The Garden Angel: A Novel [Paperback]

Mindy Friddle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 12, 2005

In Sans Souci, South Carolina, talk is cheap, real estate even more so. No one knows this better than Cutter Johanson, a gruff tomboy who waits tables, writes obits, and makes every effort, however comical and in the face of her mercenary relatives, to avert the sale of the dilapidated ancestral home. And despite her plucky resolve, all appears to be lost--until she strikes up an unlikely friendship with Elizabeth, a shy and fragile academic who puts both their fates on a permanent mend.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Cutter and Elizabeth, two Florida women with little in common, forge a deep friendship in this crisp, unusual novel. Trouble strikes them both at once, in the form of Cutter's sister, Ginnie, who is in love with, and newly pregnant by, her English professor, Daniel, childless Elizabeth's husband. Elizabeth, tipped off by an anonymous caller, ventures to the house Ginnie shares with Cutter, who was named Catherine but took her father's name. It's Cutter whom Elizabeth finds at home, and their shared dismay over the disastrous affair instantly binds them. Set in Sans Souci, Fla., this debut novel is atmospheric in the way of Southern fiction, but it is also brand new. With casual skill, Friddle makes the case that who we like in life may be as critical as who we love. The friendship between Cutter and Elizabeth changes everything. Elizabeth's money will let Cutter keep the house she venerates but that her sister and her brother, Barry, want to sell. And Cutter's practicality wrests Elizabeth free of her notion of herself as an invalid recluse in the Emily Dickinson mold. The happy ending may seem saccharine to some, but the majority of readers are likely to feel that there's vinegar and sharp greens enough along the way to merit the rich sweetness.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Salvation can come from the most unexpected places, and an unlikely friendship between two women--one strong and determined, the other scared and uncertain-- provides the solutions to challenging problems confronting both. Faced with losing her family's home, a rundown mansion in a once elegant part of town, Cutter will do anything to protect her ancestral birthright. Faced with losing her husband to another woman, Elizabeth isn't sure what she can do to reclaim Daniel's love. And when the other woman is none other than Cutter's sister, the likelihood of finding the help she needs from Cutter seems even more improbable. As Cutter runs out of options for halting the sale of her grandmother's house and Elizabeth runs out of time to save her marriage, their unorthodox friendship ends up being the one thing they both can count on. Relegating stereotypically eccentric southern characters to minor roles, Friddle concentrates her considerable talents on developing fully realized protagonists who earn and deserve the reader's respect. Carol Haggas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 290 pages
• Publisher: Picador; 1st Printing edition (May 12, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312424965
• ISBN-13: 978-0312424961
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,414,110 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mindy Friddle is author of THE GARDEN ANGEL (St. Martin's Press & Picador) and SECRET KEEPERS (St.Martin's Press). She writes, reads, gardens and works in Greenville, South Carolina, where she lives with her family.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure delight, wonderfully original, May 29, 2005

By 

C. L. Ferle (Midwest Reader and Writer) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Garden Angel: A Novel (Hardcover)

Thank goodness I found this novel -- it's pure delight, and hard to believe it's a debut novel, to boot. The Garden Angel was total refreshment from beginning to end. I stayed up all night to finish it, and the well-crafted story deeply resonated. I was moved by the ending. This novel examines the layers of "home" and what home means to different characters -- interesting, complex, funny, and appealing characters. Poignant yet humorous in places, it's a delightful piece of literature that deserves the praise it's getting. It is SO MUCH BETTER than other novels out there right now on the NYT list. Thanks, Mindy, and keep writing!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb debut novel, August 12, 2005

By 

Tess (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Garden Angel: A Novel (Paperback)

Just finished reading The Garden Angel.....and really dragged out those final pages, because I didn't want it to end!
Wonderful debut novel with prose that flows, characters that made me feel like I knew them personally and Friddle displayed a terrific sense of place.
I highly recommend this novel and honestly have to say it's been ages since I enjoyed a story as much as this one. Down-to-earth and believable. Do yourself a favor and read this one. My only regret is I'm going to miss Cutter, Elizabeth, Alfred and the rest of the cast. Very much looking forward to Friddle's next novel.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful storytelling, October 23, 2004

By 

N. Gargano "nokegchris" (Waynesville NC and Bradenton, Fl) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Garden Angel: A Novel (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book, written by someone who knows how to tell a story! I picked this book up on a rainy afternoon, found myself wrapping up the words and the story all around me, like a warm blanket, and I couldn't quit reading until the end. Which by the way, I was sorry to get to, I miss the people already. Read this book, you will be glad you did. Ms. Friddle, hurry with your next book, I can't wait.