings is her debut novel.
Lilian Girvan is a single mother to two young girls. Her husband was killed three years ago in a car accident. She works as a textbook illustrator and when she’s chosen to illustrate a series of gardening books, her boss signs her up for gardening classes. She takes her daughters and sister with her to the first one. The other students in the class are a diverse bunch of characters. They all become close as the classes go on and end up helping each other with more than just gardening.
Even though Lilian’s husband died a tragic death and she is still grieving, this book was not a gloomy, depressing book. There is humor and lightness – especially among everyone in the gardening class. I liked that Lilian’s journey of working through her grief was realistic and not glossed over. She even spent some time in a psychiatric treatment facility right after her husband’s accident. Her sister had to take care of her children, which is something Lilian still feels guilty about.
I appreciate books that are about the power of community and The Garden of Small Beginnings is one of those books. I enjoyed all of the characters and getting to know them as they get to know each other. I really enjoyed this book and Waxman’s subsequent books just get better and better! Recommended.
Other books by Abbi Waxman I’ve reviewed:
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill
I Was Told It Would Get Easier
