I enjoyed Lefevre’s lyrical writing style – it’s like reading poetry in prose form
Feature image credit: Affirm Press
Adelaide local author Carol Lefevre’s latest work is a memoir of the year she turned 70, an age she describes as being ‘Young Old Age’ (p5). At this stage in her life, tending to her garden has become part of her every day and a way of coping with some of the negative aspects of ageing. Her strategy of retreating into the garden is woven throughout, especially in her moments of reflection.
Perhaps for this reason, her prose carries a sense of prosody. It has the depth of poetry and a smooth flow of writing which blends her thoughts with nature, allowing me as a reader to sense its contemplative tone. The occasional insert of a diary entry, which she titles ‘Extracts from Her Garden Journal,’ is often paired with a picture at the start of a chapter, hinting at the chapter theme ahead. Her musings evolve into vivid images of the garden, the birds, or the changing of the seasons, and of herself, over the years.
Whilst I enjoyed the structure of the memoir and her style of writing, I did not fully embrace some of the concepts she presented. It can only be fully understood in context. Her conclusions about ageing felt very rooted in a Western, individualistic perspective as there are many cultures around the world that live in multigenerational households, and/or value the older generation for their knowledge and experience.
These alternative practices were not acknowledged or explored in the book despite her drawing on statistics, empirical data, or research in other areas. For example, she talks about how women in their 40s start to become invisible (something she has experienced), and the increasing rate of homelessness among women over 50 (something she has not experienced). Therefore, whilst this book starts strong, so strong in fact that I eagerly read half of the book in one sitting, after a while it felt like the substance dissipated towards the latter half.
This memoir suits the garden lovers, the visual readers, and mature audiences. I’ll be passing this one onto my mum, who herself tends to the garden in a meditative and therapeutic way, just like Lefevre.
Reviewed by Rebecca Wu
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: Affirm Press
Released: March 2025
RRP: 34.99
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