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The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman

Setting: California
Genre: Women's Fiction
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: May 2, 2017



After the tragic death of her husband, Lillian's balanced her time between mourning his loss, bringing in the sole household income, and raising her two young daughters. Her days are spent illustrating textbooks, and her nights are all about breaking up arguments and getting them to bed on time.

A new client needs Lillian to illustrate plants found in the garden. Her boss enrolls her for a Saturday morning garden class that happens to be run by the new client's son of all things. Lillian never expects that this one class will change her life.

Suddenly, Lillian finds herself developing romantic feelings for another man. She's making new friends, finding her sister's role in their lives changing, and trying to come to terms with the fact that her brash, overbearing mother will never change. In one garden setting, Lillian finds herself facing a renewal she never thought possible or is even sure she's ready to handle.

Lillian and her sister are engaging characters, but the little girls. They had me laughing so many times. Their blunt interruptions brought this story to life. The Garden of Small Beginnings has so much going for it. There's romance, comedy, and some moments where you can't help but feel your eyes tearing up.

In between the chapters you'll find gardening tips. I've had a garden for as long as I've lived at this address. I read, reread, and always rely on the information in The Moosewood Restaurant Kitchen Garden. Despite that, I still learned a few things. I loved that I was learning new gardening tips while also enjoying time spent with truly enjoyable characters. Abbi Waxman gained a new fan thanks to Lillian and her family!

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