Reviews

Testimonials from the Readers of Garden City

I finished this book at 2:00 AM with tears blurring the last few pages. As someone who grew up in a home where the 'horror' of abuse was a daily reality, Fatima’s journey felt like it was written specifically for my inner child. Seeing a young girl like Fatima find the strength to speak her truth in front of her whole school gave me a kind of permission I didn't know I needed
Elena V.
USA
I’ll be honest, I picked this up thinking it was just a YA story, but it hit me like a freight train. Being a father in a city with its own heavy history of child safety, the author’s background in Atlanta really grounded the stakes for me. If you have a child in your life, or if you were once a child who felt unseen, you need to read this!!
Marcus Hollaway,
Brazil
There is a quiet, haunting beauty in Fatima’s 'speech' that I haven't been able to shake. I’ve worked in education for twenty years, and I’ve seen so many 'Fatimas', the quiet kids in the back of the room carrying worlds of pain behind their eyes. This one is a heartbreaking, breathtaking, and ultimately healing piece of literature.
Sarah-Jean Thompson,
UK
In thirty years of teaching, I’ve seen many 'quiet' students like Fatima. This book gave me a profound look into the internal world they navigate every day. I found myself highlighting passages to share with my colleagues. It’s a rare book that manages to be both a gripping narrative and a manual for human decency. It reminds us all that every child is just one 'Ms. Lovechild' away from finding their own Garden City.
Beatrice L.,
Australia
I’ll admit, the subject matter of child abuse is something I usually shy away from because it’s so heavy. But this book handles it with such a unique, almost cinematic grace. Watching the principal, 'Ole Boulder Head,' transform as he listened to Fatima’s story was a powerful reminder that it’s never too late to change our hearts and our leadership styles.
David K.,
Austin
Reading this felt like someone finally turned the lights on in a room I’d been sitting in for years. The description of 'Clone Towne', that feeling of being a shell of yourself because of past trauma, was so visceral it took my breath away. I finished it feeling lighter, like I finally had the vocabulary to explain my own path toward redemption. It’s a stunning achievement.
Jasmine Rivers,
UK
Coming from the same hometown as the author, I could feel the soul of this book in every chapter. Tabb doesn't sugarcoat the 'horror,' but he focuses so heavily on the 'redemption' that you leave the book feeling empowered rather than defeated. Garden City is a call for every man and woman in our community to step up and be the 'Big Guy' or the 'Hitchhiker' who helps a child find their way. This should be required reading in every community center and school board office in the country.
Sam Miller,
Virginia