Garden for the Blind

by Kelly Fordon

In Garden for the Blind, trouble lurks just outside the door for Kelly Fordon’s diverse yet interdependent characters. As a young girl growing up in an affluent suburb bordering Detroit, Alice Townley witnesses a tragic accident at her parents’ lavish party. In the years that follow, Alice is left mostly in the care of the household staff, free to forge friendships with other pampered and damaged teens. When she and her friend Mike decide to pin a crime on another student at their exclusive high school, the consequences will reverberate for years to come.

Set between 1974 and 2012, Fordon’s intricately woven stories follow Alice and Mike through high school, college, and into middle age, but also skillfully incorporate stories of their friends, family, acquaintances, and even strangers who are touched by the same themes of privilege, folly, neglect, and resilience. A WWII veteran sleepwalks out of his home at night, led by vivid flashbacks. A Buddhist monk is assaulted by a robber while seated in meditation. A teenaged girl is shot walking home from the corner store with a friend. A lifelong teacher of blind children is targeted by vandals at the school she founded.

Garden for the Blind visits suburban and working-class homes, hidden sanctuaries and dangerous neighborhoods, illustrating the connections between settings and relationships (whether close or distant) and the strange motivations that keep us moving forward. All readers of fiction will enjoy the nimble unfolding of Fordon’s narrative in this collection.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Literary Fiction

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2015

About the author

Kelly Fordon’s work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Kenyon Review Online, Rattle, The Florida Review, The Windsor Review, The Montreal Review and various other journals. Her novel-in-stories, Garden for the Blind, was published by Wayne State University Press in 2015 and was chosen as a Michigan Notable Book, an IPPY finalist for the short story, a Foreword Reviews' Indiefab finalist, a Midwest Book Award finalist and an Eric Hoffer Award Finalist. A poetry collection, Goodbye Toothless House, was published by Kattywompus Press in 2019 and another short story collection, I Have the Answer, was published by Wayne State University Press in 2020. She is also the author of three award-winning poetry chapbooks. She teaches online and for Springfed Arts in Detroit. She is the podcast host of Let's Deconstruct a Story. www.kellyfordon.com

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the concept, the writing is good (though not typo-free), and the plot kept my interest (a little mystery is always good). The profanity, especially in the chapter where Mikey was introduced, was awful (and ruined my hopes of using this book for my book group). By the end, I was also wondering if the author would ever allow any character (with the possible exception of Gina) to be truly happy. Or even a little happy sometimes. It got a bit depressing after a while.

[Kyla Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I know the author. But even if I didn't, I still would have fallen heavily for this book. I tend not to like short stories -- they always leave me wanting for more, usually wishing they could be expanded into a novel (though they often don't work as novels, I get that!). This collection of stories was a great compromise for me -- common characters and settings were threaded throughout the stories. The language was beautiful and Kelly paints a vivid picture of Detroit and its decline. I loved revisiting the characters throughout their lives. Well done, Kelly!! Can't wait to discuss over some drinks at the VI! :-)

[Linda Sienkiewicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There's always a price to pay," says Kelly Fordon about her novel-in-stories, Garden for the Blind. Her stories illustrate how we touch each other's lives in large and small ways we're often not even aware of. The danger is when we act only to serve ourselves and the consequences negatively affect the innocent. Alice, the main character whose life is threaded through damages the future of a boy she doesn't even know, and when she begins to understand what she's done, it affects her for the rest of her life. This book is about social class, privilege, and racism -- not easy topics to write about, but definitely timely -- and they show the many ways people are interconnected. Worth reading!

[Ludovica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started out so well but I lost interested as they started introducing a lot of new characters. The plot is confusing and, even though I think it's a good portrayal of life in Michigan, not sure if there wasn't a point or i just missed it

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started this I didn't think that much of it - nice stories by someone who'd clearly learned her lessons in a creative writing class. The first (?) story about the VP's visit to me was the weakest when reading it - I felt like she was following an assigned story arc; but once I got deeper into the book, the reasons for that first story became obvious, with its rather direct character layout and stark events set the tone for everything that follows. Then it kept getting better. The stories continued to entwine and overlap in a myriad of ways. By the final story, I was both impressed and very satisfied with the reading experience. If you're a Michigan tri-county local, there will be much you recognize here. Even more so if you're a Grosse Pointer. Waffle Cone Wednesday makes an appearance. School of choice petitions are circulated. The subtle, and not so subtle, racism and classism of the area are examined.

[Andrea Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The way the stories weave together is amazing. The characters will stay with you long after you've finished the book and make you want to see the world differently. This book really tugs at your heart.

[Gini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting type of writing that links stories, people and locations. Starts very emotional and continues emotions through out. Michigan author and Michigan locations added to the book for me. Think it would be a good read for kids going off or in college about possible mistakes to avoid.

[Rachelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interconnected shorts take the reader from a high school event, to the connected childhoods and experiences through middle age. The characters are more human than likable, with enough information in the shorts to complete the story without tying up the loose ends in a neat package.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Totally engrossing - how cool to weave such a tale through the use of short stories. One of those books that you want to keep going.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

These interlocking short stories follow Alice from early childhood to middle age. They convey the anomie of upper class suburban life, from the drug abuse of the teens to the shallow stylishness of the tennis playing moms and distracted dads. I felt sympathetic to the Alice character, but was disappointed in the final story which I expected might tie things together.
I feel like the stories had more potential than they ended up delivering. Maybe that added to the empty feeling I was left with from the characters' lives and broken connections. Maybe that empty feeling is the point, and makes sense of the title, "Garden for the Blind".

[Angela Amman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Told over the course of almost 40 years, readers watch the lives of Alice and Mike unfold, two hurt children who become hurt adults. Alice witnesses a tragic accident as a child, an accident that imprints onto her life and follows her as she makes both inconsequential and monumental choices that change the trajectory of her life and the lives around her.

