[.uk] Emily Dickinson's Gardens (ISBN 0071424091)

A Celebration Indeed!:
The wonder of this book is that the author has done a fabulous job of conmbining biography, poetry and gardening into one terrific volume. The descriptions of Dickinson's life are intimate and homey; reading it, you feel like you're spending a few hours with a friend. And McDowell does a great job of helping us understand the role that gardening played in both Emily's life and her poetry by providing a lot of specific details that bring Emily and her home to life. As a gardener myself, I was extremely impressed with McDowell's gardening knowledge. She's included a number of tips and techniques that will be useful to both novice and experienced gardeners. Bottom line: this is just a wonderful book, and one that I'll be giving to many of my poetry and gardening friends.

A Charming Gardening Companion:
Ms. McDowell is a delightful writer. Her book on Emily Dickinson's Gardens kept me reassuring company this spring as I worried my way through my first seed growing experiments. I kept it next to my seed growing trays by my computer where I sat and worked everyday. Her conversational style was reassuring, informative and entertaining. Somehow her book managed to say the right thing at the moment when I needed to read it.