A Bit of Earth is a beautiful work. This book would be a great gift, one that would adorn coffee tables and displays. But also a great purchase for yourself.

*I received this digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my review.

A must read for the Christian who needs to stop and smell the roses.

“Creation is established and moves in a certain cadence of hope mixed with longing, repeating itself over and over again.”

The Creator designed a seasonal world. As the wise King Solomon reminds us, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Eccl 3:1). Andrea Burke urges the reader to reflect on the seasonal nature of both the garden and our spiritual lives. I am not a gardener; I don’t even have a place to garden in our two bedroom apartment. But I felt myself drawn into Burke’s garden, enjoying both her practical agriculture tips and extension of the garden to our spiritual lives. This of course is very Biblical. We began in a garden, and the entire Bible is rife with farming metaphors. It seems the most apt place to draw wisdom.

Burke’s writing transports the reader, placing them among the blossoming flowers and vegetables. Part prayer book, the author shares reflections before the Lord on each chapter and occasionally urges independent study of scripture or moments for reflection.

The book is divided by season. Burke opens in winter, a time of rest. God himself rested on the seventh day. Winter is the natural time for the garden to rest, why not the gardener as well.

“I will turn down the volume on the world that tells me rest is for the weak. In fact, it’s true. Rest is for the weak and we are all desperately so, and when we can finally admit that to one another, maybe we’ll all be free.”

Winter, though, is not a time when nothing is happening. Winter vegetables, like garlic, are growing roots:

“[Garlic] works only because it grew roots and rested. If only we could learn these same rhythms. Root, rest, grow. To the young mother who hasn’t slept, the tired pastor faithfully preaching each Sunday, the struggling husband or wife who has lost hope in their marriage, the college student who feels overwhelmed, the doubter, the weary, the wrestling one- resist the urge to present a perfect outward image and instead, go deep. Grow roots and rest. Cease your striving to produce something it is simply not time for. The cold is not the end; it’s just the way through. Dormancy is not the same as death. It’s okay to breathe. Light a candle and hold on.”

Being brought to tears by garlic metaphors was not on my 2024 bucket list, but it happened nonetheless. Garlic gives us permission to cease our striving and simply know God. Not every season is one of growth. Without rest, fields fail. The Lord knows this, it’s why a Sabbath rest is prescribed for the land in Leviticus 25. Even the ground needs rest. Why should we, creation just the same, neglect this wisdom.

Burke is a self admitted melancholy and nostalgic, a crime I am guilty of as well. But this gifting allows her to draw out the emotions of the garden, a longing for what could have been or never was, as well as a deep appreciation for the harvest. She reminds the reader that Christianity is a religion both of death, and of resurrection.

“That crushed dream, lost hope, imagined life plan that never came to fruition? Grieve. Take a deep breath. And then clear the beds. It’s time for something new.”

While much of the book encourages this melancholic reflection, it is not devoid of action. No one works harder than the farmer. Our Christian life is like this as well- there must be service. There are back-breaking days in the scorching summer heat. Sometimes these days are fruitless- the crops die, the bugs overtake, the weeds win. But some days there is harvest. And this makes the work worth it.

Readers will do well to accept this wisdom, to work hard in season, to rest out of season, to depend on the Lord for the harvest. Gardening novices such as myself will be surprised to learn all of the elements that go into a successful garden. It is much more than plant, water, and harvest. I certainly recommend this book for an aspiring gardener, if only so they know what they’re getting into. And surely those with gardens of their own will laugh along with the anecdotes, knowing all too well the pain, joy, and toil.

“I don’t know what this winter holds for us. I don’t know how many gardens I have left. Perhaps it is fifty more. Maybe it’s none. But I’m going to keep planting sequoias, singing songs with the old farmers, and working the ground until the Lord calls me home. The katydids are singing; it’s time to get ready for bed.”

This quick but challenging book urges the reader to reflect on the garden, both the one in their backyard and the one the Lord has planted in their heart.

This book was just absolutely beautiful! The pictures, the lay out and the wonderful words. I want this for my coffee table. It'd be a really cute gift! The words were wonderfully put and just an all around great book. Highly recommend!

Pros: My mom is happiest when working in her garden, and I think this book would make the perfect gift for her (and people like her). The elements of faith, scripture, and poetry throughout add such a sense of peace and reflection to this book. The "cultivate" sections lend this book well to being a devotional or group study book. This book reminds me of A Comfort of Crows, which is a very good thing.

Cons: None that I can think of--this book was lovely.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lexham Press for the opportunity to read this book.