Saturday Solicitation: The Garden of Eve

Saturday again. I was in a thrift store somewhere in Tennessee a couple years back (maybe 2009?) and found this delightful novel: The Garden of Eve by K. L. Going. It was sitting on a shelf with costume jewelry and used makeup (ick). The book had never been opened... not even a crease on the spine. The blurb on the back piqued my interest so I bought it for .50. I took it home and set it on the shelf with the intention of reading it the next weekend after finals, and then promptly forgot about it.

I picked it up again last year and finally read it. I really wish I had read it when I originally purchased it because it was a very good read. The Garden of Eve is a middle grade (ages 8 to 12) fiction that explores life, death, grief, healing and growth. The story follows Evie and her widower father to Beaumont, New York, a cursed town filled with grey skies, dead apple trees, and broken hearts. After receiving a mysterious 11th birthday gift from the deceased orchard caretaker, Evie and the newest ghost of Beaumont, Alex, head out in search of those they hold most dear. It is a delightful story about losing and finding faith through the eyes of a child.

I enjoyed it so much that I bought a copy from Amazon and donated it to the local library. I kept the one I found in the thrift store. If you enjoy young adult literature, no matter the genre, read this book. It is full of depth, message, and imagery. I could almost smell the apple orchard as I read it. You will not be disappointed.