When Susannah Nelson turned eighteen, her parents sent her to school abroad. She said goodbye to her boyfriend, Jake--and never saw him again. She never saw her brother again, either; Doug died in a car accident while she was away. Now, at fifty, she finds herself regretting the paths not taken. Especially the chance to be with Jake.... Long married, a mother and a teacher, she should be happy. But she feels there's something missing, although she doesn't know exactly what. Not only that, she's balancing the demands of an aging mother and a temperamental twenty-year-old daughter. Because her mother, Vivian, a recent widow, is having difficulty coping and living alone, Susannah prepares to make some hard decisions. In returning to her hometown of Colville, Washington, to her parents' house, her girlhood friends and the garden she's always loved, she also returns to the past--and the choices she made back then. What she discovers is that things are not always as they once seemed. Some paths are dead ends. But some gardens remain beautiful....

Susanna's story was mesmerizing. There was just enough of a mystery to keep me rivited to the pages. A very good read.

This book is being sent to whitehorsy in Belgium, winner of Gahan's birthday sweepstakes.

Thank you turbostitcher, for this wonderful surprise! Indeed, I've read a few Macomber books and I've enjoyed them very much. So I'll be looking forward to reading this one! Thank you for picking this one out for me, it's very thoughtful. :-) By the way, I also love the card and cute bookmark!

Thank you so much!!!

I so loved this book, it was a wonderful read! The characters are loveable and recognisable, I really felt for them. I also liked the sense of mystery and I can say that the end certainly surprised me! :-)

Mmmm, Debbie Macomber's books are like warm blankets... so cosy to snuggle up with. I've enjoyed The shop on Blossom Street a lot as well.

Thanks a lot for this book turbostitcher! It'll travel further as a RABCK to Chania in Finland, who has it on her wishlist.

(Sent on June 9 via priority mail)

Whitehorsy, thanks so much! Looks like my kind of book - I am sure I will enjoy this and I know who will get this next (it might take some time as I have quite a lot to read, but better late than never!).

Nice book - the first Debbie Macomber I've read and I quite enjoyed it! It was warm and cozy, and even though the end was quite unbelievable, it was still enjoyable.
Sending this to Annimanni next.

Thanks ever so much, Chania! And for the postcards too :)

Oh boy. Don't get me wrong, I like light and fluffy and cozy. It's just that I want it well written, too.

I can't stand what I call the Danielle Steel style, in which every little thing is spelled out - preferably three times at least, just in case the reader doesn't get the clue the first time. This book falls into that category, I'm afraid. A good editor could have cut it down by one third at the minimum, just by getting rid of tautology and all the useless dialog that adds absolutely nothing to the story.

I was also disappointed by the fact that there was no depth whatsoever to the characters nor any motivation to their behaviour and actions. And I hesitate even to mention the storyline, which was both predictable (wasn't it obvious who the mysterious Dave actually was?) and unbelievable. I mean, a teacher who thinks she can access the sheriff's department's files by googling - and with the help of the local librarian to boot. Come on.

Right. I guess it's clear I really really really didn't like the book. Sorry! I have another Debbie Macomber in my TBR pile and I think it's best I pass it on unread :) This book will now travel to hakkalina in Hungary as per her request.

Thanks Annimanni! The book arrived today! So many things happened lately so I forgot about this book, it took me a while I put together the book and your letter... Funny thing is this "forgetting" is a good thing, now I am happy happy very much, oh I got a book!! :))

2012. May-June
Partly read, though I found interesting the beginning, nevertheless I stopped to read. I still love its cover, and I really would have liked to read it, but lately I do not have the right mood to read it.

Instead of keeping this book on my shelf I let it go, considering I found this book on someone's wishlist self... ....

It is time to go on in order to discover more in this beautiful World... The book is travelling to its next reader!

What a surprise -- two books and both from my wishlist. You are so generous. I will find a new reader after I finish.

Picked it up to begin today.

What a nice read. It took a couple of turns I wasn't expecting. I love that Debbie's characters are real and not all 18 to 22 years old. Her stories are true to life and uplifting. Now to find a new reader.

Enjoy! KTM RABCK for ABC bookbox to cbostler

I received "Susannah's Garden" in the mail today, and will begin reading this evening.
It's interesting to learn that the book has been travelling for more than five years. I enjoyed reading the other journal entries.
Booklady331, you always leave such fun paper page markers. I appreciate the treasure hunt.

One of the pleasures of reaching the senior citizen stage of my life is having the uninterrupted time and opportunity to lose myself in a 379 page book like Susannah's Garden. What a wonderful luxury!

I'm a member of the sandwich generation, and could relate well with the major issues of the book. I understand the grief Susannah faced as her mother suffered with the insidious advance of Alzheimer's. I shared her frustration with her almost-adult but still childish daughter. And I've often pondered about the roads not taken in my own lifetime, just as Susannah did. I love reading a book where I can make so many connections.

I appreciate the fact that the author did not include profanity and steamy sex scenes in the novel. It is a well-written book with a PG rating.

SPOILER ALERT: I do not believe that Susannah, so close to retirement age, would leave a teaching career (which she enjoyed) to open a flower shop. I taught school for more than 40 years, and never met a teacher who would do something as foolish as that.
I also found it hard to believe that a woman with the limited income of a teacher would spend thousands of dollars in an extortion deal. Finally, educators of this generation must be tech-savvy to survive. Savannah lost credibility when she couldn't do a Google-search herself.

I selected Savannah's Garden from Booklady331's "Keep Them Moving" bookbox. If she decides to do another round, I'll release the book there so that it can be enjoyed by other readers.