Customer Reviews

Garden Voices: Stories of Women & Their Gardens

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When you think of a garden, what comes to your mind? Is it the vibrant colors of dahlias, zinnias, cosmos, and sunflowers? Or perhaps it's the luscious array of home grown vegetables just crying out to be harvested and cooked into something savory? Or, maybe it's the physical and spiritual cleansing that accompanies this sometimes arduous yet highly rewarding hobby...

Ask author Carolyn Rapp what she thinks about gardens and you will likely discover many new meanings behind this simple but paradoxically complex activity. Rapp, a seasoned storyteller and gardener herself, was "seized with a compelling urge to dig in the earth and grow things" when her son went away to college. Twelve years have since passed and Rapp has learned much more about gardening than she ever expected, from twelve unique women who not only opened the gates to their gardens -- but also to their lives.

Here are twelve inspiring stories from women who have built their lives around their gardens. From Sue's stone garden we learn how the physical nature of gardening helped her realize an innermost strength that helped her fight breast cancer. Through the lens of Michiko's camera we see ordinary vegetables transformed to images of passion and beauty. And, from Nancy, we learn how a garden can be a metaphor for marriage.

The stories from these twelve women not only provide tips and tricks for gardening but also dig down to a deeper more soulful layer -- a layer beyond what is visible in the dirt. As spiritually fulfilling as a beautiful bouquet or a colorful harvest of vegetables, these stories will resonate in the minds and hearts of all gardeners.

My book group chose this book and it led to a rich discussion of what gardens mean in each of our lives. It is extremely well-written and each reader related to a different story. Our group usually reads fiction, and this book offered the opportunity for a refreshing change.

I'm vindicated. Thanks to GARDEN VOICES, there's a story to my passion to dig in the dirt. I found myself in the gardens of the women in GARDEN VOICES...and thoroughly enjoyed their company!
What a great gift for myself, for my friends.

I gave this as a gift to 3 ladies in my life and they loved it. Thank you Ms. Rapp.

In Garden Voices: Stories Of Women And Their Gardens is a compendium of twelve stories in which Carolyn Rap explores the relationships of women with their gardens, discovering that gardens can grow a lot more than flowers, herbs, and vegetables. Susan's garden led her from breast cancer back to health. Carol finds inspiration for her watercolors. Francie's garden transports her imagination to Elizabethan England. Judy's garden nourishes her friendships. Nancy's garden (which she shares with her husband) is an ongoing experiment to learn if men and women can find common ground. Garden Voices is especially commended to the attention of gardening enthusiasts as well as Women's Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

I HAVE GIVEN THIS BOOK TO FIVE LADIES IN MY LIFE AND THEY ALL LOVE IT. THE AUTHOR HAS FOUND A THEME/TRUTH THAT RESONATES AND SHE EXPOSES THAT TRUTH ARTFULLY AND PLEASINGLY.

I received this book as a gift. I loved the stories about other women and their gardens. I would recommend this book to those who love their gardens. I am planning to give this book to others friends who love gardening.