Cassie Brittman’s always been there for family, especially when it comes to keeping her flighty mother grounded in the real world. But when her grandfather, a famous painter whose mind has seen better days, ends up in the hospital, dying, Cassie is forced to reluctantly tear herself away from the comfortable life she’s made and travel with her mother back to the family farm. There, they’ll discover that the farm they knew has been all but destroyed by malicious forces, that secrets lurk in the woods at night, that something old and dangerous stalks Cassie and her grandfather, and that a magical secret binds the generations together. But what does it all have to do with a magical war brewing between two different clans of nature spirits and faeries, and how can Cassie solve the problem? The answer may lie with a mysterious fiddler, an old notebook belonging to Cassie’s great-grandmother, and the garden which calls to Cassie.
This is a fun book. Cassie is a strong female protagonist who’s gained maturity and a sense of responsibility beyond her years. The setting and style are highly reminiscent of some of Charles de Lint’s works, but Snyder maintains a unique touch of her own. Managing to mix music, magic, nature, and beautiful descriptions with an intriguing storyline, Hannah’s Garden is a worthy reprint, and a deserving addition to the Firebird line.