When it comes to traditional women’s fiction, I usually go running in the other direction. I cannot tell you why I first picked up this book, maybe it was the cover and spring, but I can tell you that I could not put it down.

Three years before this story began, Lilian Girvan saw her husband die in a horrendous auto accident just feet away from their front door. This event sent her in a tailspin that left her in a mental hospital and two young daughters at home parentless. Each day was a struggle, but eventually she pulled herself together and with the help of her sister, they seemed to have weather that storm with only a few clouds on the horizon.

You would think that with a beginning like that, this story would be sad and depressing, but you are wrong. With the sardonic humor, you cannot help laughing aloud at what others would consider inappropriate.

Lilian now supports her little family as an illustrator and with the imminent closing of her publishing branch; she is offered an assignment to illustrate a series of vegetable gardening books that beats the current job of textbooks and whale reproductive parts. The one requirement is that she attends Saturday morning gardening classes at the Los Angeles botanical garden lead by Edward Bloem, an heir apparent to the company publishing the gardening books.

With a sundry group of fellow gardeners, Lilian, her sister Rachel, plus the girls, learn not only about gardening, but also about life. About people that are different and about how you should not always judge by outward appearances.

Falling in the genre of Women’s Fiction / Contemporary Romance, the reader knows from the beginning where this book is going to go, but the ride there is well worth it. Lives are examined, tears are shed, realities that were not apparent from the start continue to throw this family through the wringer, but that is the messy part of life. The toys on the floor and the dishes in the sink can wait, what is important here are the children. They are wise beyond their years and when the biting insults from a grandmother, that has her own issues, are shut down by a three year old you know that they will all make it to the happily ever after.

Not just another white knight to the rescue type of book, this book adeptly winds the reader through the many lives and loves of each character. You will find yourself missing them, their humor, their outlook, their lives and even their gardens complete with benches and fairy houses. I hope that this is not the last that we will see of Abbi Waxman, she has a special voice in this genre and I for one, will look forward to seeing what is to come.

Lili, a widow with 2 young children, has been running on auto-pilot since her husband's death 4 years ago. She still misses Dan too much to even consider moving on. When Lili's job as a book illustrator lands her an assignment to illustrate vegetables for a vegetable encyclopedia, her boss also signs her up to take a vegetable garden class. Lili brings along her 2 daughters and her sister to the class, and what she was sure would be a very boring task ends up anything but. The small class becomes a very tight-knit group and they become more like extended family. This book will have you laughing from start to finish, with many heart-warming moments in between. This is definitely a must-read.

The Garden of Small Beginnings
By Abbi Waxman Release date May 2 2017 5 Stars

Great read! Highly recommend. A good beach read that leaves you feeling good about life going on when we face tragedy. With great but quirky characters, and lots of laugh out loud moments.
Amazing what digging in the dirt can do for you when life throws you curves.

Setting: Southern California

Characters

Lilian Girvan - Widowed mother of two young girls, textbook illustrator, narrator
Rachel Anderby - Lilian's sister
Frances, Eloise, Angie, Gene, Mike - other students in the gardening class Lilian and Rachel attend
Plot: It's been four years since Lilian's husband, Dan, was killed in a car accident right in front of Lilian's eyes. After the accident, Lillian lost her mind for a little while - and who could blame her? Her sister, Rachel, took charge of caring for her children and Lili began the very long journey of healing from such a trauma. As a text book illustrator, at least Lili has job security and is able to use her talent and passion for art. When the publisher she works for asks Lili to illustrate a new book about vegetables, they send her to a gardening class for inspiration. The class introduces Lili, her kids, and Rachel to a cast of quirky and endearing characters, all at different places in their lives. Together, they learn to grow vegetables, yes, but they also learn about the power of friendship, the distance between first impressions and reality, and how the unexpected impacts every life.

Pacing: Steady

Predictability: n/a

Wild Card: From the first pages and chapter, I was hooked. The Garden of Small Beginnings is funny and insightful and heartbreaking all at once. As Lili narrates her life story, she shares pieces of herself with readers - at times fatalistic, as times sarcastic, but always real, true, and forthright. This is, by far, one of the best books I've read this year, and one I'm sure I'll return to read again and again.

Hit, Miss, or Draw? A five-star hit.

This is a book about a widow whose husband practically dies right in front of her and their house they shared with their two small children. And it is rip roaringly hilarious and I LOVED it. Yes, this woman (Lilian) has a very hard time coping, I mean who wouldn't? Luckily, she has a sister who's idea of dating and the men she chooses helps Lilian a lot. She also provides a lot of the humor in this book.

Lilian's workplace provides another spot of humor, okay a lot also, in this book. Okay, yeah, the whale genitalia jokes do go a little overboard. But, they don't last long. Then, Lilian's boss tells her that she's going to attend gardening classes. That's when more fun and a lot of quirky character get added to the mix in the book. That's also when I really started getting attached, really attached to the book and the characters. The author presents the characters as a type, but when you really get to know these characters, they become something a whole lot different.

This was a wonderful read, certainly entertaining and very enjoyable. The cover drew me at first and upon reading the description, I hit the request button. I am glad that I did.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing for approving that request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Signed up for the Blog Tour - my posting will be at the Dew on 5/16/17.

