Robert Ketchell

The Gardener's Apprentice Robert Ketchell

The Gardener's Apprentice is a novel that follows the pattern of the 'hero's journey'. The story is set on the small island of Mikura, the home to the feudal Saeko clan in the 16th century, a time of political and cultural upheaval. Shigoto Okugi (following the Japanese tradition family names are given first) is apprenticed as a boy to the Zen priest and master gardener Maguro Sensei. Shigoto gradually discovers the magic and inspiration at the heart of the centuries old art form. But his life is to be overturned by events that propel him onto a new and unpredictable path.