on gardening literature

i have been thinking about books. i get like that when i go too long between bouts of fiction. not that i don’t love my gardening books, but as a writer, i am one who needs stories to keep my mind and imagination running rich, which is why i was so inspired by gayla trail’s recent post on yougrowgirl.com.

it made me think about some of my favorite works of fiction and how they weave gardening into their stories, often along with social and political commentary. here are a few of my favorites:

- the secret garden by frances hodgson burnett
- the poisonwood bible by barbara kinsolver
- the parable of the sower by octavia butler
- in the heart of the valley of love by cynthia kadohata
- swan song by robert mccammon

as a gardener with activist leanings, it’s no wonder i am drawn to these kinds of books. they speak to me on so many levels. but mostly, they speak to me of our amazing power to rebuild and renew. to reseed and become reborn. even the bleakest of these novels fills me with optimism, because wherever a seed can grow, we can see a brighter future. or, as my mother always says: “where there’s life, there’s hope.”

in short, these stories illustrate one of my most basic belief, that gardening can (and will) save the world.

and yes, i will definitely be reading some of kincaid's work as soon as i can get my hands on them: