Hart has degrees in English literature and creative writing and focuses her writing on literary themes. In this essay, Hart examines the connections between the protagonist Magda and the character Gabriela. Although the two women appear to live worlds apart, the author has built a very strong relationship between them.

In Tessa Bridal's The Tree of Red Stars, Magda, the protagonist of the story, grows up in the midst of many female characters. Those closest to her include Emilia, a young girl Magda's age, whom the protagonist has known since elementary school. Emilia has a gentle soul that attracts Magda to her. It is through her that Magda learns to see people as creatures with emotions, people who need to be nurtured, whereas Magda had tended to view the people around her as mysterious puzzles or strange machines that she would like to take apart to better...