Gardens of Plenty immerses readers in a mysterious and magical 16th-century world, where Ron Arias explores the rich, imagined culture of “Amexica” with tenderness, depth, and cinematic vision. Building on the acclaim of his earlier works The Wetback and Other Stories, praised by Paul Theroux for its compassionate insight, and The Road to Tamazunchale, a National Book Award nominee Arias again demonstrates his mastery of storytelling. Drawing on his wide-ranging career that spans true survival sagas like Five Against the Sea, collaborations with Dr. Mehmet Oz in Healing from the Heart, and youth advocacy in White’s Rules, Arias brings a seasoned voice to this sweeping historical novel.

Told in a vivid first-person narrative, Gardens of Plenty follows the coming-of-age journey of an orphan navigating the New World’s beauty, brutality, and cultural collisions. From 16th-century London to the Americas and back again, the novel examines colonialism, conquest, identity, and resilience through an unforgettable odyssey filled with peril, discovery, and emotional truth.

Celebrated authors praise Arias’s latest work for its epic scope, fast-paced storytelling, and finely detailed historical world-building. Richard Snodgrass calls it “cinematic in its vision, journalistic in its detail, epic in its scope an orphan’s coming-of-age tale in the best tradition of Dickens.” Tony Cohan writes that the novel “isn’t one you’ll soon forget,” highlighting its drama, insight, and ability to mirror an age of profound change.

Arias’s versatile voice shaped by journalism, fiction, and cultural exploration makes Gardens of Plenty both a captivating adventure and a thoughtful reflection on the complexities of lives lived centuries ago. An amateur potter, Arias resides in Ventura, California, with his partner, artist Karen de la Peña.