The cement garden, MacEwan, Ian
FIRST PUBLICATION: 1978TITLE
When the children’s father dies, he has only just begun his project of covering his little garden with cement. When their mother dies, the children bury her in a trunk filled with cement. That’s why the book is called the CementGarden.
THEME
The theme of the book can also be find in the title. The cement is the symbol of coldness. Under the cement you can bury a lot of things, in this case their mother but also their father wanted to cover his little garden with cement. The cement can also be seen as a material to hide things, to keep it secret. That’s what the children are trying during the story. They are trying to keep their mother death a secret.
SETTING