A Robot in the Garden by Deborah Install

A Robot in the Garden

by Deborah Install

"An unusual and delightful book. A robot to remember." (Alexander Mccall Smith). Warm-hearted fable of a stay-at-home husband who learns an important lesson in life when an unusual creature enters his life. With all the charm and humour of the rosie Project and about a boy. This is a story of the greatest friendship ever assembled. Ben Chambers wakes up to find something rusty and lost underneath the willow tree in his garden. Refusing to throw it on the skip as his wife Amy advises, he takes it home.

Reviewed by Leah on

5 of 5 stars

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I’ve read lots of books in my time, but I must confess A Robot In The Garden is the first book I’ve ever read about a robot. And it will take a very special book to knock this one off the perch of “best robot book ever”, in fact it’s easily one of my favourite reads of 2015, it was just so adorable, so delightful, so enchanting. I want my own Tang, please.

I had no idea what I was getting in to when I started A Robot In The Garden – much like Ben, I had no idea Tang would steal my heart so quickly or so thoroughly but I am so glad he did. I am so glad I decided to read this delightful tale, because it was magnificent. Tang stole my heart completely, but Ben impressed me, too. It takes a very special man to go on a wild goose chase in the hope of keeping his robot friend alive. Especially since he’d only known Tang for a few days. That’s a special kinda man.

And the relationship between Ben and Tang was beautiful. So beautiful. Very much like a father-son relationship, and I loved how they brought out the best in each other. How Tang taught Ben to love and heal; how Ben took Tang on a glass-bottomed boat so he could see the fishes without getting wet, because Ben knew how much Tang wanted to see the water and the fishes.

You knew right from the start this was going to be a beautiful friendship and I just hoped with all my heart, that this novel wasn’t going to break my heart – and thankfully it didn’t. Phew. There are NO tears in this book. But there are a lot of laughs. Tang is the most amusing, amazing robot you will ever meet. I’m just sad here with a silly smile on my face, because I just feel so lovely and warm and delightful. I was very much charmed to meet Tang, and Ben, and join them on their adventure (which was pretty freaking awesome – I love adventures that are last minute, spur of the moment adventures because they’re the best ones). It’s an adventure you need to go on, because you MUST meet Tang. He is a delight.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 27 March, 2015: Finished reading
  • 27 March, 2015: Reviewed