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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Dementia
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thoughts: This book had potential but squandered it in a few ways. It isn’t a bad book, but it should be better. It is very long and is quite slow moving at parts. I personally feel the author squandered amazing opportunities to discuss Winston’s struggles as a gay Indian man. I think her desire to “show” vs “tell” actually backfired here. It is hinted at that Winston didn’t feel he could reveal his real self to his family and that a good portion of that had to do with being gay. The sister implies the mother knew, though she never said. We’re left wondering about whether he will be honest with the father.
On the other side, Bernice was written as such a terrible human being at the beginning, I struggled to redeem her later. She is CLEARLY racist at the beginning, no matter how she’s portrayed later. It would have been better if we had seen her having positive interactions with some of the other neighbors who were people of color and ALSO seen her and Winston going at it. Then I might have been more willing to believe it was the struggle of sharing space with someone new and different from her.
A lot of people felt the the backstory part was too long but honestly, I’ll take more Alma any day. She was a treat, as was Hiral as she grew. I struggle though with Maya moving out the same time Alma does as Hiral was only a year from graduating. That made little sense. Additionally, the book had this sense of found family and community that falls apart when the ONLY way Alma can be taken care of is to go live with Kate. She would have struggled more moving to a new place with a niece who she certainly didn’t know in her youth. They didn’t want to make Kate the bad guy but that meant they had to make it that “of course Alma had to go live with family.” As though Maya and Hiral WEREN’T her family. I actually wish they had her go live in a nursing home facility NEAR Kate, that Kate could afford, and THAT would have made more sense.
If you enjoy garden descriptions, then those are plentiful and lovely. If you want a long book where you don’t have to pay perfect attention, this will also fit the bill. The author wrote some solid characters but just didn’t use the world as well as it could have been and frankly, I think she failed where Bernice is concerned. I never did forgive her. I think even having her acknowledge her actual racism would have helped. Instead it was “well I misjudged YOU” versus the fact that she clearly has a lowly opinion of people of color in general.
I think I was a bit torn on my feelings to this book. I absolutely loved the concept of a garden that bears witness to all the community drama and spirit over the years and how it is the focus of the meetings between the neighbours that share it. I did struggle with the timelines swapping, which I don't normally mind in a timeslip novel, but this was one I found lost the thread a bit. I felt more invested in the modern day story than the 70s and there were a few accuracy things I felt didn't work.
It's a slow burn of a book, but it has it's beautiful moments
It's a slow burn of a book, but it has it's beautiful moments
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes