The Colored Garden

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Summary: A wonderful new African American fiction voice
Review: O.H. Bennett follows in the best tradition of Black fiction writers. His use of language is inviting to the reader while evoking amazing imagery. The characters are well-developed and familiar, yet with unpredictable twists. I enjoyed that fact that characters were flawed with no apologies or need for "conversion" in order to end the tale. Well done, Mr. Bennett. I can't wait for your next one!

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Summary: Mr. Bennett comes of age...
Review: Sarge learns powerful lessons (reality of life, racial interaction, family secrets) during a "visit" to the grandparents'.

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Summary: Heartwarming Southern Fiction
Review: Simply one of the best novels I've ever read. More than young adult fiction, The Colored Garden is a timeless fictional look at American history and American mores.

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Summary: A compelling exploration of the humand condition.
Review: The Colored Garden is a fascinating novel about storytellers: a boy called Sarge and his grandmother Ruth, whose farm Sarge visits in the wake of his parents' separation. On the farm is an old slave cemetery that Ruth tends as a beautiful flower garden. As Sarge struggles to understand his parents' impending divorce, Grandmother Ruth begins to tell him adventures of the dead slaves. These spirits become heroes to the boy during this pivotal summer in his life, and the faith he once had in his parents is transferred to them. Listening to Ruth and observing the behavior of the adults around him, Sarge learns that some secrets we keep, while others keep us. The Colored Garden is a highly recommended, original story, in which the author compelling explores the human condition, past and present in a lyrical, engaging narrative.

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Summary: A Garden of Reading Delight
Review: This book touched my heart in a way that no book has for many years! I have read it three times and each time, it moved me to tears in the very same places. Not just a story for the descendants of slaves in the US, this is a story for all of us, reminding us that there is much to learn and build on from the lives of our ancestors and the way they learned to overcome hardship.

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Summary: Reading this book was like reliving a past memory.
Review: This excellent work met all of my expectations. The stories were so vivid that I could see every detail in my imagination. Grandma Ruth was the character who touched me most with her great gift creating beauty in her garden as well as in her storytelling. The author also captured the essence of childhood in the evolution of Sarge. If we all think hard enough, we've all known at least one Sarge in our lives. O.H. Bennett is an author to watch in the future and I look forward to his next publication as well as passing this one along for others to enjoy.

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Summary: Loved this book!
Review: This excellent work met all of my expectations. The stories were so vivid that I could see every detail in my imagination. Grandma Ruth was the character who touched me most with her great gift creating beauty in her garden as well as in her storytelling. The author also captured the essence of childhood in the evolution of Sarge. If we all think hard enough, we've all known at least one Sarge in our lives. O.H. Bennett is an author to watch in the future and I look forward to his next publication as well as passing this one along for others to enjoy.

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Summary: A really uplifting story!
Review: This is not your typical "coming of age" novel. It is a story filled with wonderful glimpes of a people whose strong heritage allows them to overcome the obstacles that life sets in their pathway. O. H. Bennett is a wonderful storyteller. and Sarge is a great young hero.

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Summary: A wonderfully successful first novel!
Review: When The Colored Garden came across our editors desk, we knew this was a great novel and that O. H. Bennett would be among the new best talents of 2000. He has proved us right. Within two months of its release it has gone into its second printing, it has been considered for a young adult book award and gathered great reviews from top literary magazines. Bravo Mr. Bennett!