The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman

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. At least her textbook illustrating job has some perks, like 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.

This was actually a really cute book. I read it on the plane to and from vacation last week, and it was a perfect lighthearted read for such an occasion. Definitely helped my transition into and out of vacation mode. I didn't feel this story had nearly as much depth as The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, but the characters were all unique and relatable, which I always appreciate. Overall, a heartwarming story but didn't pull me in. If I hadn't been on vacation with extra time, I'm not sure that I would have finished it.

Read this book after finishing Waxman's breakout [b:The Bookish Life of Nina Hill 42379022 The Bookish Life of Nina Hill Abbi Waxman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1541774944l/42379022.SY75.jpg 66042198] but didn't enjoy it quite as much. The gardening class was a little too cozy - hard to believe that there wasn't at least one annoying member instead of everyone becoming instant BFFs - and the object of Lili's affection was so perfect he didn't seem human at all. However, both the close relationship between Lili and her sister, and their troubled relationship with their mother were well portrayed, and the slow recovery from grief felt realistic. A promising if imperfect debut novel, and the seeds of the much stronger Nina are definitely there.