REVIEW: HAPPY NATIONAL GARDENING DAY!

​Do you like to garden? Elliott Michener didn’t care much about it when he became a prisoner at Alcatraz in 1941. All he cared about was escaping. But a funny thing happened to him when he was given the job of tending to Alcatraz Island’s gardens. You can read all about it in: 

​TITLE:           THE GARDENER OF ALCATRAZ: A TRUE STORY
AUTHOR:     Emma Bland Smith
ILLUSTRATOR: Jenn Ely
PUBLISHER: Charlesbridge/2022
OPENING LINES: 
 The boat chugged out of San Francisco and into the bay. Sound nice? It wasn’t. This was no pleasure outing, let me tell you.
 
Gulls squawked. A foghorn moaned. And Elliott Michener, prisoner #AZ-578, stared into the fierce wind. Ahead loomed an island topped with a concrete fortress, watchtowers, and barbed wire.

I have been fortunate enough to have visited Alcatraz a few times. I have always found it fascinating, but I never thought much about the gardens there. That is, until I read this book. THE GARDENER OF ALCATRAZ tells the true story of Elliott Michener, who was a prisoner at Alcatraz from 1941 to 1950. At first, all Elliot thought about was escaping back to a life of crime, but when he was entrusted with the job of tending to the island’s gardens, “a funny thing happened.” While learning more and more about the art and skill of gardening, his outlook on life changed. Jenn Ely skillfully tells the true tale of a former prisoner who, while transforming Alcatraz island’s gardens, transforms himself. She includes supplemental backmatter complete with a timeline, what happened to Elliott after he left Alcatraz, and history of Alcatraz and its gardens. Jenn Ely’s illustrations reflect the transformation of both prisoner and grounds as they move from dull and drab to bright and hopeful. I found this book fascinating and I think you will too!
 
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