Rate this book

A Sound Among The Trees (2011)

by Susan Meissner(Favorite Author)

3.67 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0307458857 (ISBN13: 9780307458858)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

WaterBrook Multnomah

review 1: This is not the kind of book I would normally read. That is to say, it's the kind of book I would view as having the possibility of being interesting, but would also fear I'd be bored and probably not pick it up. I read a lot of science fiction, a lot of fantasy, a lot of romance, and this book isn't any of those. I won it in a drawing, so I had nothing to lose by giving it a shot, and I'm glad I did.Although it is not historical fiction, the Civil War is an important backdrop for this story, 95% of which takes place in present day. Adelaide, having raised her now-deceased granddaughter, shares her home, Holly Oaks, with her grandson-in-law, his new wife, and her great-grandchildren. Ripples of the past affect the house's current occupants, and the author weaves elements o... moref a ghost story and a mystery into the kinds of wounds and attempts to heal that many readers will surely relate to. The story is told from three points of view, though the third is through letters near the end of the book, so for the most part it's only two. At first I thought I wouldn't like this, since the first POV is from an eighty-nine-year-old woman. I find the older women I read about in novels are usually written in certain stereotypes, and I prepared to be annoyed by some crotchety old lady who couldn't be reasonable about people moving on after a death. I was pleased that the author skillfully made Adelaide a character I enjoyed reading, and one who seemed realistic and worth rooting for. The second POV was from Marielle, the thirty-four-year-old who has "replaced" Adelaide's granddaughter. I worried I wouldn't like her, that she would be antagonistic towards this woman who really was no relation to her or her husband, but that was also not the case. Basically, no cliches or stereotypes to be found in their characters, which was great.Most of the secondary characters were also well-written. Carson, the husband, didn't have as large a role as one might imagine, so don't go into it expecting a lot of focus on his and Marielle's relationship. The story is more about the adjustments being made by Marielle and Adelaide than anyone else, which again, I'd expected to be bored by, but wasn't. The house's history is an important element, and I liked the feeling of having visited a historical site and gotten real insight into the people who lived there and what had happened to them. I only enjoy select eras in historical fiction, and the Civil War isn't one of them, currently, but I still appreciated the history woven into this. I thought it was also very relevant for today and the aftermath of the wars the U. S. has been involved in in the last thirteen years. This novel was published at a Christian press, however, that was not obvious. I knew that because I am familiar with such publishers, rather than being able to tell from the content. If you're looking for a strong, overt gospel, you won't find it here. That's not a criticism. I read the entire book before understanding what the spiritual message might be, initially feeling frustrated that these "Christian" characters weren't stating the obvious (to me) Christian viewpoint that there are no such things as ghosts. I soon realized that I wasn't supposed to see most of these characters as Christians. If you prefer books with a subtler use of faith, or none at all, this is for you. If I may use Christian terminology to explain, I see this book as precursor to several characters' salvation, or coming to faith. It is not meant to show a conversion (though one character clearly has undergone one, it is not detailed), but to show how God prepares hearts, sometimes for years, to finally be open to unburdening.
review 2: I loved this book, my first by author Susan Meissner. I must admit that at first I couldn't get into the story. Adelaide and her musings about hauntings and such made me think the book was going to be different than it turned out to be. I'm so glad I persevered until Adelaide, Marielle, Caroline and Susannah pulled at my heartstrings.This book has so many messages to carry. It speaks of young love, first love, redeeming love, unfailing love, saving love. It also speaks of memories, and truth, and how one can color the other. Memories can be faulty, colored by emotion or generations of hearsay.I don't want to say more about the story than what you can read in the synopsis, but I urge you to read this book. I loved the peek into the Civil War as well, and from a different perspective than usual. less

Download links for: A Sound Among the Trees

Advertising