The Garden of Small Beginnings By Abbi Waxman

Elyse Walters

I thought this book was ghastly awful!!! Honestly... I thought I was going to die if I kept reading .....
For the little longest time I tried to be 'good'... 'kind' ....a compassionate reader. After awhile -- I was either rolling my eyes --or laughing uncontrollably, "thinking how does anyone read this book with a straight face? THIS BOOK IS NOT A GOOD FIT FOR ME IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM. I turned into the wicked witch from the east....or is it the north?
WICKED FOR SURE! My inner - mean voice took on a life of its own. I couldn't stop it.

I'm a nasty mean rotten human being... I LAUGHED 'At' this book ... not 'with' it. I'm not proud of myself ...NOT AT ALL... just telling you the truth. The longer I invested time with this 'nonsense'....the more unsettling it was -- that I have such an mean-streak inside me. READERS SEEM TO LOVE IT.
ME: I FELT NOTHING!!!

Lilian's ( she prefers to go by Lily), husband died. Lily is young herself with two small daughters. "HELLO.... "welcome to my life". My mom was 34 when my dad died ... I was 4. My sister was 9. Sooooooo, you'd think I'd have EXTRA COMPASSION.....for this story...., right? God - no - I wanted to gag!!!!

Abbi Waxman.... I wanted to read your book because I was sure your were Jewish. I'm Jewish. I honestly wanted to like your book!!!!! Please forgive me ... I'm guessing you're a wonderful human being - bright - fun - and real!!! ..... but I couldn't 'feel' real in your book. I didn't find things funny, and I didn't find things sad.
I thought the children were annoying, whiny, ....caricature. I felt the mother had a one dimensional quality of sarcasm about her just got old...and older!!!

As far as the gardening lessons -- I 'do' gardening ....yet I found most of the gardening scenes boring - even belittling at times.

Most the dialogue turned me off. The way Lily talked to her kids felt like nails on a chalk board. NOT authentic. I felt Lily talked to them - about them - around them ... but never authentically with her children.
Everything felt fake to me: From cat boobies and male cat's nipples.... so shopping at target... to the dog scratching at the back door....to sister Rachel being the type of match- maker sister she was ....and telling Lily what to wear.... to the supporting characters in the gardening class .....( more stereotypes - cartoonish characters).

This book needed a lot more RICH QUALITY fertilizer --- and less chatter about peas, ice cream, Lily's righteous observations about her mother, her sister, her employer, and her children.
Lily's words of wisdom about who is and isn't narcissistic just made her look pathetic!

THE ONGOING - ONGOING - ONGOING -SARCASM.....tone in this novel was unbearable!!!!!

Thank You Netgalley, Berkeley Publishing.....( I'm so sorry. .. I usually 'love' books that you endorse ... so this is unusual), and Abbi Waxman. ( hope you can forgive me...I wish you much joy and success: MORE people LOVE your book than don't - I'm the oddball).

1.5 rating

Julie

The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman is a 2017 Berkley publication.

I admit I started reading this book with a certain mindset. I was thinking contemporary fiction, maybe some romance, maybe not, with 'mature' adult characters, and I was right about that much, but whatever else I might have been thinking, was totally blown out of the water after reading the first chapter.

The story deals with some heavy topics, but it was absolutely hysterical. I laughed all the way through it, but it was also a moving and bittersweet journey.

Lilian Girvan is going through the motions of living. She has a good job as a textbook illustrator, but it’s not all that challenging or fulfilling. She’s the mother to two little girls, sister of Rachel, a free spirited woman who would do anything for her, ... and a widow.

When Lilian’s husband, Dan, is killed in a car accident, Lilian nearly died from a broken heart. She spent a little in -patient time in a mental hospital, and might have entertained a few suicidal thoughts, but now, she’s able to simply exist again, not actually living life to its full potential, but getting through one day to the next, nursing her grief, unable or unwilling to let go of it. But, the thing is, Dan has been gone for three years, and those who love Lilian would really like to see her start moving forward with her life instead of walking in place.

As fate would have it, Lilian’s boss signs her up for a gardening class to appease a new client, and out of this random and seemingly benign event, Lilian finds her entire world opening up to new possibilities, as she forges an unexpected relationship with other members of the class, not only learning to cultivate vegetables, but also new friendships, stronger familial ties, and maybe even the strength and desire to begin dating again.

This novel explores various themes, such as the relationship between sisters, first impressions, unexpected experiences that can steer us in a new direction, and the simple act of enjoying a new hobby, such as gardening, which may initially seem challenging, but turns out to be quite therapeutic and fun.

Humor is a tool some people hide behind when under duress, or as a coping mechanism. Both Lilian and Rachel were able to lean on this ability to get them through some tough times, but it also helped them communicate with each other without one taking offense and kept the tone light, despite the palpable pain Lilian was suffering.

It was a fascinating dance between the sisters who stayed close despite their differences. Their relationship appears to parallel the relationship between Lilian’s own daughters in a way, with one being very sensitive and the other showing an unflappable approach to life.

