Night Gardening [Mass Market Paperback]

E. L. Swann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 28, 2000

A moving novel which centers on the romance between an aging woman recovering from a stroke and the landscape architect who is working next door.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Newbery Honor-winning children's author (for Sugaring Time) Kathryn Lasky, here adopting the pseudonym of Swann, successfully turns her hand to adult fiction with a moving tale of 60-something love. Divorced Tristan Mallory is a top-notch landscape architect imported from New Hampshire by a wealthy couple in order to make magic on the grounds of their Cambridge, Mass., estate. Tristan, however, soon finds himself making even more magic next door. Through a crack in the brick wallAand with a nod toward the children's classic The Secret GardenAhe observes Maggie Welles in her own long-neglected garden. The widow of an alcoholic, Maggie has recently survived a stroke, and at first Tristan merely admires her resilient personality from afar as she bravely undertakes the grueling exercises necessary to regain her speech and motor skills. After the two dramatically meet, they conspire to revamp Maggie's garden, working nocturnally for privacy from Maggie's therapists and her pestering, alcoholic children. Having cultivated their shared passion, Maggie and Tristan awaken sensual feelings in each other, their erotic interludes a gateway to the true love that has eluded them for a lifetime. Swann seamlessly blends a Zen philosophy of gardening into her radiant tale of second chances, using her love for horticulture as a richly nuanced metaphor for the regenerative nurturing and flourishing of characters. Sentimental in the most heartfelt way, without resorting to the maudlin, Swann scripts wonderful dialogue for her principals, crafting sharply witty relationships, a believable setting and a deeply satisfying romantic plot. Line drawings throughout. Major ad/promo; movie rights to New Amsterdam Productions; audio rights to Brilliance; foreign rights sold in Germany, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Maggie Welles is recovering from a severe stroke that has paralyzed her left side. She is at home and receiving physical and speech therapies when she crosses paths with Tristan Mallory, a well-known landscape architect. During the summer evenings Mallory spends restoring Maggie's long-neglected and once extrordinary garden, the pair find restoration for their spirits and embark upon an unusual affair that fulfills them both. The garden is described in great detail that may bore non-aficionados, and Swann seems to be reaching for a grand, tragic Love Story that somehow eludes her. Even so, with its slight literary flavor, this is an enjoyable romance that proves love isn't something that only happens to the very young or the physically perfect. Not great literature, but how refreshing! E.L. Swann is the pseudonym used by award-winning children's book author Kathryn Lasky.ABettie Alston Shea, Charlotte-Mecklenburg P.L., Charlotte, NC
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (February 28, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786889527
• ISBN-13: 978-0786889525
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,063,736 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A mixture of Tender Love and poignant circumstance, December 17, 1999

By 

Alan H Brown Sr (Manchester, NH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Night Gardening : A Novel (Hardcover)

My curiosity was aroused as I listened to the Author tell of his book "Night Gardening." Night Gardening is about an older woman who loves gardening but has had a stroke and can no longer tend her precious "friends." As a result, her garden has fallen into a sad state - perhaps a reflection of her circumstances - a recovering stroke victim. Without giving out too much of the story, a professional landscaper next door notices her and her garden and decides to fix up the garden. That's not all the fixing up that gets done. What follows is a tender love story with a poignant end - I'll leave it at that. It's a triumph of the human spirit over old age and disability with a wonderful sweetness of new-found love. Some erotic content will take away from the story for some, I fear, but it is a love story! An older woman - a stroke victim having an affair - what will they think of next. I love it.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a passionate novel about people over 60, March 24, 1999

By 

Charlene Baldrdidge (San Diego) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Night Gardening : A Novel (Hardcover)

At last, a romantic novel about people over 60 that avoids stereotype and presents them as passionate, flawed people who love. In addition to its appeal for those who are over 60, the novel will be loved by gardeners and devotees of Zen philosophy. As he restores Maggie's neglected garden, Tristan also restores Maggie's body and soul. She becomes beautiful in her own eyes as the summer deepens with their love. I do miss these characters now that I've finished the book. The challenges of recovering one's motor abilities following a stroke are presented realistically as are those of dealing with adult, alcoholic children. Maggie's memories of her childhood parist priest are enchanting. The story is redemptive without cloying. An altogether good read. Just hope Hollywood doesn't muck up the ending.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a great romance about gardens,passions,and the human spirit, August 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Night Gardening : A Novel (Hardcover)

I loved this book from cover to cover. A great romance develops between the spirited and complicated woman in a wheelchair, and the facinating man who is a genius of landscape architecture. As the relationship grows and finaly flowers so too the gardens of this amazing woman; Maggie. Beautifully written, I could not put this book down. I can only imagine what a stunning movie this exquisite book will make some day.