Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful and Memorable!
Review: Wow! Lisa Wingate has written a meaningful and very beautiful tale with memorable characters. I liked her message - very subtle, but powerful. Reminds me of Shade of the Maple by Kirk Martin - both books are keepers and great gift ideas. Recently found signed copies at lisawingate.com and kirkmartinbooks.com. Looking forward to reading Lisa's newest novel!
Rating:
Summary: One of a Kind
Review: I don't know of another novelist who does a better job of applying truth to the page than Lisa Wingate in her novel TENDING ROSES. Her characters are so real so much like members of my own family which, like the characters in the book, have their roots in small town Arkansas. The book is real but poetic--packed with wisdom. One of the best books I've read in a long time.
Rating:
Summary: A keeper
Review: Tending Roses is one of the best books I've ever read. I seldom keep a book once I've read it but this one is a keeper - I'll read it again. The characters and setting are beautifully developed. The message is strong without being pushy. I didn't want it to end. It's one of those books you just can't wait to share with friends - I've bought four copies as gifts so far.
Rating:
Summary: Great gift to curl up with
Review: I was given this book as a birthday gift from a book-loving friend, and I have to admit I was a little doubtful at first. I read mostly non-fiction and a smattering of mystery, but my friend assured me I would love this book, it was her favorite of all time. After reading it, I can see why so many people loved it. It is not only a touching, sweet story, but it is an honest look at life and the things that are important. It made me think of my own family and realize that I don't place a strong enough priority on keeping in touch. It made me miss my grandmother and wish I had listened more closely to her stories. If you're a grandmother, a granddaughter, a mother, or if you just have friendships you treasure in your life, don't miss this honest, thought-provoking book. It will bring you closer to your own spirt and to the people you care about.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful book in every way!
Review: I loved this book on so many different levels, it is hard to decide which to talk about first. The characters were extremely well done. They literally walked right off the page and into my mind's eye. I began to care about them as if they were neighbors or part of my own family. The setting, on the farm in Missouri was visual and beautiful. The plot was so well done, I couldn't put the book down. I read it in a day and a half, over a weekend at our cabin. I was sorry to reach the last page. The most touching part of the story was the journal that Grandma Rose left for Kate. The writing was poetic, and the messages could apply to almost anyone, in any stage of life, who isn't too closed minded to "get" what Grandma is saying. All in all, Tending Roses was a beautiful book I will keep, re-read, and buy often for gifts. Don't miss out!
Rating: 
Summary: Why did everyone like this book?
Review: I don't get all the 5-star people. I thought this book was predictable sap. If you didn't have the book figured out from reading the back cover, certainly by about chapter 3 you knew how it was going to end. Regardless, I stuck with it to try to figure out why people were raving about it. While the characters were memorable and developed, there was a whole lot of pouting and bickering going on about problems people face every day.... certainly not enough to build a book around. Grandma Rose is on her last leg, starting house fires and forgetting things so Kate and her husband Ben and their kid Joshua move their little broke tails from Chicago, where they live way beyond their means, to the sticks in Missouri. There, grandma Rose leaves a diary laying around to give Kate insight about getting old, not wasting things and taking time to smell the roses etc. YAWN. Kate's family is all set to send granny to a nursing home but grandma has a mind of her own, although she's losing it chapter by chapter. Really, this book is not very good at all.
Rating:
Summary: Great book about family!
Review: Looking for a great book about faith and family? This is it. This book will have you crying and laughing. Grandma Rose is a lovable character who can produce so much emotion. Also, this lady possesses so much wisdom. If you are looking for a new positive perspective on life, this book can point you that way.
Rating:
Summary: Inspired and Inspiring
Review: Tending Roses is a first-rate read, not inflated or 'trumped up' in the characters or the plot. It is about very realistic problems that we all face, and the characters act and interact like a real family, not like fictional people. The prose was beautiful, and many of the grandmother's diary entries brought me to tears. A girlfriend and I read it together while on a getaway weekend, and sharing it was a very rewarding experience. We talked about how we felt as women, mothers, daughters of aging parents, and spiritual individuals in a sometimes non-spiritual, cynical world. Tending Roses is a treasure in every way. Not only was the writing inspired, but the plot and the messages were inspiring, as well. It is a book I will keep for my daughers, after I share it with my mother, aunts, and sisters. I will be looking for this author's next book. FIVE STARS--I'd give it six if I could!
Rating: 
Summary: Buy it for your Mom
Review: This is a short, sweet, albeit predictable read about the importance of family and simplifying one's life. There are some lovely little messages sprinkled throughout the novel, but the sheer obviousness of the storyline is somewhat disappointing. There is nothing earth shattering here; so if you are looking for a feelgood read, this is it, those looking for high art will need to look elsewhere. 3.5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: There is magic here....
Review: This is the story of Kate Bowman, young mother and wife,and successful career woman, caught up in the proverbial rat race of American life in the city. She is delegated by the rest of her family to be the one who tells her 89-year-old Grandma Rose that she'd be better off in a nursing home...not living alone on the family farm in Missouri.Kate and her husband take the baby with them to Grandma's farm for Christmas. They are thrust into Grandma's world. Kate's architect husband Ben's life has been one of harried deadlines, poor economic planning,overspending on expensive big-boy toys. He falls under the spell of peaceful country living when he realizes that you CAN have a computer in the country these days! This is a great book about finding true inner peace and happiness without being bogged down in the trappings of debt and unrealistic responsibilities. It is about the return to peaceful clarity, both emotionally and mentally.It is also about the strength and power of family, and the beauty that they bring into our lives, if we only open our hearts and let them come in. It's a story about forgiveness. It's a delightful story with a great message, but at the same time, it's not at all preachy. It makes you reevaluate your own life, and what you value in it.The characters are delightful. Everyone should have a grandma like Rose!
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