Garden of Dreams

Simon ( Dreams of Paradise ) again displays her knack for enlivening her romances with the interesting occupations of her characters--here the gardening and seed trade. Nina Colangelo and Wim Pieter de Groot, immigrants from Italy and Holland, respectively, meet the day they arrive in New York in 1887; despite the language barrier between them, each will find the brief encounter unforgettable. When her father, a gardener, goes to work for Albert Blackwell, Nina, an unusually talented gardener herself, develops an affectionate working relationship with the gruff ``Don Alberto.'' When Don Alberto establishes a seed catalogue business, Nina figures prominently in the plans, and her path occasionally crosses that of Wim, who now has his own flower bulb wholesaling business. Nina is drawn to Wim (who returns her affection) but concerned that any entanglement between them will distance her from her family, who see him only as a suspicious outsider. The personal and business affairs of Nina, Wim and Don Alberto, as well as the to-ings and fro-ings of Nina's parents and six sisters, make this story hum; the engaging but fallible natures of these characters make it enjoyable. (Dec.)