Hannah's Garden

In "Hannah's Garden," Midori Snyder spins a tale of nature spirits, ancient magic and family troubles. It could easily have been a very ordinary, uninteresting fantasy story, but Snyder's likable heroine and magical writing bring it to life. Think Charles de Lint meets Patricia McKillip. When her estranged grandfather Poppie falls seriously ill, Cassie and her student mother Anne go to visit him in the hospital, and find his farm overrun and decrepit. As they try to clean it up, Cassie begins to see things -- badger-men, elfin faces, and a seductive white-haired boy. Not to mention the sinister, troll-like neighbor, who is always lurking around the hospital. As Cassie tries to convince Anne to not sell the farm, she begins to investigate her great-grandmother Hannah's journal, before Hannah "went mad" and wandered off one day. As more and more strange creatures appear, she learns of ane ancient war between two clans of nature spirits, and the otherworldly fiddler who is Poppie's secret father... Midori Snyder has explored nature aspects in her previous books, but never with the intensity of "Hannah's Garden." Don't expect a run-of-the-mill fantasy -- these fairies aren't cute or even very nice. Even the benevolent sprites might sour your milk during the night. Snyder dips into real myths and legends -- hares, the effect of ash wood -- for this book, but the heart of it is her own creation. And the most important conflict is not between the Red and Green Clans, but between Cassie, self-absorbed Anne, and the distant Poppie. They all love one another, but they can't understand each other until the fiddler brings them together. Snyder's writing brings the story to life: each description is a swirl of color, sound, flowers and earth, and even ordinary things, like sexy Bog on a motorcycle, are filled with intrigue. Snyder also reveals enough information to keep her readers from being confused about the Red vs. Green war, and about Cassie's mixed-blood family, but holds back enough to maintain the magic. Cassie herself is the linchpin, and she's a genuinely likable protagonist. Snyder avoids the sulky adolescent stereotype, in favour of a strong, nature-loving young girl who hasn't ever gotten to be a child. Other characters like Anne and her boyfriend are not so defined, but Bog and the mystery fiddler -- and even Hannah herself -- come alive whenever they appear. With beautiful writing and a unique story, Midori Snyder's latest is a book to savour. Definitely recommended.

Hannah's Garden is the best book in the libray at my school and in my towns too.

Midori Snyder's name fits her well, she seems to know the secrets of all things green. This book contains no elves, warriors, or wizards, and yet it is an enchanting fantasy story of love and friendship. Cassie is forced to travel with her mother, Anne, and Anne's boyfriend, Gunnar (dubbed "The Viking" by Cassie), to her grandfather's old house. There she finds her great-grandmother Hannah's magical garden, and the more she explores, the more she finds out about the the war between the two clans and how it affects her and her family. In the end, Cassie learns not only how she can contribute to the Green Clan, but also how she can contribute to the lives of herself and others.Snyder's writing is excellent. It pulled me in from the second I opened the book. Cassie's narration has its own definite voice and style, and this book made me laugh and made me cry. It also, at some points, made me stare at the page and wonder which I should be doing. At some times, the book was more than a little confusing and often the twists in the plot just seem very quickly introduced and generally very "out there." It also seemed like it took a very long time for the book to actually get to the main point. Other than this, I would suggest this book to anyone for a quick, light read to lift one's spirits.

Midori Snyder's book Hannah's Garden is a wonderful journey through a mythical world where two ancient clans battle in a world hidden through out nature. This story draws the reader in through the eyes of Cassie Brittman, a typical teenager with a life that turns far from typical. Other colorful characters are added to the plot to build the suspence and interest. Some are realistic and others are strange and mysterious that keeps the reader wondering where they fit into the big picture. I found this book very interesting and at times even a bit confusing, but it was a magical tale that made me keep turning the pages to find out what would happen next. This would be a wonderful book for anyone who likes fantasy tales that dance with magic and add a touch of the unusual.