
The Garden of Small Beginnings
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Narrated by:
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Emily Rankin
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By:
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Abbi Waxman
About this listen
“A quirky, funny, and deeply thoughtful book” (Hello Giggles) that’s “filled with characters you’ll love and wish you lived next door to in real life” (Bustle) from the author of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill.
Lilian Girvan has been a single mother for three years - ever since her husband died in a car accident. One mental breakdown and some random suicidal thoughts later, she's just starting to get the hang of this widow thing. She can now get her two girls to school, show up to work, and watch TV like a pro. The only problem is she's becoming overwhelmed with being underwhelmed.
At least her textbook-illustrating job has some perks - like actually being called upon to draw whale genitalia. Oh, and there's that vegetable-gardening class her boss signed her up for. Apparently, being the chosen illustrator for a series of boutique vegetable guides means getting your hands dirty literally. Wallowing around in compost on a Saturday morning can't be much worse than wallowing around in pajamas and self-pity.
After recruiting her kids and insanely supportive sister to join her, Lilian shows up at the Los Angeles botanical garden feeling out of her element. But what she'll soon discover - with the help of a patient instructor and a quirky group of gardeners - is that into every life a little sun must shine, whether you want it to or not....
©2017 Abbi Waxman (P)2017 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
“What a treat!! Abbi Waxman is one of the wittiest voices in the world today. The Garden of Small Beginnings is a beautiful book full of humor, heart, and deep insight. An intimate and hilarious journey about a young mom moving on from grief. Reading it gave me the feeling I was talking to a really funny, open mom-friend sharing secrets about life, love, loss, and gardening! Abbi Waxman’s quick wit and heart shine brightly throughout this debut novel. I just loved it!” (Molly Shannon, actress)
“Waxman's skill at characterization...lifts this novel far above being just another 'widow finds love' story. Clearly an observer, Waxman has mastered the fine art of dialogue as well. Characters ring true right down to Lilian's two daughters, who often steal the show. This debut begs for an encore from Waxman.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)
“Kudos to debut author Waxman for creating an endearing and realistic cast of main and supporting characters (including the children). Her narrative and dialog are drenched with spring showers of witty and irreverent humor, which provides much respite from the underlying grief theme.” (Library Journal, starred review)
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By: Abbi Waxman
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Christa Comes Out of Her Shell
- By: Abbi Waxman
- Narrated by: Jesse Vilinsky, Jonathan Todd Ross
- Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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After a tumultuous childhood, Christa Liddle has hidden away, both figuratively and literally. Happily studying sea snails in the middle of the Indian Ocean, Christa finds her tranquil existence thrown into chaos when her once-famous father—long thought dead after a plane crash—turns out to be alive, well, and ready to make amends. The world goes wild, fascinated by this real-life saga, pinning Christa and her family under the spotlight. As if that weren’t enough, her reunion with an old childhood friend reveals an intense physical attraction neither was expecting and both want to act on.
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Won't pre-order her again
- By Scarlettleigh on 04-23-24
By: Abbi Waxman
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The Twilight Garden
- A Novel
- By: Sara Nisha Adams
- Narrated by: Shaheen Khan, Mikhail Sen, Emily Stride
- Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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In a small pocket of London, between the houses of No.77 and No.79 Eastbourne Road, lies a neglected community garden. It was a beautiful thing once, a little oasis in a bustling city for neighbors by day and the local foxes at twilight. Now it’s overgrown and neglected, an empty patch of greenery lost to time.
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Amazing
- By lhmoore on 10-17-24
By: Sara Nisha Adams
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Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
- A Novel
- By: Helen Simonson
- Narrated by: Peter Altschuler
- Length: 13 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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You are about to travel to Edgecombe St. Mary, a small village in the English countryside filled with rolling hills, thatched cottages, and a cast of characters both hilariously original and as familiar as the members of your own family. Among them is Major Ernest Pettigrew (retired), the unlikely hero of Helen Simonson's wondrous debut. Wry, courtly, opinionated, and completely endearing, Major Pettigrew is one of the most indelible characters in contemporary fiction, and from the very first page of this remarkable novel he will steal your heart.
