The story follows Eirene and Gilbert as they deal with the hassles and expectations of everyday life, eventually culminating in an inevitable parting of ways when the war ends.

[4] White died before completing the novel, with him passing along instructions to his literary executor Barbara Mobbs that he wanted the work destroyed, a sentiment he had also expressed to the National Library of Australia when asked for some of his personal documents.

Mobbs initially hesitated over publishing Hanging Garden, stating that she was afraid that the work would ruin White's literary reputation, a sentiment that was echoed by some reviewers.

[2] The novel was transcribed by Sydney University professors Margaret Harris and Elizabeth Webby,[7] using a grant from the Australian Research Council, with Random House Publishing picking up the rights to the work.

[4] The UK Spectator cited the book's "arresting images" as a highlight, but stated that new readers should begin their reading with White's earlier works such as The Vivisector and The Eye of the Storm.