Reviews for The Cross Gardener

The average rating for The Cross Gardener based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-08-06 00:00:00 David Horbach After reading other reviews, I wonder if I am souless for not liking this book. I prefer that spiritual books either be realistic or allegorical. I do not like books that mix the two genres. Wright tells the story of a modern man who loses his wife and struggles to find his way in the wake of her passing. Fantastic things happen that step too far away from reality (and into allegory) for me. CS Lewis mastered each of these genres without mixing them. His book A Grief Observed is basically journal entries penned after his wife Joy died. They are heart-wrenchingly honest accounts of his struggles to find God in the absence of his most beloved wife. Lewis also wrote allegorical works such as The Great Divorce, Screwtape Letters and the Narnia novels. In these books he describes spiritual principles in symbols and one-dimensional characters in such a way that many people can apply them to their particular lives. However, they do not expect to ride a bus to heaven, to overhear a demon and his nephew conspire, or to see Christ strolling through the woods in lion form. The allegorical genre tells the reader, "These things should not be taken literally." When realism and allegory mix, it's very hard for the reader to know what they might encounter in their own spiritual quest as literal, and what is just an idea cloaked in a concrete object. Because this novel had some one-dimensional characters, some very strong symbols, and many passages that were sermon-esque, I felt the quality was too much like a flannel board story. I applaud Wright in his efforts to offer solace to those who grieve, but his comfort comes from doctrine that has no biblical support and from (fictional) experiences that I have never heard anyone describe as real. Thus, they offer me no real hope. I like the ideas behind the fantastical elements, but because they are mixed in with apple orchards, highways and blue jeans, some may be tempted to look for their literal existence. From my experience human spirituality is more complex, subtle and pedestrian.

Review # 2 was written on 2010-04-20 00:00:00 Erin Murphy 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.