Reviews
"In this profoundly moving memoir, Owita teaches Wall how to find grace amid heartbreak and to accept that beauty exists because it is fleeting-as in her garden, as in life." - People , 4 stars "A perfect spring awakening." - Good Housekeeping "No green thumb is required to enjoy the warmhearted pleasures of Carol Wall's moving memoir, Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening .... magnetically compelling ... Grace and gardening go hand-in-glove in this fine book about what really matters in life: friendship, kindness and watching a garden grow." - USA Today "A pleasure to read. Wall's bittersweet story of human kindness has universal appeal." - Kirkus Reviews "I couldn't put this book down. I found myself liking the principal characters from the opening pages, and my affection for them never wavered. If you enjoy inspirational memoirs or gardening books (or both), this moving account of a life-changing friendship is for you." -Bookpage "A must-read memoir. On the surface, Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening: How I Learned the Unexpected Joy of a Green Thumb and an Open Heart by Carol Wall, is a gentle memoir about a friendship between a white woman in Roanoke, Virginia and her gardener from Kenya. But that description fails to capture the book's depth, its sometimes-raw emotions, nor its many surprising twists.... Both shocking and profoundly moving. This book is not just about gardening." -AARP blog "In this heartbreaking yet heartwarming paean to the joys of friendship and gardening, Wall crafts an elegiac tribute to an extraordinary man." - Booklist "[T]his memoir chronicl[es] the many lasting rewards garnered from an unexpected friendship..." - Publishers Weekly , starred review "This memoir touches upon everything that is important in life. Not only is it beautifully written-I am also in awe of Carol Wall's raw honesty and incredible courage."-Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of The Kitchen House "Carol Wall's suspenseful tale of human frailty and courage is a marvel. In her garden, an unexpected bond slowly forms as two people from distant worlds help each other confront long-buried secrets and fears. Deeply personal, poetic, and brimming with humanity, this is a book of lasting grace." -Steve Lopez, New York Times bestselling author of The Soloist "Carol Wall's disarming memoir Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening is a poignant tale of an unlikely teacher and a doubting student, who, by bringing a neglected patch of ground back to life, reveal the secrets of reclaiming, restoring, and freeing a wounded soul. It is a generous story filled with grace enough to bring healing to the reader as well. An engaging personal and spiritual journey into life's essential questions." -Jonathan Odell, author of The Healing , "In this heartbreaking yet heartwarming paean to the joys of friendship and gardening, Wall crafts an elegiac tribute to an extraordinary man." - Booklist "This memoir touches upon everything that is important in life. Not only is it beautifully written-I am also in awe of Carol Wall's raw honesty and incredible courage."-Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of The Kitchen House "Carol Wall's suspenseful tale of human frailty and courage is a marvel. In her garden, an unexpected bond slowly forms as two people from distant worlds help each other confront long-buried secrets and fears. Deeply personal, poetic, and brimming with humanity, this is a book of lasting grace." -Steve Lopez, New York Times bestselling author of The Soloist "Carol Wall's disarming memoir Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening is a poignant tale of an unlikely teacher and a doubting student, who, by bringing a neglected patch of ground back to life, reveal the secrets of reclaiming, restoring, and freeing a wounded soul. It is a generous story filled with grace enough to bring healing to the reader as well. An engaging personal and spiritual journey into life's essential questions." -Jonathan Odell, author of The Healing , "In this profoundly moving memoir, Owita teaches Wall how to find grace amid heartbreak and to accept that beauty exists because it is fleeting-as in her garden, as in life." - People , 4 stars "A perfect spring awakening." - Good Housekeeping "With her children grown and out of the house, Carol Wall is obsessed-perhaps overly so-with ripping out her azaleas. That is, until she meets a certain Giles Owita, Kenyan gardener, supermarket bagger, general-life philosopher and perhaps one of the most refined and gracious characters to ever hit the page (except that he's real)... A warning for the shy: The basic goodness