The students taking the gardening class, and the teacher, all have a role, and each one shares their unique background, which adds depth and character to the story, fleshing it out, and bringing much needed variety and color to Lilian’s life.

For those looking for romance, this book does have a few promises and hints of budding relationships, but this really isn't a romance novel, in my opinion.

It is more about Lilian’s long journey out of the dark grip of grief, her healing and eventual personal growth. Lilian learns to face her fears so that she can be a better parent, sister, and friend. She must first learn to care for herself, so that she can fully take charge of her life again.

The author did an amazing job of capturing Lilian’s melancholy and vulnerabilities, while also accentuating her humor and wit. She was a delightful character, and I instantly warmed up to her, and knew I was going to enjoy getting to know her. When Lilian is finally able to think of others, to draw her attention away from her inner struggles, she is able to reenter life and truly become productive again.

Lilian steps out of her perpetual gloom, into the light, kicking and screaming, fighting it every step of the way, but once she finally steps into the sun, the welcoming brightness sent rays of hope to warm her fragile heart and weary soul.

The gardening tips at the beginning of each chapter was a nice touch, and as a gardener, I found many of the suggestions useful, as well as charmingly funny.

Overall, this is just the type of all around inspirational feel good story I need sometimes. There is no absolute- 'and they all lived happily ever after'- conclusion, exactly, which, under normal circumstances would really tick me off, but in this case, I didn't mind so much.

I don't think it's too hard to determine how things will probably turn out for Lilian and her sister, as well as for the supporting cast, and since the book ends on such an optimistic note, I'm going to go with my own version of events, which is: ' and they all lived happily ever after.'

Lilian’s reluctant pilgrimage sucked me into another life, took my mind off my own troubles, while I cheered her from the sidelines, watching while she blossomed back to life, while touching my own life.

4 stars

Always Pouting

Lilian is a single mother of two and an illustrator at Poplar Press. After Dan, her husband, died in a car accident Lilian had a breakdown and eventually had to be hospitalized. Through out her sister Rachel stepped in and helped until Lilian was able to start taking care of herself and her two girls again. Three years later and Lilian is coping much better and trying to learn to go on without Dan when her company signs her up for gardening lessons. The lessons come in conjunction to an assignment for hand illustrating vegetables for a series of vegetable guides. They're being taught by Edward Bloem who is the world expert in humus, not the eating kind disappointingly. The story unfolds over the six weeks of class as Lilian, along with her sister and daughters who are there with her, learns to grow her garden and about the ups and downs of life as she finally learns to open herself up again.

The book is really funny and well written and heartening. I can see why so many people loved it but I think the problem was just that it wasn't really my type of book. There actually isn't anything in the book itself that made me rate it three stars but it's more about my personal taste because I just don't usually like uplifting books, wow that sounds depressing, but I think this is one of the better one's I've read and if I knew anyone who liked these sorts of books I'd totally recommend this one to them. It may just be about the different places that I am versus the narrator so there was a little bit of distance and detachment while I read.

I also kept kind of getting confused wondering if I'd picked up someone's memoir and I kept thinking wow this personal can illustrate and write well damn I can't do anything.

Fran

Widowhood was thrust upon Lili Girvan in the blink of an eye when husband Dan died in an auto accident. Lili lost her grip on life and was hospitalized for several months. Rachel, her younger sister, was able to step in and has continued to encourage and help Lili with the challenges of raising Annabel, age seven and Claire, age five. Lili still feels lost and misses everything about Dan including his wet towels left on the bed. Her life, however, has become routine and predictable.

Poplar Press, Lili's employer has called upon Lili, a gifted illustrator, for an extensive job. The Bloem Company will be releasing a book on vegetables and flowers and wants the illustrations created by hand using mediums such as watercolor, charcoal and pen-and-ink. The illustrations need to be artistic with a back-to-basics style. There is a catch. She must attend a six week gardening class. Accompanied by sister Rachel and kids Annabel and Claire, she is off to the Los Angeles Botanical Garden to attend Vegetable Gardening 101 run by Professor of Gardening, Edward Bloem. The class will plant a potager garden in which flowers, vegetables and herbs are grown together. More than the garden will grow and flourish.

One cannot downplay Lili's ruminations and feelings of life without Dan. The book, however, was not maudlin. It was a laugh a minute! So many belly laughs! Claire paints her face with red marker. She pretends to be a ladybug thinking this will help her plant and grow strawberries. How about a touch of dog optimism. A half-eaten chicken nugget is out of the dog's reach. The dog indicates that by law (Dog v. Child, 19__) he, the canine, owns the nugget.

"The Garden of Small Beginnings" by Abbi Waxman uses gardening to awaken one's senses to the cycle of life. Turning over the earth, planting seeds, and sitting in the warmth of the sun can create renewal and hope. An excellent tome from an upcoming author. I can't wait to read Abbi Waxman's next literary venture.

Thank you Berkley Books and BookBrowse for the opportunity to read and review "The Garden of Small Beginnings".

