What We're Reading: Tracy

Garden Gnomes: A History, by Twigs Way.

Spring is almost here, which means it's time to think about gardening, and that, of course, means it's time to get out the garden gnomes!

This slim volume presents a surprisingly sophisticated history of the much-maligned lawn ornament, compiled by the erudite and intriguingly named British garden historian, Twigs Way. Ms. Way details the garden gnome's Germanic origins, traces its migration throughout the rest of Europe and its arrival in America, and elaborates on its cultural decline and subsequent resurgence in popularity.

It turns out lawn gnomes have a vaunted history belying their current status as kitschy suburban yard ornaments. The first gnomes imported into England, for instance, decorated the rockery at the stately country manor, Lamport Hall, in the 1800s. Ms. Way deserves praise for finally giving gnomes their due in her delightful work.