The First Gardener

The First Gardener is the fictional story of the Tennessean governor Gray London and his family. The Londons are a typical American family - mom, dad, one child and wanting more. They also have the added bonus of living in a mansion in Nashville with beautiful gardens tended by Jeremiah.  But tragedy strikes one day and their lives are forever changed. With the assistance of Jeremiah and others, they are able to get their lives back on track and once again move forward in life.

The characters in The First Gardener are real people with raw emotions. Like real people, they sometimes try to hide from their feelings and the results are not pretty. I got so involved in the life of the Londons that on more than one occasion I had to stop reading because it's not possible to do through tears. I especially liked that chapters were told from different characters' perspectives. Jeremiah's chapters almost had to be read aloud to hear his Southern dialect. I especially liked the title - the first gardener is our Lord but also the gardener of the gardens of the TN first family.

I will be adding Denise Hildreth Jones to my TBR author list. 

Thanks to Tyndale House for providing me with a complimentary copy of The First Gardener.