Sonja ♡

Lilian hat vor vier Jahren ihren Ehemann durch einen Unfall verloren, was ihr den Boden unter den Füßen weggerissen hat. Aber Lilian hat auch zwei kleine Töchter, um die sie sich kümmern muss. Und sie hat einen Job. Ihre Chefin schickt Lilian zu einem Gärtnerkurs, an dem sie teilnehmen soll. Ihre Töchter dürfen sie begleiten und haben Spaß am Gärtnern. Auch Lilian wird dieser Kurs verändern...
💚 Das Buch hat mich überrascht. Ich habe eine leichte Liebesgeschichte erwartet, und irgendwie habe ich die auch bekommen. Aber das Buch hatte durch das Thema der Trauerbewältigung auch viel mehr Tiefgang als erwartet. Ist es in Ordnung, nach dem Tod des geliebten Ehepartners sich wieder neu zu verlieben und wieder glücklich zu sein?
Ein emotionales Buch, das trotzdem leicht geschrieben ist und auch durchaus humorvoll. Ich mochte es!

Suzanne Leopold (Suzy Approved Book Reviews)

Lilian Girvan is thirty-nine and has been widowed for four years with two young girls. She has a strong bond with her unmarried sister Rachel who provided care and support for her children while she was recovering from a breakdown. Her life starts trending in a positive direction and she continues her career as an illustrator.

Lilian struggles with romance while focusing on providing a stable home for her children. She has not been open to dating because of her grief over losing her deceased husband. Lilian gets assigned to illustrate a series of books about gardening vegetables. Knowing little about the topic, she agrees to attend a six week gardening class where she can also bring her children. The garden and her life slowly begin to grow as she forms new relationships while also seeking out new job opportunities.

The setting for this story should be sad but Lilian is very likeable and her thoughts are funny. I really enjoyed the clashing personalities of Lilian and Rachel and their love for each other. These contrasts make for a very entertaining debut novel by Abbi Waxman.

Book giveaway on my blog until 5/15
https://www.facebook.com/suzyapproved...

Kelly (and the Book Boar)

Find all of my reviews at:
http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

Oh Abbi Waxman . . . .

I was lucky enough to stumble upon this author due to my addiction to covers featuring houses via the aptly named
Other People’s Houses. (A rare occurrence where my brain didn’t fail me after being denied an ARC over at NetGalley and I promptly begged the library to obtain a copy for me.) I was double lucky to score a paper advance of
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, a story that is currently making the rounds and winning over the hearts of readers both at Goodreads and Instagram. I loved that book so much I did something I don’t normally do – immediately jumped on the waiting list for Waxman’s other novel. And while my reaction to the story was pretty much the equivalent of this . . . .

I’m bummed that I’ve now read all of her books. I guess that’s what the newly installed She Shed is for. Come on over, Abbi, and allow me to ~~hold you hostage~~ be your hostess while you write your next winner . . . .

The Garden of Small Beginnings features leading lady Lili - book illustrator, mother of two, and young widow. This is the story of Lili��s family, friendships and new beginnings by way of a class her boss signs her up for after assigning Lili a project illustrating a gardening guide. This book has so much heart, so much humor and such a great approach to handling what could be some seriously heavy subject matter . . . .

“It wasn’t a nuthouse. It was a hospital.”

“With locks on the doors.”

“Well, yes.”

“And lithium and Thorazine and people who thought they were Amelia Earheart.”

“That was just one guy.”

Abbi Waxman is an author who makes me be a different kind of me. Someone who might not want to only read books about trailer parks, motorcycle alpha men, meth manufacturing and stabby stabs, but instead wants to do real crazy shit like forming . . . . .

Cluck cluck mothafuckas. I’m fixin’ to read about eleventy-three more “chicky” books in the next few weeks after my reaction to this one.

All the Stars.

Karen White

I simply adored this book from the first sentence. I honestly can't say I've ever read a book where I laughed hysterically and cried all on the same page. Lovely, insightful writing and an unforgettable story and characters. Highly recommend.

Karen

Sometimes I feel like a cynic when I begin to read a story. Will I like it, will it sound like every other story I have read, will I figure out it’s plot by the third page and so forth?

So, when I come to a book like this one, I almost feel a sense of relief, because finally, I feel a feeling of cozy.

I can actually connect so well with the characters of a story that they truly not only seem like friends and family, but I got a sense of sadness when I came to the end. Yes, I actually wanted to read the story from beginning to end!

It is also rare that I stay up late into the night reading because I loved the story and characters so much and yet, Abbi Waxman managed to do both of those things for me with this book.

This was an easy, feel good read about overcoming loss, accepting change and the power of community to help heal.

I liked the plot (no pun intended), the characters were believable in all their messiness and I loved the humor and the interspersed gardening tips between chapters.

Was the story predictable? Yes.

I may not remember the novel in six months, but I enjoyed it immensely now.

Blaine

I read
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill earlier this year, and was completely charmed by the main character, and by the author’s light-hearted rom-com style. It didn’t take long for me to reach back for The Garden of Small Beginnings, Ms. Waxman’s debut novel.

