Spring has sprung! The world may be experiencing a down period but it is looking fab-u-lous. Perfect time to read books about nature, right?
Goodreads Blurb
Evelio’s Garden by Sandra Homer
In the enchanting world of the of Costa Rican highlands, the author begins a memoir, tracing the seasons and closely observing the natural riches around her. But Evelio, who helped build their house, interrupts with an idea to plant an organic garden on their property. Over the course of a challenging year full of unpredictable weather, wild animals and toxic chemicals, their friendship grows as Evelio teaches her about the rural sustainability of Costa Rica in decades past. Pulling her into the daily ups and downs of his project, he creates an often funny, always frustrating, and ultimately rewarding counterpoint to her own work, such that the two intertwine on the page…and lead her to confront a difficult past and open up to profound personal change.
Review
I began reading Evelio’s Garden with zero information about Costa Rica; now I feel like I’ve been there myself. The absolute best thing about this book is the stunning descriptions of nature. Costa Rica seems like a beautiful place, full of wonderful scenery, that I hope it can retain as best as possible.
While Evelio’s Garden is sold as a memoir, I feel more so that it is a book about nature, and we receive snippets of the author’s life as the chapters proceed. I was a bit disappointed in this first because, as quite a nosy person, I like to learn about peoples’ lives. However, I was very much satisfied with what I learned about nature by the end of the book and, of course, the insight I got into Costa Rican life.
There was one thing I still didn’t understand by the end of the book, what the author’s relationship with Evelio actually was. Was he simply hired help or was there a deep friendship? There certainly was a friendship of some sorts but it was hard to gauge just how deep it went as sometimes I found the author to be condescending toward Evelio.
Overall, I liked Evelio’s Garden. Admittedly, it didn’t excite me but I found it a new and charming read.
Get your copy of Evelio’s Garden here.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Joyful Antidotes 