The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman
Review by Susan R. (Sue-in-AZ)
Story Synopsis
The star of the story is a small town in Western Massachusetts. In particular, one garden behind the first house built in town – the red garden. So named because no matter what is planted there, it will turn red. The garden is also full of magic, which results in both good and bad outcomes for the people affected.
Through the book we follow the inhabitants of the town over the course of 300 years. And each generation has its share of challenges and tragedies. And in response, there is always some magical connection to the garden. Some people find love, others see ghosts, but always there is something unusual that happens.
Each chapter is written as a short story, and follows the town’s families loosely through the generations. Overall the book holds together as a great story – if you remember that the garden itself is the main character.
My Review
It took me a little while to get into the format of the book; the author intended a number of inter-related short stories. Spanning 300 years from the earliest founding of the town during Colonial times, all the way to present day, the author does a great job of keeping the story lines and characters straight.
This is the first Alice Hoffman book I’ve read, and I plan to read many more. I was reminded of Sarah Addison-Allen – lots of magic and emotion. Some of the chapters made me cry and others made me laugh – overall I really enjoyed reading this book.