I can’t help but review this book in comparison to Ms. Waxman’s latest novel, which may not be fair, but it is the reading order I suspect most readers will have. Lilian Girvan has a similar narrative voice to Nina Hill, but her life took a very different path: married, two daughters, and then was widowed at a young age. Rather than a straight rom-com, this book has a darker vibe under the surface, as Lilian is still processing her grief almost four years after her husband’s death. There is not much dramatic tension in the story. It’s a story of a woman finally coming out of her understandable shell with the help of an unlikely group of friends met (metaphor alert!) at a gardening class. One senses that things will work out for Lily, but the arc of the story is subtle, and the romantic climax is more subdued than you would expect.

The Garden of Small Beginnings is a solid debut, and was a quite enjoyable read. 3.5 stars rounded up to four.

Mlpmom (Book Reviewer)

It isn't often anymore that I connect so well with the characters of a story that they truly not only seem like friends and family, but that I'm so sad when it is over because it means that I will never see them again. It is also rare that I stay up late into the night reading because I love the story and characters so much and yet, Abbi Waxman managed to do both of those things for me with her debut novel The Garden of Small Beginnings.

I was asked to read this and turned it down because it sounded sad and a bit depressing but after seeing so many great reviews for it I reconsidered and I'm so glad that I did! There are sadder moments in this story, it is about grief after all, but there are so many happy and funny moments that they outshine anything else and truly made this whole story so worth it to take a chance on.

I connected with this story, right from the beginning on a level that I honestly, wasn't expecting. I teared up, I laughed, I cried, I smiled but most of all through it all, I was rooting for every single character I met (expect maybe Dirto).

This wasn't a story about one women but instead a story about many people. Diverse people that come together in a tiny space of time and truly become so much more to each other. In fact, they become so much more than friends but instead, a family. A very diverse, crazy family and it couldn't have been more beautiful.

Waxman created something beautiful in this story, so much more than how to move on or about grief. It's about being strong when you have to but realizing you don't always have to be strong. About coping and growing and becoming something so much more than you were before. Truly one of the best stories I've read in a really long time.

Barbara

“The Garden of Small Beginnings” is chick-lit at it’s greatest. All the essential elements are there: damsel in distress who learns of her inner strength; narcissist mother; situation for personal growth; supportive friends; cute potential boyfriend. This chick-lit story is also about grief from losing a loved-one and persevering through the pain.

The story is told through protagonist Lil’s eyes. She’s a widow, mother of two young girls, who is a textbook illustrator. Sadly, Lillian saw her husband’s accident. At the time her youngest was a baby and her oldest was three years old. The story takes place four years later. Lil has accepted her lot as a single mother living with the shadow of her husband’s death. Her company takes on a new client that requires Lil to take a gardening class to get familiar with plants, as she is to illustrate their annual catalogue.

The reader is treated to Lil’s inner thoughts. We learn of her struggles, both to be a perfect mother and to get through life. Her husband is still a part of her daily thoughts. Lil is fortunate to have a sister with whom she is very close. Her sister and her daughters all go to the gardening class at the botanical garden. Enter hot teacher. Add interesting classmates. Include sexual tension and gardening antics.

All in all, this is a wonderful meditation on grief of young widows with children. My only complaint is in the banter language the different characters use, which I found to be a bit risqué; I feel the audience for this novel is meant for those readers in their twenties and thirties. Nonetheless, while I’m not a fan of that parlance, it most likely reflects common language of some women of that age. It’s quirky yet real. I felt for Lil and understood her journey.

Victoria

An easy, feel good read about overcoming loss, accepting change and the power of community to help us heal. I liked the story, the characters were believable in all their messy glory and I loved the humor and the interspersed gardening tips that were ridiculously clever. Was it a bit predictable? Yes and I may not remember it in six months, but I enjoyed it immensely in the here and now.

BAM (When we vote, we win; grab 'em by the ballot)

*3.5 stars rounded up. This is the pick for my library's Reader's Roundtable group read for January, 2019, to kick off the new year and is Waxman's debut novel. I have previously read her second novel,
Other People's Houses, and enjoyed that one, and looked forward to reading this story with great anticipation.

Through the first thirty pages or so, I have to admit I was thinking, Boy, she is trying way too hard to be funny! But Waxman finally settles into her story, which is about a young widow with two daughters, still struggling with her grief over her husband's gruesome death after nearly four years.

All of Waxman's characters are delightful and likable...well, except perhaps for her mother, who has mastered the art of the nasty zinger. Abbi's writing is insightful as she addresses several personal issues: mainly grief and when/how to move on after a loss, but also the dynamics of sibling relationships, dealing with a narcissistic mother, and raising children alone.

Lil and her sister and children attend a Saturday gardening class for six weeks and meet several interesting people. One lesson they learn along the way is that you can't judge a book by its cover--or people by their appearance.

The plot was perhaps a little lame--you could see where this story was going to go by its title--but it was a very poignant, warm-hearted and fun read, told with lots of humor. As Lilian says: "Laughter was the thing that held me together, sarcastic comments and stupid jokes." I actually know a couple who got through the wife's last days of ovarian cancer with humor and jokes. He said: "Damn, Woman, are you going to leave me to deal with a Trump presidency alone?" And she responded, "You better believe it, Mister! I'm outta here!" God bless her soul!

