By any other name

If you’re in the market for a holiday gift befitting a lover of roses who’s also a lover of literature, whimsy and the comforts of home, consider this.

While some basic rose-care tips are included, its real value lies in its charming collage of a little bit of everything. Essays and stories by writers including Jamaica Kincaid, Louisa May Alcott and Gabriel Garcia Marquez are entwined with poetry, historic factoids, quotable quotes and recipes, all romancing the world’s favorite flower.

Like other titles in the “Little Big Book” series, it’s a jumble of neo-Impressionistic artwork. Like a wild garden full of blowzy summer roses, the pages are a riot of color and pattern. Only missing is the scent of damask.

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-- Carolyn Huffman Kimball