Literary Titan
Landscape of a Marriage: Central Park Was Only the Beginning is an impassioned historical romance. The reader gets to enjoy the experiences and even feel different emotions through the wonderful characters thanks to Gail Ward Olmsted�s impeccable writing. Marriage and family are the major themes of the story, exploring topics such as health, finances, politics and governance, love and friendships.
Mary was widowed early. Left with three children after her husband passed away, Mary married her brother in law, Frederick Law Olmsted. This may have appeared eccentric to anyone at first, but it worked for the two. Their love was so deep and beautiful, and made even the naysayers admire them. Among the many beautiful things Mary and her husband did was the creation of a dozen city parks across different cities in America. I enjoyed following the story of Frederick�s career, and how Mary described the landscapes, locations and whatever infrastructure her husband made.
The story of Frederick being told through Mary�s eyes added a beautiful element to the writing. One is able to read every emotion and sensation through the text, which was a great thing for the reader. Landscape of a Marriage: Central Park Was Only the Beginning is a well written and fascinating book that tells an intriguing story that many people can relate to.
Being in a marriage that lasted as long as Mary and Frederick�s is not easy. I also appreciate that amid the narration, Mary also touches on the challenges and issues she and her husband faced, and how they resolved each problem. I learned that no good relationship or marriage is built by one partner. It takes the effort of both parties involved to make something as beautiful as what Mary and Frederick had.
Landscape of a Marriage will make you fall in love with city parks and even inspire you to make more frequent visits to the parks near you. Gail Ward Olmsted inspires the reader through the tales shared in the book.
Landscape of a Marriage: Central Park Was Only the Beginning is a deeply thoughtful and emotionally charged historical fiction story that gets the details of the time period right and sets up stirring characters that readers will love to follow.