PS: As a bit of counterpoint: my book club universally dismissed this book as being too 'lightweight,' the characters stereotypical, and thought the subject of grief was handled too flippantly but agreed that how one deals with grief is a personal matter. They did like the sibling relationship between Lil and Rachel and found that authentic but thought the characters in general could have been developed more fully. So there you go.

Lynn

What an enjoyable book! You wouldn’t think that a book about a young widow still trying to cope with her loss after 3 years would be a fun read, but this one is. There are poignant, heartbreaking moments to be sure, but there is so much humor, sarcasm and snark to make up for any sadness in the story.

Lili and her sister Rachel are as different as two people can be, but they are fiercely loyal and supportive of each other. When Lili’s husband died in a car crash, Rachel stepped out of her own life and took over for Lili after she had a breakdown, caring for Lili’s children for a few months. Lili offers her sister a sympathetic ear as Rachel regales her about her love life, which is complex at times. Both sisters dote on Lili’s two daughters, Annabel and Clare, who are precocious and at times wise beyond their young years.

When Lili is forced to take a gardening class at the local botanical gardens in preparation for illustrating a book on gardening by a world famous master gardener, she gets more out of it than she expected. Friendships are formed, romances are started and Lili must re-evaluate her life as a mourning widow who is only living for her children.

In between chapters, there is advice on how to grow various vegetables. Although the information is educational, it is written with enough snark to make it enjoyable.

All the characters in this book are just wonderful to get to know and are totally believable. Lili is probably the most well rounded and complex character, but all the others are just as interesting. Clare, age 4, always has something unexpected to say, her sister, Annabel, age 7, is a bit more reserved, but can be pointed in her comments. Everyone should have a sister like Rachel, or at least a bestie.

The writing is quite good, but by no means literature. That doesn’t take away from it being a really good book. Although sometimes serious subjects are broached, this is the only book that has caused me to literally laugh out loud. Sometimes you can see the humor coming; others times it comes from out of left field. Either way, it makes the book totally enjoyable and an absolute recommend.

Erica

This story has many themes I typically love, such as gardening and sisters and friendships and difficult mother-daughter relationships. Unfortunately, I didn't like how any of those were handled and wound up feeling peevish as I listened my way through Lili's trials and tribulations.
It also has a lot I don't enjoy, like romance and falling in love and misinformation about how plants work plus an added element of careless thoughtlessness. Those only served to inflame my annoyance.

Story: Lili’s husband died in a car accident 50 ft from their front door. She’s raising Claire (5 and free spirited) and Annabelle (7 and mature) with the help of her sister, Rachel, and a p/t nanny, Leah (I think was her name). She illustrates school textbooks (current project: whale penis) and is given a botanical illustration project that will save her dying illustration department. In order to be a better plant-drawer, she's sent to a gardening class at the local botanic gardens. It's taught by a family member of the company who has hired her to do their seed packet renderings.

In between chapters are super-basic and not helpful gardening tips/instructions.

I disliked Lili a great deal. She has a weird sort of socially unaware thing going on throughout the book that I didn't understand. Was it an intentional examination of the inner workings of a white lady archetype who is pretty self-involved and has a general disregard of everyone who doesn't play into her life in some direct fashion?

For instance, why did she imagine a Native American tracker reading her “mommy droppings”? Why not a police detective? Why not a sociologist? Why not literally any other occupation that harvests clues and has nothing to do with race? Like, is that how most people think? Because my mind would have gone to "stalker" first - any stalker would have been able to pick up my life's story from my "mommy droppings" (if I had them) but she went with Native American tracker.
Related: On a Girls' Night Out, they go to a strip club and there’s a guy dressed as a Native American. Why? This isn't the '80's and it didn't sound like they were pretending to be the Village People. So... what's with the Native American fantasies?

An example of her lack of awareness: At one point, she tells her therapist that there’s always room for everyone else on government forms but not for widows. Your options are Single, Married, Divorced. There's no Widowed. But everyone else in the world has options on those forms. Which is both untrue and clueless.

At another point, Lili feels a surge of interest and “support” for people who are gay or who seem to lead more interesting lives than she has. Because if you're gay, your life is infinitely more exciting that the life of a widowed white woman's.

Aaaannnnd...Lili mis-concludes Bash is named that because he’s a destructive force of nature, like most boys. She doesn’t immediately figure out it’s short for Sebastian (because she is an idiot), she doesn’t even make the “Bashful” connection when he goes all shy at their first meeting. Why would she think it makes sense for a parent to name their kid Bash simply because the kid is a boy so will, obviously, be a person who runs around bashing things?

I didn't feel like these supposed-to-be-funny inner thoughts of hers were a result of the grief and guilt and exhaustion she had experienced in the three years since her husband's death; this seemed more like who she was and how she'd always thought. Maybe it's supposed to be flippant and irreverent but, to me, it read as privileged and purposefully rude. It rubbed me the wrong way.

