THINGS THAT GROW

A grandmother’s last request leads to an unconventional garden tour.

When Lori’s maternal grandmother, Sheryl—with whom she had been living in Massachusetts for several years—dies unexpectedly, Lori loathes the idea of moving away to Maryland to live with her flighty mom and mom’s latest boyfriend. Not wanting to be uprooted, she’s intent on finding a way to stay put to complete her senior year of high school, especially since she’s secretly in love with her neighbor and best friend, Chris. Meanwhile, Sheryl’s will requests that she be cremated, an unusual directive because they are Jewish, a plot point inspired by the author’s own late mother. Sheryl wished for her ashes to be distributed among things that grow—and she included a list of suggested gardens. Lori’s uncle Seth helps with the arrangements, and they travel to all four locations to discreetly scatter her ashes—but of course not everything goes as planned. The romance takes an agonizing slow-burn back seat through much of the book, but eventually it all comes together in a satisfying conclusion. Sharp wit and clever details pull this story out of the weeds of becoming just another grief narrative, and Goldstein’s writing blossoms in its portrayal of messy, complicated relationships. Lori is White, and Chris is Black.

A charming story that promises to delight.