The Red Garden: A Novel

Not sure why Kindle has this listed under the 3 genres it does:Literary Short StoriesAlternate History Science FictionContemporary Literary FictionFor the 1st one, It’s over 300 pages long, and the 2nd and 3rd, seem almost contradictory.It’s more of a historical read, involving one small town as it’s started in the year 1750 all the way through into the 21st century. It traces one family after another and their relatives as they advance into the years, and shows that some things remain the same, no matter where it started.I’m a huge fan of Alice Hoffman, but this one took some doing to finish. There’s a lot of characters to keep track of as she moves forward from one story to another.I couldn’t really separate them into “short” stories as they’re all inter-related as the years pass. I’m also not a huge fan of historical reads, so it’s not necessarily anything that Hoffman did or didn’t write, just more of a personal preference.By all means, this one isn’t enough to turn me away from any other of her books, past, present, or future.Just glad I’m done with it.

Alice Hoffman and I have a bit of a hot and cold relationship. I absolutely adored her novel "The Blackbird House" and hold it as one of my favorite books. However, I find some of her other works to be less than fantastic. Still, I stand in line whenever one of her books comes out so I can get my hands on a copy. That's why I pre-ordered "The Red Garden" and when I heard that it was similar to "The Blackbird House" I counted down the days until its release. I have to say that I was letdown a bit as it was not as good as "The Blackbird House" but it certainly surpassed some of her other works.The town of Blackwell is located in western Massachusetts tucked into the Berkshire mountains. The novel follows the history of the town from its first inhabitants in 1750 until the present. The reader watches as the female founder struggles against the brutal weather to establish a homestead. You see years later how her descendants fought in the Civil War, WWII, and eventually in Vietnam. Many of the families from the original settlement are still in town over two hundred years later and have now intermarried with other founding families. Of course there are new people who come into the town and older members pass on, but the structure of the sleepy township has stood the test of time.If you're looking for a novel with several main characters, a firm plot, and a definitive ending...then you should pass on this. However, if you're a fan of "Our Town" or novels about community...then you just have a new favorite read. Similar to "The Blackbird House", which follows one house over two hundred years, "The Red Garden" details the growth of a town and its development. Throughout the years the reader meets Johnny Appleseed, experiences the death of a young girl, connects with gypsies along a riverbank, feels the sadness of outcasts, the courage of strong women, and the resilience of a community and way of life.What puts this novel behind my favorite work of hers, are some of the individual stories. While most of them were fascinating, it seemed that many (too many in my opinion) centered around a strong woman who finds love in an unsuspected place and triumphs over her ghosts and the narrow-minded town. As a strong woman, of course I enjoy reading stories about woman like myself, yet it got a bit overdone when this is the plot of almost every story. Additionally, I thought that the novel was supposed to show the development of the community but stories that focused on the uppity and cliquey residents of Blackwell seemed to prove that the town didn't actually change of time. This was disappointing for it was like reading an entire book and finding that the main character was exactly the same at the conclusion as s/he was in the beginning. Would I recommend this book, yes, but not as much as her previous novel.

A luminous and haunting world unfolds in  The Red Garden , revealing the historic moments of small town life in Blackwell, Massachusetts (previously named Bearsville), from its beginnings in the 1700s to a time near the end of the Twentieth Century.A constant theme in the story centers around the aptly named garden with red soil, where only red plants grow, and where secrets are buried beneath the soil. Townsfolk have said that "where blood has fallen, the ground aches but the fruit is sweet...."The garden is like a central character, along with many of the descendants of the founding families, Hallie and William Brady and the Partridges.The story is narrated through the years, showcasing various descendants, as well as new folks who have made their home there. There is a Founders Day Festival each year, and the town's folklore is woven into the production. Each time period spotlights a particular character who then becomes central. And when the era moves forward, the previous tales are loosely connected like a thread that has tentatively woven itself into the spirit of the town.Events like the child who drowned at six, but has been seen around the river in a blue dress. Or the dog that would not leave the gravesite of his mistress until he died there. Then there is the "monster" in the woods, with whom one resident developed a very special and secret relationship. But then something tragic happened....and the monster disappeared.Many of the mysterious and sometimes magical events signify how special the town is...but in the end, who can say for sure what is real and what is the imagining of those who choose to believe?The first chapter did not fully engage me, but then I became captivated by each new character featured in the ensuing chapters. As the connections seemingly threaded their way through the ages, a unique continuity seemed to suggest that the magical and mystical might not be so imaginary after all.A delightful and memorable read that I will think about often. I would have enjoyed learning more about the characters that seemingly disappeared after their featured chapters. Some of them reappeared in later chapters, without any explanations about the intervening years, while others simply vanished. There was something illusory about how these stories played out. 4.5 stars.

The writing is so beautiful to read , the characters and locations magnificently described, their intertwined stories cannot fail to move you. A truly stunning writer I feel lucky and privileged to have discovered her.

I read the book on my Kindle . I think that was one of the reasons I found it challenging . It was essentially a book of short stories across several generations revolving around an American town from its inception in the 1700s to the almost present day. I got confused about the family lieneage and in a regular book I could have flipped back and checked who was who and this would have helped enormously. Some of the stories were magical but others lacked credibility and ultimately I struggled to work out the underlying message of the book . Perhaps it was just me and my mood when I read it. I have read The Dove Keepers by the same author and really loved it. The Red Garden was not in the same league . I will read more of Alice Hoffman but maybe in book form next time .

I like the ones that are hopeful with second chances and positive endings like Probable Future and Practical Magic etc. My issue with this book was it was really a collection of very short stories (albeit based in the same place and going through generations of the same family)so there wasn't the character or plot development to make things interesting and no real conclusions. My mother like it though (she reads a lot and likes 'good' writing if that helps...).

alice hoffman never fails to captivate the reader ,i have read numerous of her books ,and her talent for bringing the every day into a magical quality that is absolutley fabulous.

I love Alice Hoffman and wasn't disappointed by this book. The story maps the events in one town through numerous generations from its founding to modern day. Many of the stories are connected by a character or event so you might find yourself flicking back through the book.