The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman

• Title:  The Garden of Small Beginnings
• Author:  Abbi Waxman
• Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
• Pages:  368
• Published:  May 2017 – Berkley Books
• Source:  Publisher; NetGalley

Description:  It’s been three years since her husband was killed in a car accident and Lilian is still getting used to being sane—after that one early breakdown. She’s happy just being able to get her two girls to school every morning, keep her illustrating job, and catch up on her favorite TV shows with her sister. She’s not exactly in a rut; she’s just letting the grass grow under her feet.

But then Lilian’s boss asks her to illustrate a vegetable encyclopedia and signs her up for a vegetable-gardening class. Lilian reluctantly agrees and recruits her kids and sister to join her for some drama-free Saturday mornings, because what could be more relaxing than gardening? Nothing…except that this class is filled with people who like to dig a little deeper than the surface, and an instructor who makes Lillian want to bloom for the first time in years. 

With her fellow newbie gardeners, Lilian learns what it takes to nurture plants—and friendships. Digging in the dirt, with worms and all, teaches Lilian that sometimes you have to let nature take its course, be it in gardening, in life, or in love…  (publisher)

My take:  I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much while reading a novel. I also teared up several times when author Abbi Waxman zinged me with moments that cut to the core of human emotion.

Lilian is a thirty-something widowed mother of two. Her husband died in a tragic accident four years earlier and she’s been wading through grief ever since.  Lilian is an illustrator for a small press. Her boss enrolls Lili in a gardening class in preparation for illustrating a vegetable encyclopedia. That class will transform the lives of Lili and her daughters – and everyone else involved in the class.

I adored the people who took the gardening class. Each one had an interesting story and as a group they were lovely – kind of like a wonderful summer salad.

Highly recommended to fans of contemporary fiction, laugh-out-loud moments, and a heartfelt story.

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