Carl Gorham

My Life in a Garden is a poignant and deeply personal memoir by author and TV writer/producer, Carl Gorham. In 2005, Gorham retreats from the hustle and bustle of London, with his wife and their four year old daughter. They find the house of their dreams in the Norfolk countryside, complete with three acres of land, a maze, orchard, tennis court and outdoor swimming pool. Gorham loves the garden but describes himself as the ‘world’s most useless gardener’. He has ambitious plans for the land, but everything changes following his wife’s death in 2007. Overcome with grief, and with a young daughter to take care of, the garden falls into a state of disrepair. A few years later, with a new love and renewed energy, the garden finally gets the attention it deserves. But, when Gorham’s TV work dries up, he is left with no option to move out and rent the house out as a holiday let. He hires a professional gardener and together they attempt to transform the garden into a tranquil space for paying guests.

My Life in a Garden by Carl Gorham is a beautifully written, tender and emotional memoir. The book chronicles Gorham’s journey as he attempts to reclaim his life and garden following death, grief, illness and a breakdown. What begins as an effort to maintain the physical land soon becomes a symbolic act of survival. Gorham’s connection with his garden mirrors his life – tired and careworn, neglected in places, but slowly coming back to life after a long period of turbulence. The memoir is a moving exploration of how our external world can reflect our internal struggles, and how tending to the earth can help us through the healing process. The garden provides a rhythm and a sense that life - even though altered - carries on.

Star rating: 5 Stars 

Summary: A warm, honest, and funny memoir about love, loss, and the healing power of nature.