The Cross Gardener Book

The Cross Gardener is a beautiful tale of love, loss and the desire to move forward in life. John Bevan has a unique story. Born under dire circumstances, adopted into a comfortable home and loved by a wonderful girl, Bevan finally believed he was living in heaven on earth until a fateful day in August changed his world. The love of his life and center of his world, his wife Emma Jane, and their unborn child Willard are killed in a car accident while John and his young daughter Lou Lou watch. This sudden tragedy sets their lives into a tailspin and John is lost in grief for Emma Jane and Willard. Following the only path that he knows, John makes two wooden crosses and places them at the accident site making it a ritual to visit daily. This continues endlessly while life around him moves forward leaving him and his little girl behind. This endless cycle is interrupted when John arrives for his visit to the accident site and a man is there caretaking the area. Initially, John is appalled but this stranger slowly takes him on a journey that he will never forget leading him on a remarkable path back to the life he nearly left behind.
This book is Wright's best work to date. Breathtaking in its simplicity and stunning in its beauty, The Cross Gardener draws you in until curiousity overwhelms you. The ideas that Wright puts forth are heartwarming and the characters are so easy to identify with that you feel like you are present in their lives. John Bevan is an amazing leading man. His journey through life is more difficult than some but his natural grace in dealing with most situations makes his failure to cope with his wife's passing feel more tragic. His ever-present yet absent daughter Lou Lou breaks a readers heart and his surrounding family who steadfastly urge him forward give the story a balance that would otherwise be lacking. The setting of the apple orchard is vividly written and feels like a perfect location for a book like this to unfold. While the plot moves slowly, it never feels tired and the introduction of the Cross Gardener and revelation of his identity are exquisitely timed. I was often moved to tears while reading this story and feel that it can be a comfort and joy to anyone who has lost someone. Written from the Christian perspective, it is a poignant tale of belief, strength and life that swept me off my feet. I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy Christian fiction and also to those who are simply looking for a lovely story.