Set mainly in southeast Michigan, Fordon takes the reader between opulent neighborhoods and dangerous ones. Each story she tells explores the ways wealth and privilege — or the lack of those things — affect the options we have and the fallout from the decisions we make.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Garden for the Blind. I began thinking it was a collection of short stories, however each chapter drew me in to discover different facets of the characters and how their lives touched and intertwined. This was a thought provoking book, unanimously enjoyed by my book group. Confession, I grew up in the Detroit area portrayed and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the local references and events portrayed-however, those in my group that did not also found the book refreshing and thought provoking. This is one to read, think about, and re-read!

[Beth Ellsberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of short stories was so engaging. Upper middle class white people, who are rarely tested or held accountable for their actions, resonated with me, as did learning about many of hte characters' fates over a period of years. Parts of it were uncomfortable to read, in the same way that The White Lotus can be uncomfortable to view, but the reward in each was the writing.

[Eydie Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living in an affluent suburb just outside of Detroit on a Lake, I immediately felt connected to the authors stories but beyond that I enjoyed these glimpses into these lives that touched the other characters in the book. It was a quick and enjoyable read.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel in stories, like Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge. There are both major and minor player whose lives intertwine in unexpected way, sometimes passing each other without awareness and sometimes bumping right up against each other. The last two stories are my favorites.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fordon used a writing style that’s very intriguing. I loved the concept. I’ve never read anything quite like it. Each vignette introduces new characters or deepens the characters we already know, drawing the reader further in. Some of them will stick with me for a long time.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Elle Bachelder · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was confusing to read. I’m very unsure what the storyline was about.

[Claire Peña · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was well written and i appreciated the generally optimistic outcomes! weird ass ending tho like girl i guess

[Kelly Fabrizio]

This was a good one. I enjoyed the links & especially the ending. It’d be curious to know if non-Detroiters/Michiganders would be able to connect with the stories, however.

[Ginger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice collection of short stories all loosely connected with characters. Takes place in Gross Pointe Mi/Detroit and provides some very thought provoking moments throughout about the "haves" and the "have nots".

[Tami Door · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel written in a format of short stories. Each stands alone, but there are connective lines that pull it all together. A story of secrets and repercussions. Repercussions that are both internal and external, yet equally impactful. A glimpse in to the disparity that is found when one visits Grosse Pointe and Detroit- but not the cities as characters is not a strong theme and does not leave a reader "out" that is not from Michigan. Clear and straightforward language. The kind I like.

[Dell Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating: 3.5
A great collection of interconnected short stories which follow one girl's life as she deals with her lifelong struggle to overcome a tragedy from her childhood.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my airport book. I thought a collection of short stories would suit the stops and starts of air travel. Yet, these stories are largely more joined than other connected collections I have read, so much so that Garden for the Blind felt more like a novel.

The opening and concluding stories aside, the collection explores the maturation of Alice and Mike. Mike is present in the first story, but John and Peter are the focus, but this becomes akin to a false lead. Alice is present in the final story, but Steve is protagonist here. Yet, Steve's story is left hanging. The scene wraps up in a satisfying way, but how does Steve see his current commitment now? This bothers me still and is why I did not grant a 4th star to this very good book.

On the other hand, readers witness the development of two characters from youth into their late middle years, and much like a good novel Alice and Mike become who they decided to become in light of an old adage the not choosing is choosing. Alice and Mike advance enough to reflect on this and one of them makes a late change to change course.

Fordon's handles each character, major and minor, humanely through the ages of their lives. I very much respect the manner in which the characters and the unfolding events are wholly believeable. She even carries off a cameo appearance of VP Ford and Betty.

[CarolynAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kelly Fordon is an excellent writer who has crafted interconnected stories from various viewpoints and at different points in the characters' lives. Fordon's writing is very good which makes the at-times uncomfortable situations in the stories realistic and touching. The reader gets a glimpse into the lives of these damaged people continuing through their lives. In addition to the believable characters, I think she’s vividly captured the complex contrasts of life in Detroit and the surrounding suburbs.

I was fortunate to hear Kelly Fordon speak as part of the Michigan Notable Books, but I don’t think being from Michigan is a requirement for appreciating Garden for the Blind.

I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, which is a novel in stories, though the stories focus on different characters, sometimes people who are not crucial to the main character, Alice. But they all focus on her or her community or her group of friends.
As is the case with novels in stories, there are big gaps in the narrative, which gives some of the stories their power. With Alice, though, I wish I had known a bit more about her life in the gaps between stories.
The writing is lovely and the characters are fully drawn.

[Judy]

Read this book...you won't be sorry. Powerful collection of stories about upper-middle class children growing up around Detroit (Gross Pointe?) Set over several decades, these materially rich but emotionally impoverished characters slowly move toward maturity amid the backdrop of what happened to Detroit. Worth reading just for the last chapter. Will provide thought-provoking discussion appropriate for teens too.

[Shelley Schanfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel in stories, set in Southeastern Michigan, follow Alice, an affluent white girl, from a traumatic childhood loss to a wrenching moment with her own daughter in the ruins of Detroit. Fordon's style is spare and propulsive. She casts a compassionate eye on deeply flawed characters, whose thoughtless actions will have terrible consequences in a world defined by white privilege.

A compulsive read. The stories linger in my mind.

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

GP Library Author talk 2015

Set in Grosse Pointe, MI, and Bay City - but it all sounds like Grosse Pointe, and Detroit.

Drug users in school and beyond. Rich families.

Budhist Monk point of view at end - very good.

I would recommend.

[Kitty Pickles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway and enjoyed it.