April 10, 2014 / Leslie

Review – Audiobook: Mister Owita’s Guide to Gardening by Carol Wall

Mister Owita’s Guide to Gardening
by Carol Wall
Narrated by Cynthia Darlow

Genre: Memoir
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publish Date: March 1, 2014
Format: Audio, 6 hours | 48 minutes
Audio Listening Level: Easy
Rating: 5 of 5

“The true story of a unique friendship between two people who had nothing – and ultimately everything – in common.”

My Thoughts

When I first saw the title of this book I thought it might be about gardening. As I began listening, I quickly learned the author did not like gardening and hates doing yard work. She doesn’t even like flower and wanted to rip out the Azaleas. Her yard is a mess and she realizes it is a neighborhood eyesore. Soon Mr. Owita would come to her rescue, in more ways than one.

Although gardening does play a role in introducing Carol to Mr. Owita, this is not a story about gardening. When the two first meet they appear to have nothing in common other than Carol needs someone to make her yard look better. Carol is a middle-class southern white woman and Giles Owita is an immigrant from Kenya who works at a grocery store and as a gardener to make ends meet. As they work together in Carol’s garden they share their stories and eventually a few family secrets. We learn that things are not always as they appear.

This is a story about friendships, relationships, families, growing older, dealing with adversity and overcoming what live tosses in your way. A beautifully written, heartfelt story, both happy and sad. If I appear to be deliberately vague, it’s because I am. To reveal too much of the story will ruin it for the reader. It’s best to experience each revelation as the author unveils it. Highly recommended – don’t miss this one.

Audio Production:

The book was read by Cynthia Darlow and although she has won several awards, this was the first time I had listened to one of her productions. Her southern accent for Carol sounded convincing (but then, I’m a northerner), and she also had a believable Kenyan accent for Mr. Owita and his wife. This was an easy book to listen to and at only 7 hours long, I flew through it in two days.

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Source: Review copy provided by Penguin Audio.
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