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book cover for The Divine Gardener's Handbook

The Divine Gardener's Handbook

Or What To Do If Your Girlfriend Accidentally Turns Off the Sun

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Pub Date Aug 18 2026 | Archive Date Sep 01 2026

St. Martin's Press | Saturday Books


Description

DELUXE EDITION—featuring beautiful sprayed edges!

Perfect for fans of Tamsyn Muir and Rebecca Thorne, this joyful debut follows a gardener fighting to secure her dream job in the Divine Gardens—manipulating God, antagonizing her attractive rival, and running afoul of a brewing rebellion along the way.

Cyprin grows perfect apples.

No other worker tends the orchards like she can. Sick of living in a Jenga-esque megacity where she’s never alone (there’s always a rat), Cyprin dreams of a job in the Divine Gardens, tending to the plants overseen by God.

Her only way in is winning an annual flower pageant—one that’s been dominated by the Divine Gardens’ head gardener for five years running: an insufferable woman with an undeniable affinity for plants. When Cyprin plays dirty (criminally dirty) and wins, she jumps headfirst into life in the gardens and her rivalry with the head gardener, who she just can’t stop thinking about.

Pranks, backstabbing, and a lot of heated glaring unite them, until they’re both drawn into a plot to take down God—who’s really just some guy with a great garden. As they spiral through layers of the city’s history and underground rebel group, Cyprin and her rival will find they understand each other like no one else does, even if there can only be one head gardener in the end.

But rise or fall, at least Cyprin will always have the rats.

A chaotically queer exploration of love, ambition, and toxic work culture, The Divine Gardener's Handbook is a romp of a science fantasy that will leave you gasping for more.

DELUXE EDITION—featuring beautiful sprayed edges!

Perfect for fans of Tamsyn Muir and Rebecca Thorne, this joyful debut follows a gardener fighting to secure her dream job in the Divine...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781250395184
PRICE $31.00 (USD)
PAGES 368

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I fell in love with this book instantly. It’s clever, emotional, and wildly entertaining, weaving together a sapphic enemies-to-lovers romance, a collapsing dystopian world, and a chilling conspiracy around a false god. The Divine Gardener’s Handbook is both graceful and devastating, managing to make you laugh, cry, and gasp for more all at once. The pacing is sharp, the characters are unforgettable, and Snow’s writing makes 300+ pages fly by. A fantastic choice for book clubs, buddy reads, or anyone looking for an accessible, feel-good sci-fi with depth.

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"The concept of God on the toilet nearly did her head in." (pg. 50)

Thank you to Netgalley for providing ARC access!

I absolutely fell in love with this book. It's witty, powerful, fun, elaborate, jarring, breathtaking in the way Snow expertly weaves their story and leaves you gasping for more. There's a sapphic enemies to lovers romance. There's a dystopian world that gets ripped apart. There's a false god and a whole conspiracy behind said false god. The Divine Gardener's Handbook is a delightful book that explores the depths of the human psyche and its trembling society, and it manages to do so in a way that's graceful but also packs quite the punch.

This is a perfect lighthearted read for anyone who wants something to make them cry and then belly-laugh all in the span of a handful of pages. I was enamored with this book the moment I started reading, and that feeling didn't change for a bit all throughout. The plot is action-packed but well-developed, and the characters are all lovable and memorable in their own right. This would be the perfect icebreaker read for a buddy read or a book club, and I would highly recommend this book to readers who might be interested in breaking into the sci-fi genre or just want a feel-good pick-me-up. It's super approachable and easy to follow, and Snow writes magically in a way that makes 300+ pages fly by in the blink of an eye.

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