Release Date: May 2, 2017

Lilian Girvan is thirty-nine and has been widowed for four years with two young girls. She has a strong bond with her unmarried sister Rachel who provided care and support for her children while she was recovering from a breakdown. Her life starts trending in a positive direction and she continues her career as an illustrator.  

Lilian struggles with romance while focusing on providing a stable home for her children. She has not been open to dating because of her grief over losing her deceased husband. Lilian gets assigned to illustrate a series of books about gardening vegetables. Knowing little about the topic, she agrees to attend a six week gardening class where she can also bring her children. The garden and her life slowly begin to grow as she forms new relationships while also seeking out new job opportunities.

The setting for this story should be sad but Lilian is very likeable and her thoughts are funny. I really enjoyed the clashing personalities of Lilian and Rachel and their love for each other. These contrasts make for a very entertaining debut novel by Abbi Waxman.