The Red Garden

I am a HUGE fan of Alice Hoffman, and her latest book does not disappoint. Beautifully written, evocative, mystical... The Red Garden is all of those things. The novel is really almost a series of short stories, all connected by the Massachusetts town in which they occur from it's beginnings to the present day. The garden of the title is an area in the yard of the founder's house where everything that's planted grows red - lilacs, green beans, cucumbers, all red. It plays a role in several of the chapters, and it acts as a sort of frame for the novel.

Sure, there's some stretching of reality - that's what Hoffman does. But if you're a fan of the genre, you'll love this book. The characters are well-written and very representative of their era (though I found the town overly peopled with gorgeous men and beautiful women... isn't anyone just average looking?), but I love the strength of Hoffman's female characters, and the ladies of Blackwell do not disappoint.

The Red Garden

Blindspot

This is an historical romance novel written by two well-regarded historians. So there is a LOT of historical detail, which is great, but it also makes a long novel (500ish pages). But it's a good novel, so that shouldn't be a deterrent.

What I like about this novel is that it combines some of my favorite elements: American history, murder mystery, hidden identity, and a sexy Scot (who wouldn't like that combination?). The characters are interesting and likeable, and the murder mystery had me fooled until the very end. Some readers might balk at Jameson's interactions with his young male apprentice, but knowing the apprentice's secret made it less creepy than it might otherwise have been.

If you like historical romance but don't like bodice rippers, this is the book for you. And I love the background the authors give at the end of the novel, it really enhanced my enjoyment of what I had read.

Blindspot: A Novel (Random House Reader's Circle)

The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott

I read all of the Little Women books as a child - more than once - so I'm a big fan of LMA. This novel does a fabulous job of humanizing her and showing the passionate, vital person behind the books. The author writes in her afterword that she figured there must be some passion in the woman who created Jo March so she created a love affair for her.

These are great characters, and I love all of the similarities between Louise and her sisters and the girls of Little Women. But even if you aren't a fan of LMA, I think you'll still find this to be a really good story about a 19th century woman who doesn't want to lead the kind of life a woman is expected to live, and who wants to be the person she is.

This novel makes me want to go back to all of the old LMA books, and it makes me want to check out some of the "not for young girls" stuff the author mentions in her afterword.

The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott

The Rules of Engagement

Don't confuse this book with the television sitcom, because there is nothing comedic about it. I'm not really even sure that it's a likable book. I enjoyed it, but don't think I'll be seeking out any more of Brookner's work any time soon.

This is the story of Elizabeth and Betsy, two girls born in 1948 who start school on the same day, and who wind up being friends the rest of their lives. Elizabeth and Betsy are born at just the wrong time - too late to be the perfect 50's housewife, too early to be the hippies of the 60's. There lives run parallel but rather differently - Elizabeth carefully follows the rules (mostly), whereas Betsy lives a freer life... although neither one seems to be all that happy.

The novel is VERY cerebral - it is narrated by Elizabeth and takes place almost entirely in her mind - there is very little action. It is one of those novels that some readers will think about for a while afterward, and learn new insights in the process. Other readers won't get past the first chapter. I'm obviously not the latter, because I finished the book. But I'm also not going to spend a lot of time contemplating what I read. It was rather too depressing.

The Rules of Engagement: A Novel (Brookner, Anita)