Then there's the preponderance of "You Need a Man" messages that infiltrate the story starting just before the midway point. Everyone was so concerned about Lily having a man in her life to help her raise her family. No one stopped to wonder what she wanted, they just assumed Man = Better. I thought this message was being set-up so it could get knocked down, a sort of "A romantic partner doesn't make you complete" message for the end. But, no.
She sees how other people are in couplehood, she watches a few couples form during gardening class, it's all so lovely, though she, oddly, has no feelings about these couplings, other than snarky judgement. The two former teachers share such a strong partnership, the old rich guy and his hot young wife are crazy in love with each other, there's something so tender and beautiful between the two gardening students, and even Rachel, who doesn't want to commit to anyone, runs into someone with whom she just clicks. Lili's own thoughts, of course, turn to love but she rejects those feelings for reasons. None of the reasons are because she just isn't interested and she likes where her life is going.
No, the romantic element was introduced to create the possibility of a Happily Ever After. And you know what? It's bullshit that women can't be complete without a committed romantic partner. I'm just sick of that narrative.

What others found charming and funny, I found grating and off-putting. The gardening tips were useless and the romance made me flare my nostrils in distaste.
At least the structure, format, and grammar were all tidy and well done and bookclubs that read this type of novel will love it to bits.

1.5 stars

Aj the Ravenous Reader

First page of the Prologue and already full of heart, honesty, and humor. I could already tell that I'm going to love it and I was right. It was absolutely adorable.

Lili is navigating a world where her husband has been dead for three years and although she seems to downplay her grief practically for the sake of her two adorable little girls, Annabel and Clare, it's very obvious how hurt she still is to have lost her soulmate so soon. Her grief is palpable and her admissions about her depression so relatable. She finds it unlikely that her very routinary, admittedly lonely life will change until she, her sister and her kids signed up for a six-week free gardening class under a very attractive teacher named Edward and things start to look up for her.

The entire book is really cute. The story is told in Lilian/Lili's POV. Her imaginations and daydreamings, and basically everything she says is so hilarious. There's never a dull moment. After each chapter, there's an illustration and an actual guide on all cute things related to gardening and they're awesome, really helpful and educational details on growing specific vegetables.

I love how the gardening class gave Lili what she needs without realizing it. She found a group of extraordinary friends from different walks of life, a wonderful potential love interest, a great activity for her kids and a relaxing productive hobby for herself.

This is easily a five-star read and I'm keeping this in my "to reread" shelf.

Theresa Alan

I really enjoyed this hilariously funny book.

When the publishing house 34-year-old Lillian works for wants her to illustrate a book on gardening, they send her to a course on how to garden. Her sister, Rachel, and her two daughters join her. There, they meet a good-looking teacher named Edward and a cast of characters that defy initial stereotypes.

I loved the relationship between Lillian and Rachel. They fight occasionally, but mostly they support each other in a way that’s nice to see. The seven-year-old daughter Annabel and the five-year-old Clare are the most adorable characters I’ve read in fiction in a long time.

Though Lillian lost her husband to a car accident almost four years ago, her sister, her daughter, and the cast of characters from her gardening class help Lillian move forward from the grief. The humor keeps the book from being depressing or maudlin.

Highly recommended.Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to review this book.

For more of my reviews, please visit:
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Petra

I really enjoyed this warm story of a young widow coming to terms with the concept of moving on, living her life and being truly happy again. I felt her pain and fear, her love for her lost husband, her desire to not forget him.
This story is told with warm & loving humor and looks at many issues: letting go, learning to live & be happy, first appearances, trusting oneself, accepting others into one's life and much more.
It's a warm & loving story. I was afraid it would be a romance but it's not; far from it. It's about Life.

Things I learned about gardening:
- the concept of 3 Sisters gardening: great stuff!....except that I don't like squash. But when I find a substitute I will attempt this. A great way to garden and (I believe) cut back on weeding & staking work.
- melon rinds will coax ants to the areas I want them and away from where I don't want them. I wage war on ants each year. I could use this to my advantage.....and with ants I can use all the advantage I can find....they have the upper hand.
- worm houses: must get one or more

DeB

I did laugh... and roll my eyes at the “gardening tips”, which were a tad precious, accepted that I would utterly suspend reality to believe that tomatoes would give fully ripened fruit in six weeks, and strawberries from new plants the same - but, the whimsy was gentle and there were some truly comedic moments. Light froth, good enough for its purpose. Not excellent, but ok to kick back with in between more serious stuff.

Kathryn

4.5 stars.
Witty and insightful. Wonderful group of characters. Two sisters, well two sets of sisters who made me laugh and at times sad. A group of people who come together around a gardening project and form a what I think will be lasting friendships. Tons of good hints about gardening.

♥Rachel♥

After getting a recommendation from Heidi, our long time bloggy friend from Rainy Day Ramblings, I knew I had to pick up The Garden of Small Beginnings. I’m so happy I did because it was charming, fun, and full of laugh-out-loud humor!

