Gardens of Our Souls: A Correspondence of Friendship and Healing

Marcia Sweet, former editor of the Queen’s Quarterly, is an
information consultant and freelance editor.

Based on the correspondence between two gardening friends (one of whom
is recovering from illness and emotional trauma), this is a book about
fellowship, learning, thoughtfulness, serious illness, and, above all,
gardening. As evidenced by the book’s extensive bibliography, the
authors have consulted wide-ranging sources on gardening and herbal
knowledge. Their letters incorporate information about planting, growing
circumstances, and care, along with the history and folklore of plants.
At times, the scholarly style dampens the emotional content of the
letter, detracting from their authenticity, as friendship and healing
take a back seat to gardening lore. Nevertheless, the letters are
insightful and often beautifully written, and gardeners and herbalists
in particular will find the book engaging.