A garden is a physical, natural, social, spiritual, and therapeutic space. The author lays this out in her book about the healing, consoling, and life-affirming effects of gardening. A trained therapist, she narrates her work with a soothing, comforting but far-from-sleep-inducing voice. Her cadence is even and clear but not monotonous. She argues that a garden helps us cope with a fast-paced life by slowing us down, and her narration has the same effect. While the book is not a how-to, the author offers numerous examples of the therapeutic power of gardening. She discusses at length how valuable working with your hands can be. By tending your plants, you are gardening your inner space and cultivating a better mental state.
Pub Date: July 7, 2020
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797113098
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Like the experience of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, Lee’s sensitive performance is tranquil and inspiring.
Ela Lee’s smooth narration and soothing tones are perfectly suited to this collection of contemplative essays. Kōda explains that her close relationship with trees was sparked by her father. Trees were his passion, and he gave each of his children a tree to nurture. As Kōda visits forests around Japan, various trees spark memories. Even when these memories are painful, a sense of healing and growth pervades. Lee’s deliberate pace allows room for quiet reflection throughout this lyrical journey into the significance trees hold for Kōda and the ways that they mirror her world and the rhythms of human life.
Like the experience of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, Lee’s sensitive performance is tranquil and inspiring.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 19 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063443433
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 8, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2026
Listeners will be transported to some of America's most dramatic landscapes.
Three women passionate about America’s wild places helped inspire the public’s love of the natural environment and gave rise to the term “ecofeminism.” They are profiled in this triple biography along with the environments they cared about—the Grand Canyon, Colorado high mountain skiing areas, and the Adirondacks. With her easy pace, Kimberly Wetherell makes listening a pleasure. Wetherell effectively relays Hansman's lyrical descriptions of the three environments, taking listeners into powdery snow, rushing water, and deep woods. Her conversational tone suits the material but is especially effective in the opening and closing chapters, when the author speaks from a first-person perspective.
Listeners will be transported to some of America's most dramatic landscapes.Pub Date: July 14, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 52 mins
DD ISBN: 9781488238031
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 18, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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