of Owita's attitude may cause you to beam spontaneously as you read, leading to off looks from strangers at the coffee shop." -Oprah.com "No green thumb is required to enjoy the warmhearted pleasures of Carol Wall's moving memoir, Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening .... magnetically compelling ... Grace and gardening go hand-in-glove in this fine book about what really matters in life: friendship, kindness and watching a garden grow." - USA Today "A pleasure to read. Wall's bittersweet story of human kindness has universal appeal." - Kirkus Reviews "I couldn't put this book down. I found myself liking the principal characters from the opening pages, and my affection for them never wavered. If you enjoy inspirational memoirs or gardening books (or both), this moving account of a life-changing friendship is for you." -Bookpage "A must-read memoir. On the surface, Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening: How I Learned the Unexpected Joy of a Green Thumb and an Open Heart by Carol Wall, is a gentle memoir about a friendship between a white woman in Roanoke, Virginia and her gardener from Kenya. But that description fails to capture the book's depth, its sometimes-raw emotions, nor its many surprising twists.... Both shocking and profoundly moving. This book is not just about gardening." -AARP blog "In this heartbreaking yet heartwarming paean to the joys of friendship and gardening, Wall crafts an elegiac tribute to an extraordinary man." - Booklist "[T]his memoir chronicl[es] the many lasting rewards garnered from an unexpected friendship..." - Publishers Weekly , starred review "This memoir touches upon everything that is important in life. Not only is it beautifully written-I am also in awe of Carol Wall's raw honesty and incredible courage."-Kathleen Grissom, New York Times -bestselling author of The Kitchen House "Carol Wall's suspenseful tale of human frailty and courage is a marvel. In her garden, an unexpected bond slowly forms as two people from distant worlds help each other confront long-buried secrets and fears. Deeply personal, poetic, and brimming with humanity, this is a book of lasting grace." -Steve Lopez, New York Times -bestselling author of The Soloist "Carol Wall's disarming memoir Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening is a poignant tale of an unlikely teacher and a doubting student, who, by bringing a neglected patch of ground back to life, reveal the secrets of reclaiming, restoring, and freeing a wounded soul. It is a generous story filled with grace enough to bring healing to the reader as well. An engaging personal and spiritual journey into life's essential questions." -Jonathan Odell, author of The Healing , "In this heartbreaking yet heartwarming paean to the joys of friendship and gardening, Wall crafts an elegiac tribute to an extraordinary man." - Booklist "[T]his memoir chronicl[es] the many lasting rewards garnered from an unexpected friendship..." - Publishers Weekly , starred review "This memoir touches upon everything that is important in life. Not only is it beautifully written-I am also in awe of Carol Wall's raw honesty and incredible courage."-Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of The Kitchen House "Carol Wall's suspenseful tale of human frailty and courage is a marvel. In her garden, an unexpected bond slowly forms as two people from distant worlds help each other confront long-buried secrets and fears. Deeply personal, poetic, and brimming with humanity, this is a book of lasting grace." -Steve Lopez, New York Times bestselling author of The Soloist "Carol Wall's disarming memoir Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening is a poignant tale of an unlikely teacher and a doubting student, who, by bringing a neglected patch of ground back to life, reveal the secrets of reclaiming, restoring, and freeing a wounded soul. It is a generous story filled with grace enough to bring healing to the reader as well. An engaging personal and spiritual journey into life's essential questions." -Jonathan Odell, author of The Healing , "This memoir touches upon everything that is important in life. Not only is it beautifully written-I am also in awe of Carol Wall's raw honesty and incredible courage."-Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of The Kitchen House "Carol Wall's suspenseful tale of human frailty and courage is a marvel. In her garden, an unexpected bond slowly forms as two people from distant worlds help each other confront long-buried secrets and fears. Deeply personal, poetic, and brimming with humanity, this is a book of lasting grace." -Steve Lopez, New York Times bestselling author of The Soloist "Carol Wall's disarming memoir Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening is a poignant tale of an unlikely teacher and a doubting student, who, by bringing a neglected patch of ground back to life, reveal the secrets of reclaiming, restoring, and freeing a wounded soul. It is a generous story filled with grace enough to bring healing to the reader as well. An engaging personal and spiritual journey into life's essential questions." -Jonathan Odell, author of The Healing , "A pleasure to read. Wall's bittersweet story of human kindness has universal appeal." - Kirkus Reviews "In this heartbreaking yet heartwarming paean to the joys of friendship and gardening, Wall crafts an elegiac tribute to an extraordinary man." - Booklist "[T]his memoir chronicl[es] the many lasting rewards garnered from an unexpected friendship..." - Publishers Weekly , starred review "This memoir touches upon everything that is important in life. Not only is it beautifully written-I am also in awe of Carol Wall's raw honesty and incredible courage."-Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of The Kitchen House "Carol Wall's suspenseful tale of human frailty and courage is a marvel. In her garden, an unexpected bond slowly forms as two people from distant worlds help each other confront long-buried secrets and fears. Deeply personal, poetic, and brimming with humanity, this is a book of lasting grace." -Steve Lopez, New York Times bestselling author of The Soloist "Carol Wall's disarming memoir Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening is a poignant tale of an unlikely teacher and a doubting student, who, by bringing a neglected patch of ground back to life, reveal the secrets of reclaiming, restoring, and freeing a wounded soul. It is a generous story filled with grace enough to bring healing to the reader as well. An engaging personal and spiritual journey into life's essential questions." -Jonathan Odell, author of The Healing , "In this profoundly moving memoir, Owita teaches Wall how to find grace amid heartbreak and to accept that beauty exists because it is fleeting-as in her garden, as in life." - People , 4 stars "A perfect spring awakening." - Good Housekeeping "With her children grown and out of the house, Carol Wall is obsessed-perhaps overly so-with ripping out her azaleas. That is, until she meets a certain Giles Owita, Kenyan gardener, supermarket bagger, general-life philosopher and perhaps one of the most refined and gracious characters to ever hit the page (except that he's real)… A warning for the shy: The basic goodness of Owita's attitude may cause you to beam spontaneously as you read, leading to off looks from strangers at the coffee shop." -Oprah.com "No green thumb is required to enjoy the warmhearted pleasures of Carol Wall's moving memoir, Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening .... magnetically compelling ... Grace and gardening go hand-in-glove in this fine book about what really matters in life: friendship, kindness and watching a garden grow." - USA Today "A pleasure to read. Wall's bittersweet story of human kindness has universal appeal." - Kirkus Reviews "I couldn't put this book down. I found myself liking the principal characters from the opening pages, and my affection for them never wavered. If you enjoy inspirational memoirs or gardening books (or both), this moving account of a life-changing friendship is for you." -Bookpage "A must-read memoir. On the surface, Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening: How I Learned the Unexpected Joy of a Green Thumb and an Open Heart by Carol Wall, is a gentle memoir about a friendship between a white woman in Roanoke, Virginia and her gardener from Kenya. But that description fails to capture the book's depth, its sometimes-raw emotions, nor its many surprising twists.... Both shocking and profoundly moving. This book is not just about gardening." -AARP blog "In this heartbreaking yet heartwarming paean to the joys of friendship and gardening, Wall crafts an elegiac tribute to an extraordinary man." - Booklist "[T]his memoir chronicl[es] the many lasting rewards garnered from an unexpected friendship..." - Publishers Weekly , starred review "This memoir touches upon everything that is important in life. Not only is it beautifully written-I am also in awe of Carol Wall's raw honesty and incredible courage."-Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of The Kitchen House "Carol Wall's suspenseful tale of human frailty and courage is a marvel. In her garden, an unexpected bond slowly forms as two people from distant worlds help each other confront long-buried secrets and fears. Deeply personal, poetic, and brimming with humanity, this is a book of lasting grace." -Steve Lopez, New York Times bestselling author of The Soloist "Carol Wall's disarming memoir Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening is a poignant tale of an unlikely teacher and a doubting student, who, by bringing a neglected patch of ground back to life, reveal the secrets of reclaiming, restoring, and freeing a wounded soul. It is a generous story filled with grace enough to bring healing to the reader as well. An engaging personal and spiritual journey into life's essential questions." -Jonathan Odell, author of The Healing, "A pleasure to read. Wall's bittersweet story of human kindness has universal appeal." - Kirkus Reviews "I couldn't put this book down. I found myself liking the principal characters from the opening pages, and my affection for them never wavered. If you enjoy inspirational memoirs or gardening books (or both), this moving account of a life-changing friendship is for you." -Bookpage "In this heartbreaking yet heartwarming paean to the joys of friendship and gardening, Wall crafts an elegiac tribute to an extraordinary man." - Booklist "[T]his memoir chronicl[es] the many lasting rewards garnered from an unexpected friendship..." - Publishers Weekly , starred review "This memoir touches upon everything that is important in life. Not only is it beautifully written-I am also in awe of Carol Wall's raw honesty and incredible courage."-Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of The Kitchen House "Carol Wall's suspenseful tale of human frailty and courage is a marvel. In her garden, an unexpected bond slowly forms as two people from distant worlds help each other confront long-buried secrets and fears. Deeply personal, poetic, and brimming with humanity, this is a book of lasting grace." -Steve Lopez, New York Times bestselling author of The Soloist "Carol Wall's disarming memoir Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening is a poignant tale of an unlikely teacher and a doubting student, who, by bringing a neglected patch of ground back to life, reveal the secrets of reclaiming, restoring, and freeing a wounded soul. It is a generous story filled with grace enough to bring healing to the reader as well. An engaging personal and spiritual journey into life's essential questions." -Jonathan Odell, author of The Healing , "In this profoundly moving memoir, Owita teaches Wall how to find grace amid heartbreak and to accept that beauty exists because it is fleeting-as in her garden, as in life." - People , 4 stars "A perfect spring awakening." - Good Housekeeping "No green thumb is required to enjoy the warmhearted pleasures of Carol Wall's moving memoir, Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening .... magnetically compelling ... Grace and gardening go hand-in-glove in this fine book about what really matters in life: friendship, kindness and watching a garden grow." - USA Today "A pleasure to read. Wall's bittersweet story of human kindness has universal appeal." - Kirkus Reviews "I couldn't put this book down. I found myself liking the principal characters from the opening pages, and my affection for them never wavered. If you enjoy inspirational memoirs or gardening books (or both), this moving account of a life-changing friendship is for you." -Bookpage "In this heartbreaking yet heartwarming paean to the joys of friendship and gardening, Wall crafts an elegiac tribute to an extraordinary man." - Booklist "[T]his memoir chronicl[es] the many lasting rewards garnered from an unexpected friendship..." - Publishers Weekly , starred review "This memoir touches upon everything that is important in life. Not only is it beautifully written-I am also in awe of Carol Wall's raw honesty and incredible courage."-Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of The Kitchen House "Carol Wall's suspenseful tale of human frailty and courage is a marvel. In her garden, an unexpected bond slowly forms as two people from distant worlds help each other confront long-buried secrets and fears. Deeply personal, poetic, and brimming with humanity, this is a book of lasting grace." -Steve Lopez, New York Times bestselling author of The Soloist "Carol Wall's disarming memoir Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening is a poignant tale of an unlikely teacher and a doubting student, who, by bringing a neglected patch of ground back to life, reveal the secrets of reclaiming, restoring, and freeing a wounded soul. It is a generous story filled with grace enough to bring healing to the reader as well. An engaging personal and spiritual journey into life's essential questions." -Jonathan Odell, author of The Healing
