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Summary: Buy this book for everyone you love
Review: Tending Roses is truly one of the best books I've ever read. Thought provoking and emotional, I was drawn into the story from page one, and through Ms. Wingate's words, I lived on that Missouri farm right alongside Kate and Ben and the rest of Grandma Rose's family. There isn't a person on this earth who wouldn't be able to relate to the situations these characters go through, whether it be motherhood or sibling rivalry, financial problems or marital tension, or the stress and worry over an aging grandparent. But what makes this book so wonderful is the way each and every one of these characters must find the answers within themselves, to learn forgiveness and acceptance, and to learn what truly matters in life. I cried, I laughed...then I called my grandmother.
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Summary: A book not to be missed
Review: Tending Roses is a gem. From the first paragraph to the last line of the book, I was transported by the words of this wonderful writer and the lives of these characters. Rarely do I find a book these days that doesn't seem overdone and doesn't read like fiction. Tending Roses is a book that is so real, you feel like you're not a reader but part of this family, struggling to work out some hard questions about life and about each other. It is one of those books that is perfect for sharing. I read it first in my book club, where we stayed until late into the night discussing the story and what we loved about it. I recently read it again on my own, and decided it was time I added my voice to the reviews. No matter what kind of books your normally read, this is one you shouldn't miss.
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Summary: Tending Roses
Review: Linsa Wingate sends out a heartwarming message to all of us in this book about an elderly woman, Grandma Rose, who tries to pass on some of the wisdom she has gained in her long life to her grandaughter Katie. These characters were so realistic and Grandma Rose is an absolute riot! I found myself at several moments during my reading and even after I had finished the book, stopping and reflecting about my own life and what is truly important. I look forward to reading Mrs. Wingate's other books and I would highly recommend this one!
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Summary: Endearing and heartwarming
Review: I found Tending Roses to be an endearing read that I will not soon forget. I agree with the other reviewer who said it was a book you want to share with everyone you love. As I read the pages, I found myself thinking about the people who have made a difference in my life over the years. Grandma Rose reminded me of my own grandmother, and the book brought back wonderful memories of time spent on her farm with her. If you are a mother, a grandmother, a daughter, or a granddaughter, you will find so much to relate to in this book. Truly heartwarming. Unforgettable. I'd give it ten stars if I could.
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Summary: "maybe you should want less" says her grandma
Review: Beautiful and inspiring. Kate Bowman and her husband, Ben, and their baby Josh, go to stay with her grandmother who is getting senile and unable to take care of herself. They are to try and prepare her grandmother to accept the fact that she will have to leave the farm and go to a resthome. Kate's family have drifted apart and there are some hard feelings felt that need to be addressed among them and hopefully when they all come for Christmas things will get straightened out. Although Kate has gone to influence her grandmother, what she learns from her grandmother is more than she bargained for. Kate and her husband have accumulated many bills from an unexpected health problem of their baby and house, boat, etc. payments are due and they are fighting to keep their heads above water. When she confesses her problems to her grandmother, her grandmother replies, "maybe you should want less." Is this not true for all of us, in some form or another. How many of us think we have to have the big t.v.s, boats, swimming pools, cars, etc. and end up taking a loan out or use the credit card to buy them and then end up in debt and if we'd just not want as much how much better off we would be. We learn from reading the book that sometimes we don't see the real important things in life until it is too late. Stop and smell the roses and look around and see what we are blessed with and be grateful. It is sometimes the small things that end up being the most important. Family, friends and most important of all is God, through Jesus Christ, and the grace he has given us. As I say this, the book itself, is not a preachy book but one that will open up your hearts and make you think. Enjoy!
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Summary: A touching story!
Review: This book will touch the heart of all who read it. It will cause the reader to stop and reflect on what's really important in life. Read this book. You won't regret it.
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Summary: Beautiful and wonderful book !
Review: A must read for anyone, this book just warms your heart !
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Summary: INSPIRED!!!!
Review: This is a fantastic book. I sat down to read just a page or two and ended up reading almost all night. It is the kind of book which involves you in the characters and their lives so deeply and completely that you forget where you are or what time it is. I laughed and cried right along with the characters and was touched by the many bits of wisdom within the story. This book will cause you to think about your life, how you spend your time, where you invest your love, and what things you should treasure. Life really is what we make of it. I am buying copies ahead for Christmas presents for my sisters and special friends. I know they will be touched and inspired just as I was!
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Summary: Fantastic, Realistic, Memorable!!!
Review: I agree that Tending Roses is a KEEPER. A couple of girlfriends had mentioned to me that they loved this book, and then I happened by it in the airport, so I bought a copy. It was, no question, one of the finest reads I've ever had anytime, anywhere, by any author. Lisa Wingate creates characters who are flawed yet sympathetic, and impossible to forget, and she endows her characters with deep and awakening souls. I identified particularly with Kate's struggle to balance the demands of motherhood, family, and caring for an elderly relative. I loved that, in the end, she grew through the experience and learned to forgive shortcomings in other members of her family. Don't we all need to do that? Reading Tending Roses made me want to be a better person. It helped me understand that the people in my life I clash with or don't understand have troubles of their own. They, like I, are struggling to find a place in the world, and we are all a product of our pasts. Tending Roses is a wonderful spiritual experience, one I plan to share with my mother and sisters, and someday my daughters when they are older. If you're looking for a book that will speak to you and leave you feeling good about life and the people around you, read this one. Five stars and more. I am rushing to buy Lisa Wingate's next books!
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Summary: Too sentimental for my tastes
Review: I guess I'm one of the few reviewers who didn't respond to the sentimentality of this book. Although I am usually the sentimental type, I thought that the message of this book--literally, that family is the most important thing in life, and metaphorically, that you must stop to smell the roses--was so obvious that it repeatedly hit you over the head. I did not find the main character, Kate, to be likeable; it was difficult to have sympathy for her money problems once it was revealed that she and her husband lived in a nice condo, belonged to a country club, and even owned a boat! Also, I was particularly frustrated by the way Kate excuses both her husband's and grandmother's behavior, especially given that both of these characters engage in offensive behavior at times. Furthermore, the sudden transformation of Kate's husband, Ben, did not ring true to me. The book's more real characters include Kate's father, Jack, and her sister, Karen, but they both have relatively minor roles in the story. Although some parts of this book were engaging, such as the vignette's from Grandma Rose's childhood, I just found the overall sappiness to detract from what might have been a more genuine and moving story.
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