A Google user
Eva Madigan and her young son Liam move to Dublin after the unexpected and tragic death of her husband and son. Once settled Eva hears gossip about an old lady named Mrs. Prendergast who supposedly murdered her husband. Local lore seems to think Mrs. Prendergast buried him in her overgrown garden near a murky pond. Apparently the husband hasn't been seen in some time.
As a self prescribed remedy, Eva approaches Mrs. Myrtle Prendergast about tending to her overgrown garden and bringing it back to its former glory. Eva posts an ad for garden helpers and Uri, a Holocaust survivor, his handsome son Seth, and Emily, a college student, eventually join with her. As can be assumed, the garden grows and so do the characters.
I would have liked for the author to build in a bit more suspense surrounding the missing husband. We read about the gossip early in the story then nothing else, really, until the ending after the garden is complete. Also, Uri has a deep and moving tale to tell but its relegated to a few pages and comes at a point in the story where the story was basically, and predictably, nearly over.
The other flaw was the explanation of the last time Myrtle saw Martin. Without ruining the story, it just didn't seem plausible given the condition Martin was in, the size differences between the man and woman, and the fragility of the wife.
A simple story, no real surprises, but an easy, and enjoyable, 1 or 2 hour read.