The Red Garden

By: Alice Hoffman

Narrated by: Nancy Travis

Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

The Red Garden introduces us to the luminous and haunting world of Blackwell, Massachusetts. 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.

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, the characters in The Red Garden are extraordinary and vivid: a young wounded Civil War soldier who is saved by a 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 garden where only red plants can grow, and where the truth can be found by those who dare to look. The Red Garden is as unforgettable as it is moving.

©2011 Alice Hoffman (P)2010 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"In gloriously sensuous, suspenseful, mystical, tragic, and redemptive episodes, Hoffman subtly alters her language, from an almost biblical voice to increasingly nuanced and intricate prose reflecting the burgeoning social and psychological complexities her passionate and searching characters face in an ever-changing world." (Booklist)

"Hoffman has done it again, crafting a poignant, compelling collection of fairy tales suffused with pathos and brightened by flashes of magic. Her fans, as well as those of magical realism in general, will be enchanted." (Library Journal)

"Fans of Hoffman’s brand of mystical whimsy will find this paean to New England one of her most satisfying." (Kirkus Review)

This was a beautifully written and gorgeous book..

....to read. It was filled with lush thoughts of gardens and rivers, mountains, bears, and flowers. You could easily imagine what was being portrayed by the way Alice Hoffman places her words in sentences. It was a book of short stories that all intertwined like a geneology project. From the 1600's to the present time.....the people in this book felt like your own family by the time you were done. There was a bit of the supernatural in it.....which helped the book to be a bit intriguing. I enjoyed every minute of this book....I LOVE Alice Hoffman!!!....

Loved it

Wonderful listen. Narrater great. Good stories building to a fine finish. I would definitely recommend.

Interesting book

When you first start listening, there can be some confusion as to why the story changes with each chapter. Each chapter it the next timeline in history that tells the tale of the red garden dating back to the beginning and a chronological order of the people’s lives that are intertwined with the history. This is not just one story all the way through the book. It’s one every chapter. Which makes this book an interesting study for book clubs. By the end you can loop together the tales into a thread. Easy listen or read.

mgical, interesting, creative, compelling

Another wonderful book from the sublime Alice Hoffman. Fabulous recording. Beautiful writing. A must listen!

Unexpected story about a town

I decided to purchase this book because of reviews and because I enjoy Alice Hoffman. During the first chapter, I thought, "here's a well-developed overview of the beginning of a town." I don't know what my real expectations were, because then I realized each chapter was it's own short story - which I avoid. But I kept going, I came to love the town of Blackwell, MA as a character, not a setting. The setting would be best described by time rather than place. Nancy Travis has a subtle way of narration, which is much appreciated with this story. Well done.

I love Alice Hoffman's style of writing and...

this book did not disappoint. Her books are quirky and fun, full of unusual characters which leaves you with a feeling of everything works out in the end.

History of a Town

Alice Hoffman is amazing!
This book felt like a series. In fact, I often thought as I read it that I would love to see it fattened and become a television series or at least a book series.

Each time period and the person it represented left me wanting more. From the very first character I wanted more than the lifespan that was given. What happened next to Hallie Brady, for example, when she left town?

I was angry, at first, when I borrowed the book from the library for my Kindle that it didn't have text-to-speech enabled. Even so I was drawn into the story enough that I kept reading, even past my eyestrain. But by the middle of the book I started feeling like this would be a book to own. I already want to read it again. I bought the Audible version and a used copy from Amazon. I want to go back to Blackwell, soon. I loved Nancy Travis's interpretation of the various characters. Way better than my text-to-speech voice!

I look forward to reading and listening to this again in the future.

I wanted the pieces to fit together

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No. I liked the characters but wanted more connection between the generations of the townspeople. It felt flat for me. You would get into a time and its characters and then they were not mentioned again or if they were it was brief.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I liked the aspect of the generations that lived in a town. The uniqueness of the town, such as the eel river. The least interesting was the lack of connection between the chapters.

Did Nancy Travis do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

It was allright, not outstanding.

Was The Red Garden worth the listening time?

I wouldn't listen to it again.

Loved it

It was a great book, I hope there will be more in the series. The narrator is great!!

Amazing book - I listened twice!

You have to go in to this book knowing it's episodic - it covers about 250 years in the life of the town, and each chapter skips ahead to another generation. Knowing that, you let go of your expectations for a "regular" novel and just go with the flow.

At first I had a hard time getting into the book. But once I understood the structure and got about three chapters in, it completely hooked me. I loved every bit of it. The characters are so rich, and the town itself develops a personality and becomes a character we root for. Alice Hoffman has such a terrific insight into human nature, and in this book she examines all kinds of people, allowing the reader to understand each of them, in their weakness, in their nobility, in their humanity.

I listened to this book twice through, then listened to my favorite chapters a third time. It wouldn't let me go!

This isn't for someone wanting major action or romance. It's not a genre novel, but more literary. I think you have to allow yourself the time to sink into this one, and when you do, you'll be glad you did.