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Charming book with an excellent narrator
- By jc on 03-05-10
By: Helen Simonson
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Stone Mattress
- Nine Tales
- By: Margaret Atwood
- Narrated by: Margaret Atwood, Rob Delaney, Mark Bramhall, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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A collection of highly imaginative short pieces that speak to our times with deadly accuracy. Vintage Atwood creativity, intelligence, and humor: think Alias Grace. Margaret Atwood turns to short fiction for the first time since her 2006 collection, Moral Disorder, with nine tales of acute psychological insight and turbulent relationships bringing to mind her award-winning 1996 novel, Alias Grace.
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Staggeringly Good
- By The Amester on 06-01-15
By: Margaret Atwood
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The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
- A Novel
- By: Rachel Joyce
- Narrated by: Jim Broadbent
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Meet Harold Fry, recently retired. He lives in a small English village with his wife, Maureen, who seems irritated by almost everything he does, even down to how he butters his toast. Little differentiates one day from the next. Then one morning the mail arrives, and within the stack of quotidian minutiae is a letter addressed to Harold in a shaky scrawl from a woman he hasn’t seen or heard from in twenty years. Queenie Hennessy is in hospice and is writing to say goodbye.
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Wonderful Walkabout
- By FanB14 on 07-01-13
By: Rachel Joyce
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One Plus One
- A Novel
- By: Jojo Moyes
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Bower, Ben Elliot, Nicola Stanton, and others
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied, and your math-whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can't afford to pay for. That's Jess' life in a nutshell - until an unexpected knight-in-shining-armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess' knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own, and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages...maybe ever.
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Sometimes I need a book that is just fun to read.
- By Kathy on 07-05-14
By: Jojo Moyes
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The Reading List
- A Novel
- By: Sara Nisha Adams
- Narrated by: Tara Divina, Sagar Arya, Paul Panting
- Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Widower Mukesh lives a quiet life in the London Borough of Ealing after losing his beloved wife. He shops every Wednesday, goes to Temple, and worries about his granddaughter, Priya, who hides in her room reading. Aleisha is a bright but anxious teenager working at the local library when she discovers a crumpled-up piece of paper. It's a list of novels that she's never heard of before. When Mukesh arrives at the library, desperate to forge a connection with his bookworm granddaughter, Aleisha passes along the reading list…hoping that it will be a lifeline for him too.
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Fabulous narrators!
- By Barbara S on 10-29-21
By: Sara Nisha Adams
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Ready or Not
- A Novel
- By: Cara Bastone
- Narrated by: Alex Finke
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Eve Hatch lives for surprises! Just kidding. She expects every tomorrow to be pretty much the same as today. She loves her cozy apartment in Brooklyn that’s close to her childhood best friend Willa, and far from her midwestern, traditional family who has never really understood her. While her job is only dream-adjacent, it’s comfortable and steady. She always knows what to expect from her life . . . until she finds herself expecting after an uncharacteristic one-night stand.
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Could have done without the gender and pronouns comments
- By Amazon Customer on 03-27-24
By: Cara Bastone
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Slow Dance
- A Novel
- By: Rainbow Rowell
- Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman
- Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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They were just friends. Best friends. They spent entire summers sitting on Shiloh’s porch steps, dreaming about the future. They promised each other that, no matter what, their friendship would never change. Well, Shiloh did go to college, and Cary did join the Navy. And yet, somehow, everything changed.
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Well-written but didn't get the full effect
- By BookishMom on 10-02-24
By: Rainbow Rowell
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The Authenticity Project
- A Novel
- By: Clare Pooley
- Narrated by: Anna Cordell
- Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Julian Jessop, an eccentric, lonely artist and septuagenarian believes that most people aren’t really honest with each other. But what if they were? And so he writes—in a plain, green journal—the truth about his own life and leaves it in his local café. It’s run by the incredibly tidy and efficient Monica, who furtively adds her own entry and leaves the book in the wine bar across the street. Before long, the others who find the green notebook add the truths about their own deepest selves - and soon find each other In Real Life at Monica’s Café.
