Reviews with content warning for Grief - The Garden of Small Beginnings

Title: The Garden of Small Beginnings
Author: Abbi Waxman
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: May 2, 2017

T H R E E • W O R D S

Funny • Emotional • Relatable

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Lilian has been a single mother for three years—ever since her husband died in a car accident. She's settled into a routine, but has been feeling overwhelmed with being underwhelmed. When Lilian gets assigned to a vegetable gardening class to help with a new book illustration project, she recruits her kids and sister to join her. Lilian shows up at the Los Angeles botanical garden feeling completely out of her element. But she'll meet a patient instructor and a cast of quirky gardeners; a community will help her discover that into every life a little sun must shine, whether you want it to or not.

💭 T H O U G H T S

The Garden of Small Beginnings was recommended to be by a close bookish friend, and I was immediately intrigued by the grief and gardening aspects (two topics that hold significant space in my life). Unfortunately, it left me with very mixed feeling.

While I wanted to love this book, the sarcastic tone and candid writing style as it relates to grief didn't sit well with me. It all felt a little too lighthearted for the content. I appreciated the inclusion and open dialogue on grief and finding a way to move through, but I just felt like it was handled with as much care as it could have been, leaving a bitter feeling in the pit of my stomach.

My favourite aspect of this novel was the parallel between grief and gardening. It was an extremely clever plot device utilized by Abbi Waxman to move the plot forward. As an avid green thumb, the gardening tips at the beginning of each chapter were not lost of me. I became more interested to see what advice would come next, than I did in the development of the story. It's a reminder of how plants and nature can teach us so much about life.

This was a light-hearted read with real and relatable characters. What I took away from reading it, is the importance of community in grief, and how friendships can come from the most unlikely of places. If you're looking for a heartfelt exploration of grief, this is not the book for you.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• green thumbs
• readers who enjoyed Evvie Drake Starts Over

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"In many ways, turnips are the unsung heroes of the root crop universe. They don't have the ad budget potatoes have, or the glamorous appearance of carrots, but they shouldn't be underestimated. They're high in vitamins and minerals, low in sugar, and taste delicious roasted, caramelized, or mashed with a pound of butter."

"Humans have been growing food for themselves since the dawn of time. Indeed, many plants have developed a dependence on us, just as some plants require digestion by birds to activate their seeds. We do our part by planting seeds in healthy soil, watering them, weeding them, and leaving them in peace. They return the favor by growing fruits and seeds and flowers that we like to eat."

"I hadn't expected vegetables to become such a major feature of my life, but that's the thing with plants... they grow to fill the available space."

Content Warnings

cassielaj's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted relaxing medium-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

5.0

This is just my favorite book 🤷🏻‍♀️ Not much else to say

Content Warnings

theespressoedition's review

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emotional informative inspiring lighthearted reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

I truly didn't think it was possible to love Abbi Waxman any more than I already did - and then I read this book.

My first novel by Abbi was The Bookish Life of Nina Hill which felt like it was written just for me (and even a little like it was written ABOUT me because Nina is basically my bookish doppelganger). I adored how the story tackled things like anxiety and panic attacks. Then I read I Was Told It Was Going to Get Easier, which was also super relatable with the mother-daughter relationship. I began to realize a theme: Abbi is incredible at weaving real-life experiences and challenges into her writing so seamlessly and beautifully.

When I began reading The Garden of Small Beginnings, I knew I was in for another wonderful reading experience. Not only was it laugh-out-loud funny, but it dealt with grief in such a spectacular way. It was poignant, inspiring, and creative. The story itself was incredible and I got some hilarious and helpful gardening tips along the way. I appreciated that the emphasis wasn't even on the romance, but instead on the family and friend community that is so important in our lives.

This book left me feeling grateful for the love in my life (romantic and platonic) and gave me hope for the future!

Content Warnings

amibo's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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? No

3.0

Content Warnings

keri_f's review

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funny hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

pagesfromhome's review

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emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Previous Rating: 5 Stars

Like my last Abbi Waxman reread, I used to absolutely adore these books. 5 stars all the way with no faults. Since rereading, I've noticed this habit she has of dropping in stereotypes (or making culturally appropriative costumes) or mentioning race or sexuality when it just feels weird and forced (pgs. 19, 59, and 157 particularly spring to mind). I noticed this in The Bookish Life of Nina Hill and now in this one. The reference to a gay couple on p. 59 struck out in particular - the main character mentions, "...that pique of interest and support I always felt when I met lesbians or gay men, or interracial couples, or anyone in fact who lived a life that seemed more interesting and less mainstream than mine." Like, it's cool to support people who are different than you, but it's weird as heck when you fetishize or romanticize them. They're just two women in a relationship, not a field study for an anthropologist.

There also seems to be a lot of forgiveness for Rachel and Lili's mom's lack of growth and harmful behaviors. The main character says multiple times how her mom just is who she is, implying nothing can be done about it. Still, her mom is saying incredibly hurtful and harmful things to her grandchildren, so yes, she can change, but she certainly won't if she's getting away with it. I'm all for respecting who people are, but when they are harmful, they need to hear about what they're inflicting on others.

That said, these references do knock down my rating a bit, but for the most part, this book still stands. It's a beautiful exploration of the waves of grief phenomenon and (I imagine) how it would be to be a suddenly widowed mother of two. The cast of characters in the gardening club is fantastic, and I love the blossoming romance at the forefront of the story. I would definitely reread it again, but I hope Waxman's newest book will be less cavalier with outdated race and sexuality references.

Content Warnings

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