Reviewed by Robin Goodfellow for Readers' Favorite

The Green House by Dan Lawton is a bittersweet tale about a man who struggles to cope with his guilt in the wake of his wife’s death. The story begins with Girard in his greenhouse, a place he views as a safe haven. He notices that his wife, Miriam, is not in bed and that his car is missing. Still, he goes to sleep, only to get a visit from the police, requesting he identify Miriam’s body. His daughter, Stacey, whom he hasn’t seen in decades, soon comes to visit, only for him to discover that Stacey has inherited the alcoholism that her father deals with. As the story continues, and more difficulties are brought to light, Girard learns to understand himself, alongside the faith that he carries.

One of the many things that Lawton does very well is incorporating nature therapy with grief. The flowers and colors that he uses in the story blend wonderfully with Girard’s journey. For instance, one of the flowers that Girard chooses to represent Miriam is an amaryllis. The amaryllis represents love, or more specifically, someone chasing love. Girard makes note of how unapologetically the flower’s beauty presents, similar to Miriam and how she does things. Another thing that Lawton does extraordinarily well is to show how Girard’s decisions affect his family. From a drunk driving accident that resulted in the death of his unborn baby, to what he says to his daughter about her alcoholism, it’s very realistic of what might happen with the death of a loved one and shows the grief that Girard is dealing with in a way that captures you. It makes you empathize with Girard. While I did feel that the ending was a bit rushed, overall, I would recommend The Green House by Dan Lawton to readers who enjoy literary fiction and Christian inspirations.