Lilian lost her husband in a tragic accident four years ago, and hasn’t really moved on. Not that she’s in a deep depression, this story is far from depressing, but she hasn’t really begun living life for herself since. Her world is about her two girls, seven-year-old Annabel and five-year-old Clare. Her younger sister Rachel figures heavily into her life as well. All it takes is a gardening class to shake things up. Thrown together with people Lily wouldn’t normally have mixed with, learning about plants, soil, as well as each other. The class instructor Edward Bloem, makes the class come to life, and his enthusiasm for growing things and life in general is contagious.

Even though this story is about a widower coming to grips with her loss and living for herself again, it’s lighthearted for the most part, and really positive. Like I said, this book was super funny, and a pretty realistic take on life with small children. I live in northern Los Angeles, and a lot of times the life pictured in movies or books isn’t close to my experience, but I think the author captured a more authentic representation of Los Angeles area life.

I received a copy, but I ended up listening to the audio version, and I enjoyed the narration. Emily Rankin had great comedic timing, given that much of the story is humorous observations and situations, that was important. The only voice I wasn’t super keen on was Edward’s. The accent sounded like an old German professor, instead of a handsome man from Holland. At any rate, it didn’t hamper my enjoyment of their romance.

A copy was kindly provided by Berkley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This review is also posted at
The Readers Den.

Jonathan K (Max Outlier)

Heart warming, funny and filled with joy

Abbi has a talent for telling family stories that all can relate with, even if they're childless. In this book the recently widowed mother of two young girls comes to grips with grief while her children embrace gardening. A talented illustrator, sister and taxi driver for the kids, Lillian shows up like Superman while battling her inner demons. Well paced, with spats of humor it's difficult not to enjoy her writing. The publisher includes the first chapters of Nina Hill at the end, so I'll be eager to read that one as well!

Gabrielle

When I got married, I thought a lot about the fact that sooner or later, one of us would die. And I don’t think that’s morbid: I think it's important to remember such a simple fact when you make that kind of commitment, so that we enjoy every moment we have together as much as we can, since inevitably, one of us eventually won’t be there. I know that if Jason goes first, I will be utterly heartbroken and devastated, but I do hope I manage to keep my dry wit and sarcasm as well as Lili does – if only because he actually likes that about me, for some reason. Telling people that he now mostly just rots is something he’d want me to do!

This book is cute. Almost too cute for me, but it’s just my kind of funny, its partially about gardening (which I love), and my brain needed a break after returning from vacation almost broke it…

When Lilian’s husband Dan is killed in a car accident, she ends up in a psychiatric hospital for some time, leaving her daughters Annabel and Clare in the care of her sister Rachel. After a while, she gets back on her feet, goes back home and to her job as a children’s textbook illustrator; but she is going through the motions, bolstered by coffee and a deadpan, sarcastic sense of humor. She is content to coast along like that when she is assigned a special project at work: illustrating a gardening guide. Having very little experience on the subject, she agrees to attend a weekly gardening class her boss registered her for, and brings her daughters and sister in tow. And that’s when things begin to change.

I loved the honest and hilarious way Abbi Waxman describes Lili’s life; that acerbic inner monologue is highly quotable and made me snort more than a few times. I am just a sucker for irreverent humor, especially when it’s about the supermundane and non-glamorous aspects of life. Or whale penises. Whatever. But it’s not just giggles: this is still the story of a woman grieving, and trying to figure out “what now” after four years of widowhood and single-mothering. The hint of romance is predictable, but its also very sensitively approached: when you break up with someone, moving on is the most natural thing in the world, but when your partner dies, the emotions involved are a lot more complicated and confusing. Lili juggles her first experience of attraction to someone since her husband died with all the guilt attached to the idea of betraying his memory, on top of the very raw sadness she still feels. It’s no easy feat to render that realistically – but Lili is a wonderfully lucid and self-deprecating narrator who expresses her feelings with clarity and honesty.

The supporting characters are also fantastic: I especially enjoyed that Waxman makes it her mission to break her own characters’ assumptions about each other. Lili has ideas about her fellow gardening students that progressively fall away as she gets to know them and lets them into her life. It’s a great little reminder that people are much more than meets the eye, and it’s hard not to wish you were part of that gardening class.

As a someone who plays with dirt, seeds and plants from May to September, I love that Waxman perfectly captures the strange blend of mental relaxation and physical exertion that gardening can be. Gardening really is therapeutic, and it can definitely change one’s perspective on time, work and care.

There is an obvious metaphor here, that reminded me a lot of Frances Burnett’s “The Secret Garden” (
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... the garden might need a little tending to, but any space can blossom again with a little TLC and water. Cheesy, but true, and always charming. In fact, this might just be the grown-up version of “The Secret Garden”. You finish it feeling warm and fuzzy: Abbi Waxman wants to make you giggle with her wit and smile with her insight. That kind of twee book usually gets 3 stars, but here, an additional one is well deserved, because it was just too much fun.

I look forward to “The Bookish Life of Nina Hill”!

