Paths of Desire: The Passions of a Suburban Gardener (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "I woke unusually early one morning, and, after a while of squirming deeper under the blankets, realized there would be no returning to my dreams..." (more)
Key Phrases: teak bench, new driveway, little white bird, Back Bed, Helpful Men, Back Forty (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Desire paths," writes Browning, are defined by how people actually move from place to place, whether in physical space or emotionally and psychically. Browning (Around the House and in the Garden) recounts the creation of two desire paths: a "long and winding" one through her restored half-acre suburban garden, and an equally meandering one from the desolation of a broken marriage to the joyful rebuilding of both her garden and her life. Browning's century-old home may not be typical of today's suburbs, but what she contends with is. Raccoons, opossums and "neurotically evolved" skunks invade at night, as do beer-drinking teenagers. Dogs yap, horns honk and leaf blowers "grind all day." Warring with neighbors over "trees and walls and fences and garbage bins" is constant. Although "the suburban garden starts its life as a construction site," it is also a place where "nothing is impossible, and the only limitations on what you can do are your own will and imagination." Still, one needs "Helpful Men," a fraternity of roofers, masons, landscapers and tree surgeons who communicate by cell phone-almost exclusively with one another-and do not clean up. As Browning comes to rely more and more on "the Helpful Men" to fix the disorder in her garden, she gradually learns not to depend on "the True Love" to free her from the grasp of a rampant, flowerless wisteria and awaken her with a kiss. Instead, she discovers that her sons are showing "promising signs of usefulness" and sets out on an "endless" path in a "garden that springs from the heart."
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From Booklist

People frequently spring into action only when their backs are against the wall. In Browning's case, the wall would actually have to collapse before she would begin to make much-needed major changes in her garden, and in her life. When the downpour of a sudden storm undermines the foundation of a beloved garden wall, Browning is forced to deal with the daunting consequences of ruined plants, altered vistas, and expensive reconstruction. Contrary to her lofty position as editor in chief of the venerable House and Garden magazine, Browning lives a down-to-earth existence in suburbia, replete with the problematic noisy and noisome neighbors, confounding critters, and trespassing teenagers so familiar to her readers. Such obstacles present creative and practical challenges whose solutions only reveal themselves when Browning ultimately learns to follow the paths of her own heart's desire. Just as her garden must be, Browning's intimately personal chronicle is filled with lines of breathtaking beauty, simple in their understated elegance yet profound in their impact on the human psyche. Carol Haggas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Scribner; First Edition. 1 in numbre line edition (February 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743246659
• ISBN-13: 978-0743246651
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #442,743 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I don't even garden, February 26, 2004

By A Customer

I had read a review of her book in the NYTimes and am a fan of the magazine she edits, so I bought the book. I fell in love with the story of collapse, confusion and renewal. Frankly the metaphor of the garden served as many a problem in one's own life. Wrap it all up in gorgeous prose and a compelling (yes! she makes a garden wall collapse and the ensuing drama exciting!) story and I had a book , I couldn't put down. Romantic and sometimes funny it's a good read for the gardener and non-gardener alike.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Utterly delightful, February 18, 2004

By A Customer

Delightful and informative. The perfect book to start reading now, as the weather starts to improve and we begin to think about the gardening work awaiting us. Dominique Browning inspired me to indulge my dreams of working in my yard. Having finished the book, I've moved on to poring over seed and nursery catalogs, just like Browning herself. The perfect remedy to the gray of late winter. I now feel as if spring is right around the corner. And there's so much to do!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming, February 18, 2004

By A Customer

Sure, there's some great gardening advice in here, but mostly it's a charming story. The neighbors, the kids, the fix-it men, the romantic crush. I got sucked right in. You're bound to recognize your own plot of land, as well as your own suburban existence. And Dominique Browning is a gorgeous writer, with a great sense of humor. You don't need to know a thing about gardening to enjoy this terrific book.