Book Review: The First Gardener

ABOUT THE BOOK(back cover)
Jeremiah Williams has been tending those gardens for over twenty-five years.  And like most first families who have come and gone, this one has stolen his heart.

Mackenzie and her husband, Governor Gray London, are enjoying a sweet season of life when a tragedy tears their world apart.  As the entire state mourns Mackenzie falls into a grief that threatens to swallow her whole.

Though his heart is also broken, Jeremiah realizes that his gift of gardening is about far more than pulling weeds and planting flowers.  It's about tending hearts as well.  So he gently begins to cultivate the hard soil of Mackenzie's heart, hoping to show her what it took him decades to discover.

A Southern tale of loss, love, and living.  The First Gardener reminds us that all of life is a gift, but our heart is the most valuable gift of all.

MY THOUGHTS:

If this book doesn't move you to tears, I don't think anything will.  This is a sad Southern tale about a tragic loss and deep grief.  Some people are able to work through their grief and move on while others seem to go deeper and deeper into their grief and seem unreachable which can become quite upsetting to those of us wanting to help.  Moving on is a natural instinct for those of us not grieving, but sometimes, as this book shows us, it can be very hard to do so.

This book isn't all sad and tearful, a few characters add a bit of a bright light in the darkness of despair.  Eugenia is humorous and Jeremiah would take the pain from Mackenzie if only he could.

Keep a box of Kleenex handy if you're going to read this story about life, death, and healing.






* I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from Tyndale House Publishing