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Sweet, easy listen
- By Benhandel on 04-23-20
By: Clare Pooley
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The Guncle
- By: Steven Rowley
- Narrated by: Steven Rowley
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP, for short), has always loved his niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant. That is, he loves spending time with them when they come out to Palm Springs for weeklong visits, or when he heads home to Connecticut for the holidays. But in terms of caretaking and relating to two children, no matter how adorable, Patrick is, honestly, overwhelmed. So when tragedy strikes and Maisie and Grant lose their mother and Patrick's brother has a health crisis of his own, Patrick finds himself suddenly taking on the role of primary guardian.
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In two words . . . Loved it!!
- By Donna Rauch Lanford on 06-05-21
By: Steven Rowley
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The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits
- A Novel
- By: Jennifer Weiner
- Narrated by: Dakota Fanning
- Length: 15 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Hollywood star Dakota Fanning narrates the audio of one of the most anticipated books of the year, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner. A glimmering novel set in the world of 2000s pop music about sisters, motherhood, young love, and the dreams we chase. The audio edition includes an original song inspired by the novel.
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Looooong
- By Erin on 04-18-25
By: Jennifer Weiner
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Still Life
- A Novel
- By: Sarah Winman
- Narrated by: Sarah Winman
- Length: 14 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Tuscany, 1944: As Allied troops advance and bombs fall around deserted villages, a young English soldier, Ulysses Temper, finds himself in the wine cellar of a deserted villa. There, he has a chance encounter with Evelyn Skinner, a middle-aged art historian who has come to Italy to salvage paintings from the ruins and recall long-forgotten memories of her own youth. In each other, Ulysses and Evelyn find a kindred spirit amidst the rubble of war-torn Italy, and set off on a course of events that will shape Ulysses's life for the next four decades.
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Almost a DNF
- By Robert Bryant on 03-07-22
By: Sarah Winman
What listeners say about The Garden of Small Beginnings
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- Annika
- 01-09-21
Well-written, insightful, funny
Really enjoyed this. I was worried that it would be the usual mediocre writing and limp plot about sad widow looking for new life and love—but it is much more. The writing is snappy and sometimes funny, the characters appealing, and the plot satisfying.
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- Ken Hammond
- 05-25-24
Best read yet by Abbi Waxman
I really liked this story and characters. Great blend of humor in dealing with the realities of loss and grief.
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- Amanda Nitsa Oz
- 03-28-21
Delightful and funny
Delightful and made me actually laugh quite a few times. Very witty!
A touching story of healing.
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- Irene
- 04-11-21
A feel-good book
This book made me laugh and smile. I felt like I was outdoors in the sun, even when it was actually grey and raining outside.
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- Jeri
- 12-07-19
Funny, interesting, angsty
Loved it. New author for me. Starts with a sad premise but overflowing with fun quirky humor and characters I really liked.
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- Rachele
- 02-18-21
Great read
Loved this book! Big fan of Abbi Waxman and Emily Rankin, as narrator. This book did not disappoint. It’s witty, funny, and charming.
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- Jessica
- 01-19-22
Cute Read
I finished it but it was very dark at parts and too cheesy and predictable at others. Loved the gardening intros at the beginning of the chapters though, that was sweet. Love to garden so overall enjoyed the concept.
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- Andrea
- 07-09-20
cute story
I like the author's humor and wisdom. I have enjoyed several of her books. The narrator does a wonderful job on all the voices except for Ed.
She sounds like Dr. Ruth, the love doctor. It was so annoying that I almost gave up on the book.
I did enjoy the book including the gardening aspect and the varied characters.
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- Cara F.
- 06-22-24
Complications in a young family where the husband dies
The story was of a metaphorical bud, a widow and her young
family, blooming. It was a light, delicate story with a happy ending. The writing style was nothing special and the second half of the book had extra deadpan comedy.
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- Phoebe
- 11-15-18
Excellent performance of a great story
Emily Rankin's narrations are consistently superb and "The Garden of Small Beginnings" was no exception. The story was sweet and made a solo road trip for work feel much less lonely. I was rooting for the characters and found myself extremely emotional upon the book's end.
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6 people found this helpful