The First Gardener a Review
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The First Gardener
Jeremiah Williams has been tending the gardens of the Tennessee governor’s mansion for over twenty-five years. And like most first families who have come and gone, this one has stolen his heart.
Mackenzie and her husband, Governor Gray London, have struggled for ten years to have a child and are now enjoying a sweet season of life—anticipating the coming reelection and sending their precious daughter, Maddie, off to kindergarten—when a tragedy tears their world apart. As the entire state mourns, Mackenzie falls into a grief that threatens to swallow her whole.
Though his heart is also broken, Jeremiah realizes that his gift of gardening is about far more than pulling weeds and planting flowers. It’s about tending hearts as well. As he uses the tools that have been placed in his hands, he gently begins to cultivate the hard soil of Mackenzie’s heart, hoping to help her realize what it took him years to discover.
A Southern tale of loss, love, and living, The First Gardner reminds us that all of life is a gift, but our heart is the most valuable gift of all.
When I chose The First Gardener for a review, I really did not know what I was going to be getting. But I’m glad I chose it. This is a book that will definitely have you sitting on the edge of your seat. Whatever you do, be sure you have a box of tissues handy, the whole time you are reading. You will need them!
The Denis Hildreth Jones has a wonderful way of writing. I was pulled right into the story with being able to walk through the governor’s mansion and gardens along with the family and ride along in the vehicle has the family traveled. The story of the London family includes many unforgettable people, from the Governor, his wife Mackenzie and daughter Maddie to the Grandmother and her crazy friends and the ever thoughtful, listening, and praying gardener, Jeremiah Williams. As I read, about the lives of these people, I laughed - a lot, I cried - a lot. I felt the pain and grief that this family felt during their time of sorrow. I enjoyed the crazy sarcasm that was dished among the friends of Eugenia, Mackenzie’s mom.
**Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.**
