When Claire Nagy marries Forster Baumsarg, the only son of prominent California citrus ranchers, she knows she’s consenting to a life of hard work, long days, and worry-fraught nights. But her love for Forster is so strong, she turns away from her literary education and embraces the life of the ranch, succumbing to its intoxicating rhythms and bounty until her love of the land becomes a part of her. Not even the tragic, senseless death of her son Joshua at kidnappers’ hands, her alienation from her two daughters, or the dissolution of her once-devoted marriage can pull her from the ranch she’s devoted her life to preserving. But despite having survived the most terrible of tragedies, Claire is about to face her greatest struggle: An illness that threatens not only to rip her from her land but take her very life. And she’s chosen a caregiver, the enigmatic Caribbean-born Minna, who may just be the darkest force of all.
The Forgetting Tree is dark story of land and magic. It is a difficult one for me to review. At times I felt it dragged along (blah, blah, blah about the land) and at times I couldnβt stop reading. I was compelled to find out what the protagonist would do next as I wanted to bitch slap her into place. This book offered wonderful writing, mystery, magic and two deeply flawed characters, but at the same time it was dark, had disjointed minor characters and left me feeling empty at times. The majority of reviews for this book have been really excellent, but itβs not a book I would recommend to many people.
Quotes I liked:
Forster teased that she would try to read a novel during childbirth if she could. He was right because it was her only free time.β
– βInstead of the farm, Claire plunged into the most private of worlds, the pages of a novel, for comfort. That old luxuriousness like a warm bath that she had not realized how much she missed.β
Review:The Measure by Nikki Erlick was a book I waited far too long to read. I just couldnβt stomach the idea that everyone in the world would find out their relative life span. The whole idea of this scared me but when my book club chose to read it, I dug in with enthusiasm.Iβm so glad I did. This book is more about life and how we live it, rather than about dying. Itβs told by a cast of eight characters who are deeply affected by the strings they received. The length of the string parallels the length of your life. All the characters are struggling with their results because even if he or she gets a long string, there will still be people they know will be gone soon.How the world at large handles the strings was so well done. People are switching boxes hoping it could change their destiny. Support groups are offered. Protests occur. The world is in a very different place. Much of this book made me think about the differences between fate and destiny. This story offers many intertwined connections between the characters that makes for a powerful and meaningful ending. Iβm so looking forward to whatβs next from this author. @nikkierlick @williammorrowbooks William Morrow π Would you open a box that told you how long your lifespan is?#themeasure #scifilight#bookreader #bookclubpick #goodbookfairy... See MoreSee Less
goodbookfairy Happy PUB DAY!!! Here are a fewhighlights:π Real Americans by @rrrrrrrachelkhong @aaknopf π The Funeral Cryer by @wenyanwritesHanover Square Press π The Demon of Unrest by @erikxlarson #crownbooksπ Happy Medium by @sarahadlerwrites@berkleyromanceπ The Swans of Harlem by @kvalby @pantheonbooks π Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by @jskesliencharles@berkleypubπ Within Arms Reach by @annnapolitano@thedialpressπ Effie Olsen's Summer Special by @rochBerkley Romanceey Romance π: What book would you bring If you were stuck deserted #pubday#pubweeky#happybpubdayp#newbooks#goodbookfairydbookfairy ... See MoreSee Less