The Red Garden

The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman weaves through the life and times of characters living in the fictional town of Blackwell, Massachusetts. Beautiful writing, interesting combination of realism and mysticism, the reader is led through fourteen combined stories that begin in 1750 when the town's founder, Hallie Brady, makes her stand for survival. Concluding in the present time, characters come and go and despite hardship and heart break, life continues to move forward and Blackwell continues to grow. The heart of this town belongs to Hallie Brady and a bear, so pay attention to the bear's spiritual power and its hold on the town's red garden.