A Fig at the Gate: The Joys of Friendship, Gardening and the Gaining of Wisdom

by Kate Llewellyn

In A Fig at the Gate, author Kate Llewellyn, now in her seventies, embraces a new phase in her life, asking the question, 'How does one live well?' Following the joyful crafting of her gardens in the Blue Mountains (The Waterlily) and north of Wollongong (Playing with Water), Kate creates a new garden near the sea in Adelaide, planting olives, plums, limes and blood oranges, learning how to keep poultry, setting a duck on eggs. Delight and enrichment come with the learning of new skills, being close to family and old friends, long companionable beach walks, rediscovering old recipes, food and wine. Wise and joyful, accepting what she cannot change while relishing what she has, Kate shares the beauties and frailties of the human condition and shows us what the gifts of ageing can bring. 'I strongly feel that A Fig at the Gate is a book that is needed as we all sift and sort these things in our lives. ' Belinda JefferyAuthor BiographyKate has published memoir, essays, journalism and poetry since 1987. Much loved and much read, she has created an Australian nature writing genre that is all her own, A Fig at the Gate is in this tradition. - A Fig At The Gate By Kate Llewellyn (Paperback)

320 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2016

About the author

Kate Llewellyn is the author of nineteen books, including the bestselling The Waterlily: A Blue Mountains Journal and Playing With Water: A Story of a Garden. A distinguished Australian poet, she has published six books of poetry and is the co-editor of The Penguin Book of Australian Women Poets. Her travel books include Lilies, Feathers & Frangipani on the Cook Islands and New Zealand; Angels and Dark Madonnas on India and Italy; and Gorillas, Tea & Coffee: An African Sketchbook. Her books The Floral Mother & Other Essays, The Waterlily and Playing With Water have been made into talking books

She is one of Australia’s bestselling authors...