A Robot In The Garden by Deborah Install

“It was half past seven in the morning when the robot entered our lives.”

A Robot In The Garden is a story about a man named Ben Chambers and a robot named Tang.  Ben is thirty-four and has been stuck in a rut since the death of his parents six years earlier.  He is unemployed, his marriage is failing, and he doesn’t seem to be in a state to better his situation.  One morning his wife discovers a broken robot in their garden.  Ben develops an attachment to the little guy and embarks on a long and life-changing journey to find the robots’ creator and fix him.

A debut novel from author Deborah Install, A Robot In The Garden is a wonderfully sweet and original story.  It takes us to a time when robots and androids are the norm, with androids being the cool guys and robots not so much.  Tang the robot is an incredibly endearing and loveable character and the friendship that develops between him and Ben is truly heartwarming.  Their journey together is funny and touching as both of them learn new things along the way.  It becomes not just about the physical journey, but one of discovery, friendship and gaining a new perspective on life.  A Robot In The Garden is a fun and charming novel that will make you smile (and want to have a robot).

Favourite quote: “… life takes us in peculiar directions sometimes, and on those occasions the only thing to do is give it a high-five and roll with it.”