Book info

• Title Digging In
• Author Loretta Nyhan
• Year 2018
• Genre Contemporary

Paige Moresco found her true love in eighth grade—and lost him two years ago. Since his death, she’s been sleepwalking through life, barely holding on for the sake of her teenage son. Her house is a wreck, the grass is overrun with weeds, and she’s at risk of losing her job. As Paige stares at her neglected lawn, she knows she’s hit rock bottom. So she does something entirely unexpected: she begins to dig. As the hole gets bigger, Paige decides to turn her entire yard into a vegetable garden. The neighbors in her tidy gated community are more than a little alarmed. Paige knows nothing about gardening, and she’s boldly flouting neighborhood-association bylaws. But with the help of new friends, a charming local cop, and the transformative power of the soil, Paige starts to see potential in the chaos of her life. Something big is beginning to take root—both in her garden and in herself.

Thoughts

Quick and easy read, this one, and I wasn’t sure it was going to compel me for long as I started, but somehow it kept drawing me further and further in. There’s not a lot of action, really, with most of the story taking two forms – Paige is a widow who channels some of her grief into digging a vegetable garden in her back yard, to the disgust of her neighbours. And at the same time, her new boss is instigating competitions to try and get the best from the team and it’s not sitting well with everyone.

There were a few odd moments, such as wearing the dress she dug up from the backyard to a party – who would do that? But ultimately, it was a tender read, gentle humour, and a satisfying ending.

Rating: 3 / 5