The First Gardner

The First Gardner
By Denise Hildreth Jones

About the book:
Jeremiah Williams has been tending the gardens of the Tennessee governor’s mansion for over twenty-five years. And like most first families who have come and gone, this one has stolen his heart.
Mackenzie and her husband, Governor Gray London, have struggled for ten years to have a child and are now enjoying a sweet season of life—anticipating the coming reelection and sending their precious daughter, Maddie, off to kindergarten—when a tragedy tears their world apart. As the entire state mourns, Mackenzie falls into a grief that threatens to swallow her whole.
Though his heart is also broken, Jeremiah realizes that his gift of gardening is about far more than pulling weeds and planting flowers. It’s about tending hearts as well. As he uses the tools that have been placed in his hands, he gently begins to cultivate the hard soil of Mackenzie’s heart, hoping to help her realize what it took him years to discover.
A Southern tale of loss, love, and living, The First Gardner reminds us that all of life is a gift, but our heart is the most valuable gift of all.

My Thoughs:

After reading this book I feel like saying "WOW". Denise Hildreth Jones is such a gifted writer and improves with each book. Denise has a way of crafting characters that reach out and grab your heart whether they are in good or bad situations.




"The First Gardner" has sadness hanging over it and yet it held such inspiration and wisdom, ending with a great sense of hope.



On the outside it may look as though Mackenzie and Gray have it all as the Governor and First Lady of Tennessee but inside their hearts are broken. The two are desperately searching to restore what used to be, but God has other plans and uses unexpected people to show them the way.



My favorite character of "The First Gardner" was just that, the gardener, Jeremiah. He worked so diligently at keeping the garden and was always there to give a kind word. His knowledge grew out of his own heartache and may not have been what Mackenzie and Gray wanted to hear but always seemed to be what they needed to hear.



Favorite Quote:

“Grief aint' sump'n you wanna rush. It be God's way of helpin' us get out the pain. He know if we ain't got some way to get it all out, we gon' explode. So He give us grief, He give us tears. All of them things we need to get it all out."





*I received this book free for review from Tyndale House Publishers*
Rating: 5 carats

Visit Denie Hildreth Jones' website
Buy the book