Night Road

One of the novel’s key symbols in Night Road is Jude’s garden, which represents Jude’s sense of control and her abilities as a mother. In Part 1, Jude spends much of her time pruning and perfecting her garden, shaping it into a beautiful space that brings her peace and gratification. She loves working in her garden because she can control its appearance, ripping out what doesn’t fit and replacing it with something better. Jude’s garden is so beautiful that she considers entering it into a local competition, further illustrating her skill and tenacity in this area of her life. The fact that her garden blooms in June reflects her children’s eventual graduation; just as the flowers bloom, Mia and Zach blossom into successful teenagers who have also been shaped and controlled by Jude. Jude’s attitude toward her garden matches her attitude about being a mother. She feels that the more control that she has over her twins’ lives, the more successful they will be. Kristin Hannah draws attention to the irony relating to the garden symbol: Jude’s power as a mother is much more limited than her power over her garden. Regardless, Jude values her garden and finds peace in manipulating it into what she wants, just as she thinks she can with her family.