Sam@WLABB
Written on May 29, 2020
It had been three years since Lily watched her husband die, and though she was better, her grief still cast a shadow over her. As part of a work assignment, Lily had to attend a gardening class, and new life sprouted both in the garden and in Lily.
My love for Waxman's books is unending. She is a solid member of my list of authors, who never fail to bring me joy. I have now read four books by this author, and every one of them was relatable and full of humor, warmth, and heart.
Lilian was a woman, who had to rebuild her life after suffering a mental breakdown in the wake of her husband's death. With support from her sister, she was able to regain some stability, but it was evident, that she never really got past his death. Though the story was filled with tons fun and wit, it was accompanied by some really tender and beautiful moments shared between Lilian and her girls, as well as between Lily and her sister. Waxman had me laughing one minute, and near tears the next, because I could feel Lilian's pain and loss.
Lilian was definitely the star of this book, but Waxman assembled an outstanding supporting cast. Her sister was phenomenal. Rachel was a pillar of support for her sister. Not only did she assume responsibility for her young nieces, when their mother was recovering, but she continued to be there for Lilian, and wasn't afraid to give her a push in the right direction.
There was also Lilian's garden family. What. A. Crew. Each person in this group was so special, and I loved the way they formed such an incredible found-family. I had such an amazing time with them in the garden, and liked seeing their friendship grow outside of the garden. There were some unexpected connections among that group, and it just warmed my heart seeing them mesh, and fill out each other's lives.
And, don't forget the girls. Lilian had one daughter, who remembered bits about her father, and another, who was too young to remember much. Though most of the time, these two were just balls of adorableness, there were these moments, where they reflected on the loss of their father, and cracked me in two. I don't think Lilian fully realized the impact her husband's death had on her daughter's, and the older one, in particular, really opened up the conversation. Some really special moments.
There was a touch of romance in this book, as well. It's a very small part of Lilian's story, but an important part. She was shocked to find herself attracted to someone, who was not her husband, and grappled with many emotions associated with this part of moving forward. I have to say, Waxman crafted a lovely man to be the first to creep his way into Lilian's heart. He was kind, sweet, intelligent, and good with the girls. I absolutely adored Edward, and found myself cheering for these two the whole time.
This book was near perfect for me. By the end, I knew Lilian had made some headway with her grief, but I must admit, I would have liked to have seen a bit further past the ending. Nonetheless, I found this story funny, witty, sometimes wise, and so heartfelt.
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