The Garden of Small Beginnings Audiobook By Abbi Waxman cover art

The Garden of Small Beginnings

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The Garden of Small Beginnings

By: Abbi Waxman
Narrated by: Emily Rankin
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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 Audio
Contemporary Contemporary Romance Family Life Genre Fiction Romance Women's Fiction Fiction Funny Feel-Good Heartfelt Tearjerking Witty
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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)

Featured Article: 45+ Quotes to Boost Your Confidence


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Humorous Writing • Relatable Characters • Quirky Humor • Comforting Storyline • Emotional Depth • Gardening Integration
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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.

Well-written, insightful, funny

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I really liked this story and characters. Great blend of humor in dealing with the realities of loss and grief.

Best read yet by Abbi Waxman

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This story was very fun and relaxing to listen to! It was simple yet enjoyable!

Fun!

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It was a nice funny summer read. I am a gardener so it was fun to picture how the gardeners were going together . Sister relationships were supportive and nice. Gardener are friendly nice people.

Summer read

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This book had some moments where I laughed out loud, some moments where I totally deleted, but most of the time I felt it was just so snarky that I couldn’t enjoy it. Nearly every conversation (both between the characters and from narrator to reader) was so sarcastic that it tipped a bit too far into the cynical. Having said that, the book ultimately has a very positive message, which admittedly is redeeming. The narrator is really good. Finally, if you have issues with profanity, you might not like this. There is a lot of profanity and a lot of sexual discussions. Ultimately, I’m not sure I would recommend this. It was definitely not a bad book and I’m not mad at it, but I’ve read better. In fact, The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by this same author is way better.

I’m on the fence on this one

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I found this book enjoyable and well performed. usually when adults do a kid voice I cringe, but she carried it off well. So many different voices, I'm impressed

comforting listen

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Engaging story that also hadsome practical guide lines for gardening.
I would recommend it to my friends.

Awesome read

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The narrator’s voice didn’t match the characters penchant for badly used swear words.
The narrator sounded much too smart and elegant to use words like dickhead and bastard.
And, really, who ACTUALLY uses the word bastard to swear anymore? And what woman calls themself a dickhead? The whole story could have been delivered without them. And I am no prude. They just didn’t seem to belong.
The story was ok- the characters interesting. But it wasn’t worth $15.

It was ok.

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A thoroughly enjoyable, kind exposure to grief and growth. Laugh out loud funny at times..

Sweet, funny, touching

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If you love romance in the real world with realistic characters, this is a great book for your Audible library. I enjoyed hearing about real life struggles and how the characters worked through them.

A must have for your library

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