The Dandelion Garden

by Budge Wilson

Librarian note: An alternate cover edition record for ISBN 0-399-22768-7 is available here.

A collection of ten short stories about friendships, family relationships, and the trials of growing up. The stories are:

The Charmer
The Canoe Trip
The Dandelion Garden
Cordelia Clark
Big Little Jerome
Dreams
Was it Fun on the Beach Today?
Janetta's Confinement
Joanna and the Dark
The Happy Pill

168 pages, Hardcover

First published May 9, 1995

About the author

Budge was educated in Halifax schools and at Dalhousie University (degree in Philosophy and Psychology, Diploma in Education, Physical Education teaching certificate). She did two years of graduate work in English at the University of Toronto, and worked at the Institute of Child Study (U. of T.) for four years--filing, illustrating, editing, writing. She illustrated three books for the University of Toronto Press, worked for several years as a freelance commercial artist and child photographer, and was a fitness instructor from 1968 to 1989. She has been writing juvenile and adult fiction since 1978, with her first book published in 1984. Her work has been published in ten countries and in seven languages.

After living in Ontario for over twenty-five years, Budge and Alan returned to Nova Scotia in 1989, and live in a small fishing village on the South Shore of the province.

Reviews

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent collection of short stories. I originally borrowed it because a family member who teaches told me about it. It was part of a high school curriculum (another province). I was interested in that particular story - but read all in this collection and found them very engaging. I think this collection is placed in the YA category and I can see these stories appealing to teens. But many were written in the voice of adults - reminiscing about earlier years. So I think adults would also relate to these stories. I am planning on reading more from this author from Nova Scotia.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this is one of those books you read and think back on a lot over the years. Not sure if I loved it, but made me think - I suspect by design of the author. Several short stories with a lesson to share. Not in the way of Aesop's fables, but more in the line of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" sans the violence. Wilson pulls you in, makes up your mind and leaves you startled and wondering in the end, every time.

[Maddalenah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the stories I knew from other collections, others I didn't. I'm definitely not in the target demographic anymore, but they are still compelling stories.

[Cheryl Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is billed as Young Adult, but I think you have to be an adult to understand the subtle nuances in these stories.

[Treasure Island Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good short story collection. Every character and their regrets seem plausible and immediate.