What an absolutely wonderful book. This has been on my TBR pile for a long time and I can't believe I let it set for so long. Lili is widowed and had a very difficult time accepting her husband's sudden death in a car accident. Supported by her sister Rachel and her two young girls, Lili is taking a gardening class so she can illustrate a gardening book. Edward, the instructor and part owner of the company publishing the book makes her think it's time to move on from her grief. This book makes you laugh out loud and dab tears. A roller coaster glimpse of Lili's life. A book to savor and put in your permanent library. If you read nothing else this summer choose this one. Wish I could give it 6 *'s for exceptional.

I got an email offer for this book through Netgalley and was interested based on the blurb. I had no idea that I would totally love this book!

Lili is an illustrator with two children who lost her husband 4 years ago and still hasn't quite recovered. She went through a period of total insanity, relying heavily on her sister to help her and her daughters pull through. Now she is on assignment, taking a gardening class to help her get inspired to illustrate a vegetable pamphlet.

It's through this class that Lili forges new friendships that change her life. As her job situation changes and she finds herself craving a bit of romance, the gardening class keeps her together. Her sister and children go with her, making for a fantastic cast of characters.

I loved this book. Lili's banter with her sister often made me laugh out loud, and her two daughters have such strong personalities compared to children in other books I've read. Lili embraces her own craziness, which made her feel more like a real person to me. I loved so many things about Lili as a character. Add in the minor characters, and this book hits the spot for character development and storylines.

Few books make me laugh out loud, and this one did over and over again. I loved the characters, the plot, and the development as the book moved along. I definitely recommend!

The Garden of Small Beginnings, Abbi Waxman, May 2017
A lethal car accident directly outside her front door robs Lilian Girvan of her young husband, Daniel and throws her into a deep depression which requires hospitalization. Three years hence, Lili is now adjusting to parenthood as a single mom and her job as a book illustrator is suddenly in jeopardy, adding more unneeded stress to her life. The Garden of Small Beginnings is filled with laugh-out-loud humor and Waxman has magically created a book that fully captures the experience of love, loss, unmanageable grief, vulnerability, and the courage required to love again. This is a fun read, complete with a happy ending that’s sure to satisfy.

What a lovely book! I loved the metaphor of the garden for the characters' lives, as well as the great gardening tips, thrown in with a side of snark.

I loved that the characters were fully developed, I felt that I really got to know them. Yet, the story didn't drag on because of this. It was perfect.

While it was a deep read, it provided enough intellectual stimulation to keep it from being a generic romance. This would be a great thinking person's summer read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Berkeley Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this delightful book.

Quick, smart and funny! Great combination of both dry humor and tender moments of grief. Enjoyed it!

One of the most enjoyable books I have read in a long time. A young widow with two daughters finds herself attending a gardening class for a book she is to illustrate. The book has humor, romance, delightful characters and helpful hints for gardening.

I loved the characters in this book and how the author balanced humor and dealing with grief. I'd definitely recommend this to library patrons!

First, thanks so much to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this wonderful book!

You know when you laugh out loud at the book dedication that you are in for a treat. Lilian is a young mother of two precocious girls, Annabel and Claire. Lilian's husband, Dan, died in an accident in front of their home. Lilian had a breakdown and spent time in a hospital recovering, although 4 years later she is still trying to recover.

Lilian is a textbook illustrator and given the job of illustrating a book on gardening - the client asked that she attend a new gardening class. Of course, the instructor is young, handsome and basically perfect. The class attendees are a fun bunch and they all have wonderful back stories.

The relationship between Lilian and her sister, Rachel, who basically put her life on hold to help Lilian with the girls after Dan's left, is priceless. They argue, laugh, poke fun and basically are wonderful supports for each other - much more than their dysfunctional mom.

This book is just utter joy - the humor is so funny and sarcastic that I laughed out loud in so many spots - in a book about grief! The analogy between plants growing and our lives changing and moving forward is perfect. This book is an amazing read - I used to give the book Good Grief to friends struggling with grief, but this is going to be my next go to.

I loved it - highly recommended!

Lillian is my hero, a recent widow with two young daughters. Add to this a guirky family,new group of friends and you have a wonderful reading experience. Thank you Abbi Waxman and Netgalley.

I really enjoyed this hilariously funny book.

When the publishing house 34-year-old Lillian works for wants her to illustrate a book on gardening, they send her to a course on how to garden. Her sister, Rachel, and her two daughters join her. There, they meet a good-looking teacher named Edward and a cast of characters that defy initial stereotypes.

I loved the relationship between Lillian and Rachel. They fight occasionally, but mostly they support each other in a way that’s nice to see. The seven-year-old daughter Annabel and the five-year-old Clare are the most adorable characters I’ve read in fiction in a long time.

Though Lillian lost her husband to a car accident almost four years ago, her sister, her daughter, and the cast of characters from her gardening class help Lillian move forward from the grief. The humor keeps the book from being depressing or maudlin.

Highly recommended.

I loved this book! The main character, Lilian, was so easy to identify with. The voice that the author gave Lilian was humorous and real. I'm recommending this book to all my friends.

I loved this book! I laughed and cried as Lili learned to grow herself and her garden. The gardening tips were great.

What a delightful surprise this book turned out to be! In the Garden of Small Beginnings, Lilian Girvan is attempting to get on with her life after the sudden death of her husband. She enjoys her work as an illustrator but it's a new assignment that finds her taking a gardening class at the local botanical garden, where she finds more than vegetables and flowers. A heartwarming, laugh out loud, and truly touching story.

Truly enjoyed this book!!! I would recommend it highly!!!