Waxman, Abbi. 2017. The Garden of Small Beginnings. New York, NY: Berkley. ISBN 978-0399583582. $16.00 USD.
I absolutely loved this amazing book! The writing is terrific and the wry inner dialogue of the main character is wonderfully unique. Lillian Girvan is a young widow with two precocious little girls she is struggling to parent without a partner. She is an artist and illustrator at a small publishing company, and spends her days illustrating, among other things, whale penises! When her boss asks her to attend a six week gardening class taught by a client, Lili recruits her sister Rachel and her two daughters to attend with her. The teacher is a handsome Dutch man, who awakens an interest in Lili she thought long dead.
The author has created warm and engaging characters in the other members of the class, and the way they interact with each others' lives is such a delight. The chapters are divided between the story and small essays on how to grow various fruits and vegetables, and even the essays have a humorous touch. This is what I loved most about the book: in spite of the fact that many of the characters are struggling with serious personal issues in their lives, the author explores these realistically, yet with humor. It's such a nice change from all the dark, depressing (or as one colleague says "wrist-slasher") books that are being published lately. I hope to see more books like this one!
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