The Unfinished Garden, Barbara Claypole White
The Unfinished Garden, Barbara Claypole White
1 Rating(s)
List: $22.95 | Sale: $16.07
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The Unfinished Garden

Author: Barbara Claypole White

Narrator: Ana Clements, Paul Heitsch

Unabridged: 11 hr 42 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Spoken Realms

Published: 08/31/2019


Synopsis

A love story about grief, OCD, and dirtTilly Silverberg is rebuilding her life with her young son, Isaac, one potted-up plant at a time. Since her husband’s death, gardening has become her livelihood and her salvation. Hiding out in the North Carolina forest, she wants only to be left alone with Isaac and her greenhouse.New to the area, successful software developer James Nealy needs a garden. On a solitary mission to reclaim his life from irrational obsessions and relentless compulsions, he has a plan: to conquer his greatest fear. Dirt. One glimpse—or two—of Tilly’s garden, and he knows she holds the key. But when he asks her to take him on as a client, she refuses.After a family emergency pulls Tilly and Isaac back to her native England, she’s quietly happy, because nothing has changed in her childhood village. Or has it? Her first love is unexpectedly single, her mother is scheming, and her best friend is keeping secrets. Then James appears on her doorstep.Tenuous at first, but gradually taking root, James and Tilly forge an unlikely bond. As they work together to rescue a garden choked by neglect, they unearth each other’s secrets, each other’s fears, each other’s hopes—and maybe, a shared second chance.

About Barbara Claypole White

Barbara Claypole White writes hopeful stories about troubled families, with a healthy dose of mental illness. Her books have won several awards. She is an advocate for those with obsessive-compulsive disorder and for the A2A Alliance, a nonprofit group that promotes advocacy over adversity.

About Ana Clements

Ana Clements is a trained singer and now a full-time voice actor. She narrates audiobooks as well as e-learning and corporate video in both English and Spanish.

About Paul Heitsch

After producing, directing, and engineering spoken word recordings for over twenty years, Paul Heitsch began narrating audiobooks in 2011, and has recorded many bestselling titles as both himself and under a pseudonym. A classically trained pianist, Paul is also a composer and sound designer, and is currently the director of music for the James Madison University School of Theatre and Dance, and an adjunct instructor for the JMU School of Music. He and his family live in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia (although Chicago will always be his hometown).


Reviews

Goodreads review by Morgan on September 10, 2012

About fifteen minutes ago I finished reading The Unfinished Garden. Coming to the end is bittersweet, really. For the last week, I've carried Barbara Claypole White’s novel with me everywhere, picking it up in spare moments, even if only to read a few sentences before moving on to my next task. I mu......more

Goodreads review by InD'tale Magazine on September 05, 2019

Ms. Clements is a wonder to listen to! Her performance of all of the characters is diverse and passionate. Read full review in the 2019 May issue of InD'tale Magazine.......more

Goodreads review by Kathryn on October 03, 2013

I finished this most readable book a month or so ago and have been dilly-dallying about writing a review. Why? I felt guilty. This well-written story had enough psychological tension to inspire me to pick it up over and over to see how single mom Tilly reconciles her present widowhood in North Caroli......more

Goodreads review by InD'tale Magazine on September 07, 2019

"The Unfinished Garden" is full of deep, richly developed characters that are as beautifully diverse in personality as the garden. Read full review in the 2019 September issue of InD'tale Magazine.......more

Goodreads review by Julie on August 01, 2012

I received an early review copy of The Unfinished Garden from NetGalley. This was truly a lovely story. Major characters, Tilly and James, and minor characters, Isaac, Rowena, and Sebastian, effectively play off each other's strengths and foibles to explore their feelings of loss and grief, and in t......more


Quotes

“White…conveys the condition of OCD and how it creates havoc in one’s life and the lives of loved ones, with style and grace, never underplaying the seriousness of the disorder.” RT Book Reviews

“Claypole White does not merely write about people with mental illness—she inhabits them.” Lee Smith, New York Times bestselling author

“White’s transoceanic love story deftly explores the challenges of conquering fears and relinquishing the past.” Booklist

“I learned so much about myself from this story—that fear doesn’t have to hold me back but, rather, it can move me forward. The Unfinished Garden is a touching and accomplished debut.” Diane Chamberlain, author of The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes

“I found the writing style in The Unfinished Garden reminiscent of Rosamunde and Robin Pilcher. As a fan of both, I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to many more from Barbara Claypole White.” Julie Kibler, author of Calling Me Home


Awards

  • RONE Award