I loved how this book started in the 1700's and spaned till the late 1900's. Each Chapter is a period of time in a differnt persons life but all related somehow.

The Red Garden is made up of many stories that each connect to the other in some way. Many characters are mentioned several times and the stories are told chronologically, from a determined woman who refuses to give up and die, to a young woman who takes a different path than she'd expected and ends up loving a man who's always believed he's a monster. As usual, Alice Hoffman's writing is beautiful and engaging. The words she uses allow her readers to see an eel-filled river or a garden that turns whatever is planted there red.

This was a great book if you are just reading for enjoyment. It was like following family history and local legends and folklore. The reader is introduced to the actual event, and then a generation later, you hear about the legend. If you are reading it for a book club, I would suggest keeping notes when the garden is mentioned and keeping a family tree, if you can follow it.