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The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman
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The Red Garden (edition 2011)

by Alice Hoffman

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1,3198614,262 (3.73)107
A young wounded civil war solider is saved by a passionate neighbor, a woman meets a fiercely human historical character, a poet falls in love with a blind man, and a mysterious traveler comes to town in the year when summer never arrives. At the center of everyone's life is a mysterious garden where only red plants can grow, and where the truth can be found by those who dare to look.… (more)
Member:ctahmase
Title:The Red Garden
Authors:Alice Hoffman
Info:Broadway (2011), Edition: Reprint, Paperback, 304 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:****
Tags:Read in 2013

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The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman

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English (84)  Finnish (1)  All languages (85)
Showing 1-5 of 84 (next | show all)
The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman is a series of interconnected short stories about the founding, growth and development of a small town in the Berkshires of Massachusetts and the people who lived there or passed through. Originally named Beartown, it was eventually renamed Blackwell.

Reading about this small town is much like reading a condensed history of America as wars, epidemics, and politics frame each story but this is a book written by Alice Hoffman so there are touches of magic and the paranormal as well. I often felt like I was reading a fairy tale. In all there are 14 stories offered in chronological order that take us from the towns’ beginning in 1750 up to the present. Some of the stories had a greater impact than others, but overall I am in awe at both Hoffman’s imagination and writing ability.

Haunting and luminous, The Red Garden seems to be a bouquet celebrating New England. In rich and colorful words, Alice Hoffman gives us a vivid picture of the traditions and spirit that are to be found in this corner of America. ( )
  DeltaQueen50 | Jan 20, 2024 |
Read by Nancy Travis.
group of stories the happens through the years. ( )
  cfulton20 | Nov 13, 2023 |
The Red Garden reads like a collection of interconnected short stories that weave together a generational tapestry of the Brady, Partridge, Starr, and Mott families in the small town of Blackwell, Massachusetts in the Berkshires. Each chapter is a treasure, and subtly communicates concepts of generational trauma, generational legacy, and something altogether a bit magical. The scenery isn't just a backdrop but an essential role in this drama, which is peppered with moments of light-heartedness. Hoffman is telling a tale of lives and while the stories of each person are interesting enough, it is the artful way in which she reaches the thread back to an earlier story and loops it in that made this book compelling. There are elements of magical realism: bonds with bears, a garden that turns all plants red, transformations, and ghosts, but it never distracts from the core humanity of the stories. On the contrary, these elements help illuminate the potential magic in our imaginations and maybe even our lives. ( )
  rebcamuse | Aug 18, 2023 |
These linked short stories followed the founder of a small town in the Berkshires of Massachusetts and descendants of the original townspeople. Bits of magical realism were interspersed to create a mythical mood to some of the stories. To fully appreciate the connections, I would need a re-read or a family tree. I wasn’t thoroughly on board as I read it, but it is sticking with me which is always a good sign.

Just found in another review that she did publish a family tree.

In February 2021 she published a family tree in a newsletter. Here are some visuals in case you can't get it:
1 of 2: https://gyazo.com/45702aa5d0c00d501898902717bb6856
2 of 2: https://gyazo.com/b87aee9cc54dd8fd93b82a17410f0f02 ( )
  beebeereads | Aug 15, 2023 |
This book is an interesting structure. It starts off with each chapter being a short story about different people. The common theme being the red garden and the town of Blackwell. Towards the end of the book it coalesces into one story. This book was definitely engaging. It was also a rough read in terms of subject matter. If you have come to this book for magic, you will be disappointed. This is not that. ( )
  thebacklistbook | Jun 24, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 84 (next | show all)

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Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Alice Hoffmanprimary authorall editionscalculated
Travis, NancyNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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In memory of Albert J. Guerard, the great critic, writer, and teacher, who in his fifty years at Harvard and Stanford universities changed the voice of American fiction and also changed my life
First words
The town of Blackwell, Massachusetts, changed its name in 1786.
Quotations
He felt...as if the cells of his body had expanded to include fir trees, foxes, streams of green water. (p. 222)
Anyone else might have guessed the garden she planted would be white, but Charles had seen it all exactly as she'd crafted it before he went away, the flash of scarlet, the trail of blood, the inside story of who she was. (p.66)
"I intend to remind her that she's alive." (p.38)
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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A young wounded civil war solider is saved by a passionate neighbor, a woman meets a fiercely human historical character, a poet falls in love with a blind man, and a mysterious traveler comes to town in the year when summer never arrives. At the center of everyone's life is a mysterious garden where only red plants can grow, and where the truth can be found by those who dare to look.

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Book description
The Red Garden introduces us to the luminous and haunting world of Blackwell, Massachusetts, capturing the unexpected turns in its history and in our own lives.
In exquisite prose, Hoffman offers a transforming glimpse of small-town America, presenting us with some three hundred years of passion, dark secrets, loyalty, and redemption in a web of tales where characters' lives are intertwined by fate and by their own actions.
From the town's founder, a brave young woman from England who has no fear of blizzards or bears, to the young man who runs away to New York City with only his dog for company, the characters in The Red Garden are extraordinary and vivid: a young wounded Civil War soldier who is saved by a passionate neighbor, a woman who meets a fiercely human historical character, a poet who falls in love with a blind man, a mysterious traveler who comes to town in the year when summer never arrives.
At the center of everyone’s life is a mysterious garden where only red plants can grow, and where the truth can be found by those who dare to look.
Beautifully crafted, shimmering with magic, The Red Garden is as unforgettable as it is moving.
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