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Hannah's Garden by Midori Snyder
Jan. 18th, 2009 05:23 pmSeventeen-year-old Cassie Brittman and her mother, Anne, haven’t visited Cassie’s grandfather, Daniel, in over two years because of his illness, which causes him to reject both. When they learn that his illness has worsened, they return to the family farm, which Anne hates, to be with him in his final days. There, Cassie slowly begins to realize that things are not normal with her family, as representatives of two warring clans interfere with her life, and she learns the truth of her family’s history.
Accompanying Cassie and Anne to the farm is Gunnar, Anne’s new boyfriend, who only serves to exacerbate the strained relationship between the two, as Anne’s steady stream of boyfriends as she tries to find the right one has not only caused Cassie to be distrustful of Anne’s boyfriends, but also caused Anne to be leery of her own judgement. While the supernatural elements provide the framework of the book, it’s the relationship between Cassie and Anne, and their mutual acceptance of their family, that’s the driving force, creating a nice blend of Celtic mythology and family drama.
Cassie, Anne, and Daniel all possess traits common to half-fae in mythology, both in their personalities and in their interests and gifts. But the book also explores what it’s like to have to live with someone like that, even if you’re like that yourself. This is one of those YA that I like as an adult, but wish had been around when I was the target age, when I had the mindset that not only would best understand it, but also that would best benefit from it. One thing I do wish, though, was that there had been more about the plants in the titular garden, which was created by Cassie’s great-grandmother, Hannah.
Accompanying Cassie and Anne to the farm is Gunnar, Anne’s new boyfriend, who only serves to exacerbate the strained relationship between the two, as Anne’s steady stream of boyfriends as she tries to find the right one has not only caused Cassie to be distrustful of Anne’s boyfriends, but also caused Anne to be leery of her own judgement. While the supernatural elements provide the framework of the book, it’s the relationship between Cassie and Anne, and their mutual acceptance of their family, that’s the driving force, creating a nice blend of Celtic mythology and family drama.
Cassie, Anne, and Daniel all possess traits common to half-fae in mythology, both in their personalities and in their interests and gifts. But the book also explores what it’s like to have to live with someone like that, even if you’re like that yourself. This is one of those YA that I like as an adult, but wish had been around when I was the target age, when I had the mindset that not only would best understand it, but also that would best benefit from it. One thing I do wish, though, was that there had been more about the plants in the titular garden, which was created by Cassie’s great-grandmother, Hannah.
