The Red Garden

Finished May 17
The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman, read by Nancy Travis
Needing an audiobook for my commute, I grabbed this off the "New" bookshelf. The book is a series of vignettes set in the small town of Blackwell, Massachusetts over a period of three hundred years. Starting with ill-prepared settlers getting stuck there in a snowstorm and surviving due to the fortitude of one woman, the town has a long history. We see bears, eels, bees and other wildlife. There are families that appear and reappear in the various times. There are people on the run, and people looking to find something. From the Civil War to the Vietnam War, the people of the town are touched by events around them. There is love, grief, and happiness.
At the center of the town is the first house, the Brady house, and, behind it, a garden. A special garden, where only red plants can grow. And at the heart of the garden, love, and truth.
This book is one that grabs you and keeps you wanting more. The characters are intriguing and unique. The stories they live fascinating. I really enjoyed it.