“What you see up there is the breath of the sea seeding the rivers. It’s a beautiful circle, don’t you think? Each raindrop has made the most important journey. Every drop that falls reflects our entire world.”
“A timeless tale about the magic of Mother Nature and how long after humans pass, the trees, rivers and other bodies of water remain and carry on with their business. Reminiscent of Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree”, Bench is a tree that becomes a log that becomes a bench that speaks to those who touch it and keeps on giving generation after generation. A wonderful book for all ages with vivid imagery and a mixed cast of interesting characters.” —Kristi Elizabeth, Manhattan Book Review
“With lyrical language and magical storytelling, Galen Garwood weaves a tale that is both modern and timeless yet has the feel of an ancient myth. Ambrus, the venerable, charismatic main character of the story, tells the history of Bench, in some ways the history of the world, to his young friend, Döm, in this enchanting story. This is destined to become a favorite of readers young and old.”
—Rosi Hollinbeck, Seattle Book Review
“Children and adults everywhere will enjoy the seedlings of magic planted throughout the pages of the enchanting tale Bench: A Story of Wonder by Galen Garwood. The story is told by a homeless man and seen through the eyes of a wandering young boy who learns more than he ever thought he would about a bench on the river’s edge. Combining mystery in good storytelling and the effervescence of childhood belief in the incredible comes a beautiful tale of two kindred spirits and the journey that weaves them together.”
—Jenna Swartz, San Francisco Book Review
The Boy
The Old Man
BENCH, A Story of Wonder by Galen Garwood
A Marrowstone Press Publication
available at
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Also by Galen Garwood
SELL THE MONKEY is a captivating story of family, love, and abandonment, and man’s search for his identity. The story is told in clear and powerful prose, and the reader is pulled in from the very beginning by the ruthless honesty with which the narrator looks at his life. It’s a story that answers the question: What does it take to feel at home with one’s self? I enjoyed the way the protagonist was developed throughout the narrative and how he grows from a victim to someone who can live life on his own terms, embracing art and determining how his work can be appreciated. There is a grittiness and a powerful sense of pathos that makes this memoir a gripping story. I found it to be as riveting as it is psychologically deep. Romuald Dzemo, Seattle Book Review
Also by Galen Garwood
Panom and the Stone of Light is a children’s story about elephants and humans. PANOM is the great elephant matriarch who descends from the heavens to watch over all earthly elephants. She carries with her a magnificent stone of light that is eventually discovered by a few humans who believe the stone to be a source of power and wealth. They conspire to steal the stone for their own purposes. This first story in the parables of Panom illuminates the need for a better understanding and appreciation of the natural world and all of its inhabitants, its generosity, and potential. Panom and the Stone of Light is a lovely Buddhist parable for both young readers and adults alike.