Louise Miller

Abbi Waxman has done the impossible--she has written book about grief that is tender and true, deeply human, and laugh-out-loud funny. I absolutely loved this book, and I am going to miss the characters deeply. I can't wait for this to be on the book store shelves (it comes out it May 17) so I can push it on everyone I know who has experienced love and loss--that is to say everyone I know.

Obsidian

3.5 stars.

Full review: I am with other romance readers that reading about a main character who is a widow or widower is a lot. I think it mostly worked in this one following Lillian. Waxman does a great job of not erasing Lillian's ex and or making it seem like the new guy is the real love of her life (that always irks me).

Though Lillian was the focus, I also loved reading about her sister Rachel and how their relationship works.

I loved all of the chapter headings about the plants/vegetables/etc.

Katy O.

Something about this book just hit me so hard, and I feel deeply in love with it after only a few pages. Maybe it was the raw and unflinching grief, maybe it was the laugh-out-loud humor, maybe it was the completely frank and unfiltered take on motherhood, maybe it was the hilarious gardening notes at the beginning of every section (you MUST actually read these - so much humor hidden in there!)......whether it was one of these or all of these that made me love it, I just did. I had no idea of what to expect going into it and it took me completely by surprise. I found myself laughing out loud every few pages, and wishing Lilian was my friend constantly since we have such a similar take on motherhood. Her relationship with her sister was amazing, and I just fell in love with both of them.

If you have ever experienced a loss and/or are a mother or sister, pick this book up. You'll be so happy you did!

Donna

I found this book charming. It even had me laughing out loud in some places. I like quick easy reads, that can successfully take a non serious look at serious topics. There are some real issues in this, but I liked the author's approach to them. It wasn't a book about them but about the characters, and I liked that the author focused on that.

I enjoyed the relationships in this and there were many. They were well done and the characters were easy to like.

My only real problem was with the dialogue. It was awkward in places and it felt dated. As I listened to the audio at work, I found myself betting that the author was probably around my age because of her word choices/usage (the parts that felt dated) and I was right. She is 5 years younger than I am and some of her word choices transported me straight back to jr. high and high school. But overall, I enjoyed this one. So 4 stars.

Kelley

ARC received courtesy of Goodreads.com First Reads Giveaway

This is the BEST book I've read this year! Abbi Waxman has written the most realistic and funny novel that will stick with you long after you've read the final page.

Lillian's husband was killed in a horrific car crash that she witnessed. After his death, she lost it and was hospitalized until she could be brought back to center. She has two girls and a huge support system, but after four years, she's just stuck in her grief. She is a textbook illustrator and her employer gives her the assignment to illustrate a fruit/vegetable catalog. She agrees that to do her best with the illustrations, she'll take a gardening class. The family that she finds from that class will try to help her move forward.

This book is so irreverently funny! I laughed out loud and immediately thought, "It's a good thing no one can see what I'm reading"!

A MUST read!

Lily (Night Owl Book Cafe)

I really needed something different and fun in my reading life, so when dear Heidi over at
Rainy Day Ramblings personally recommended this book, I jumped at the chance to read it.

Guys, I cannot express how much I adored this book. It did exactly what I need it to do. It pulled me out of my reading slump and offered me a book with so much fun, laughter and a lot of heart.

Lilian Girvan is a widow. Her husband died a couple of years ago in a car collision right outside of their house and left Lilian with two little girls. Lilian had a hard time recovering from his death at first and actually had to be admitted to a hospital. Her sister Rachel provided a huge support network not only helping Lilian get past her husband's death, but also in taking care of the kids.

Now Lilian is working as an illustrator and her company is hired to illustrate a gardening book. They only have one request. Lilian must take a gardening class. So after recruiting her sister and her daughters to join her in the class on weekends, Lilian's world opens up to the great group of gardeners that might be just what the doctor ordered.

This book was fantastic. The writing was super great, super fun and I adored Waxman's humor, it was just my kind of cup of tea. I was super surprised that this was her debut novel and also a bit disappointed because I so want more of the author's writing. I cannot wait for her next book to come out, it is definitely going on my auto buy list.

This book is just great for the spring and summer alike. As a gardener myself. I adored the gardening aspect of the story. I also love the quirky gardening guides between the chapter breaks, they had me rolling with laughter.

All the characters were wonderful and endearing. I adored' Lilian and her daughters. I love the interactions between Lilian and the characters - especially her two little girls. I also loved the strong sister bond between Lilian and Rachel. Really, I just loved everything about this book. The supporting extra characters in this book also just really added both heart and depth to this story.

The only thing that made this a little frustrating was the open ending. I kind of wanted to know a little more and not just where Lilian's character was going, but also Rachel's. I guess I could almost understand why the author wrapped it up the way she did, but I still found that I really did want that closure.

Overall, I am looking forward to more of Waxman's writing. If you are looking to add to your summer book read, I highly recommend this one.
This review was originally posted on Night Owl Book Cafe

Title	:	The Garden of Small Beginnings
Author	:	Abbi Waxman
Rating	:
ISBN	:	-
Language	:	English
Format Type	:	ebook
Number of Pages	:	368
Publication	:	First published May 2, 2017

The Garden of Small Beginnings Reviews

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