Review of Elizabeth's Garden
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Abi McCoy
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Review of Elizabeth's Garden
[Following is a volunteer review of "Elizabeth's Garden" by Phillip Leighton-Daly.]
Elizabeth’s Garden by Phillip Leighton-Daly is a children’s book that focuses on life in New South Wales in the nineteenth century. The story is told by an old man who is reminiscing about his adventures with Elizabeth when they were young. Elizabeth was a compassionate girl who lost her father to river pirates; she dedicated her life to helping anyone she could. Sometimes this involved gardening and handing out food, and other times it involved daring rescues and interactions with horrible people. During an attempt to help some children reach a safe place, Elizabeth and the narrator are chased by the pirates. This results in tragic events that will haunt the narrator forever.
This was a well-written and engaging work of historical fiction. Interesting details concerning the land and its history were included; great descriptions of the setting were woven throughout the story that really brought it to life. Information related to the historical racism against the indigenous people of the area and the inequalities they had to face were included in a way that was meaningful and informative.
I appreciated how the title of the work worked so well on different levels. Elizabeth loved gardening and was known for the produce that she grew. But after an interaction with a corrupt lawman, someone tells her, “Men of words and not deeds are like a garden full of weeds.” Elizabeth responds, “I won’t tolerate weeds in my garden” and begins to fight the injustices she sees.
However, I would not call this work a children’s book. I think it should instead be classified as a short work of historical fiction. The story included molestation and abuse, gruesome deaths, and mutilated animals. While I loved the vocabulary of the book, I felt it was too advanced for a children’s work. And the story wasn’t told in the tone of a children’s book at all.
I’m rating Elizabeth’s Garden a 4 out of 4 stars. The book was well-written and informative. I only found one error and enjoyed reading this. I do think the book should be reclassified. I wouldn’t recommend this to children unless they are teenagers, but I would recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction.
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Elizabeth's Garden
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Elizabeth’s Garden by Phillip Leighton-Daly is a children’s book that focuses on life in New South Wales in the nineteenth century. The story is told by an old man who is reminiscing about his adventures with Elizabeth when they were young. Elizabeth was a compassionate girl who lost her father to river pirates; she dedicated her life to helping anyone she could. Sometimes this involved gardening and handing out food, and other times it involved daring rescues and interactions with horrible people. During an attempt to help some children reach a safe place, Elizabeth and the narrator are chased by the pirates. This results in tragic events that will haunt the narrator forever.
This was a well-written and engaging work of historical fiction. Interesting details concerning the land and its history were included; great descriptions of the setting were woven throughout the story that really brought it to life. Information related to the historical racism against the indigenous people of the area and the inequalities they had to face were included in a way that was meaningful and informative.
I appreciated how the title of the work worked so well on different levels. Elizabeth loved gardening and was known for the produce that she grew. But after an interaction with a corrupt lawman, someone tells her, “Men of words and not deeds are like a garden full of weeds.” Elizabeth responds, “I won’t tolerate weeds in my garden” and begins to fight the injustices she sees.
However, I would not call this work a children’s book. I think it should instead be classified as a short work of historical fiction. The story included molestation and abuse, gruesome deaths, and mutilated animals. While I loved the vocabulary of the book, I felt it was too advanced for a children’s work. And the story wasn’t told in the tone of a children’s book at all.
I’m rating Elizabeth’s Garden a 4 out of 4 stars. The book was well-written and informative. I only found one error and enjoyed reading this. I do think the book should be reclassified. I wouldn’t recommend this to children unless they are teenagers, but I would recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction.
******
Elizabeth's Garden
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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Rm21
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your insight into the title is fun - when authors include that level of thought it's very interesting and cool to find. some of those details sound a little intense for kids though.
