Tree By Leaf

by Cynthia Voigt, Suzanne Duranceau

It's not fair that Clothilde's father has returned from World War I so disfigured that he retreats to the boathouse as a recluse. It's not fair that her brother has abandoned the family to live with his rich grandfather in Boston. It's not fair that her mother has reverted to the role of a lady, leaving Clothilde to do all the housework. And it's certainly not fair that the Maine peninsula that Clothilde inherited from a great-aunt may have to be sold to support the family.

Then a mysterious Voice speaks to Clothilde, giving her the chance to change the life fate has dealt her and the people she loves. But Clothilde's wishes come true in unexpected, frightening ways -- and at a price she isn't sure she has the courage to pay.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Historical, Juvenile, Middle Grade

259 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Cynthia Voigt is an American author of books for young adults dealing with various topics such as adventure, mystery, racism and child abuse.


Awards:
Angus and Sadie: the Sequoyah Book Award (given by readers in Oklahoma), 2008
The Katahdin Award, for lifetime achievement, 2003
The Anne V. Zarrow Award, for lifetime achievement, 2003
The Margaret Edwards Award, for a body of work, 1995
Jackaroo: Rattenfanger-Literatur Preis (ratcatcher prize, awarded by the town of Hamlin in Germany), 1990
Izzy, Willy-Nilly: the Young Reader Award (California), 1990
The Runner: Deutscher Jungenliteraturpreis (German young people's literature prize), 1988
Zilverengriffel (Silver Pen, a Dutch prize), 1988
Come a Stranger: the Judy Lopez Medal (given by readers in California), 1987
A Solitary Blue: a Newbery Honor Book, 1984
The Callender Papers: The Edgar (given by the Mystery Writers of America), 1984
Dicey's Song: the Newbery Medal, 1983

Reviews

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

It just must be my mood this month, but Voigt really has me by the throat with her islands and clam chowder and solitary female-growing-up images. Dialogues with God or the Big Voice in this book are interesting, but not overdone. Lush book.

[Lisa Rathbun · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. The setting certainly connected with me - a coastal peninsula in Maine around WWI - and I really liked Clothilde, who was a very realistic and well-drawn character. The other characters were not as compelling. Clothilde's mother was a cypher - sometimes practical and hard-working, other times strangely passive. Lou could be interesting, but wasn't developed enough. The Grandfather seemed to come straight out of every L. M. Montgomery book and seemed a stereotype. Jeb Twohey did touch my heart though and the descriptions of him lost state were very good.

The story also moved very, very slowly, without any compensatory insightful dialogue. The book definitely touched on some deep themes, but didn't convey them in an especially memorable way. I felt there was something just touched on but not fully developed: points about love and home, belonging and ownership, need and guilt and prayers asked and answered.

Overall, not a story I particularly would want to keep or reread (unlike Homecoming and Dicey's Song).

[Sma · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't really understand what the point of this book is. The story is very irrelevant, apart from the cheesy "be careful what you wish for" moral. The characters do not develop in the slightest and all of them are unlikable. Most of all, I don't see how one is supposed to notice a change in some of them as the story progresses, because those who are supposed to be affected, are not introduced to reader prior to those changes (by which I mean, you are only told and not shown). A huge part of the book is unimportant to the story, such as all the daily chores, even though they are probably the most interesting part of the book. All of this makes me think that "Tree by Leaf" might have made a better short-story. I have read a few very good books by this author, but this isn't one of them, and it makes me think that I might have to reread those other ones, to see if they are as good as I remember.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me to a beautiful, primitive seaside location during post World War 1. It was touching and full of imagery. The story centers around a 14-year-old girl who has a gift of seeing the truth about how people really feel.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

when I read this as a child, it felt like an important book. I have no idea what it would be like now, but I have memories of vivid passages, looking up through the leave of trees at the sky, feeling something spiritual.

[Rod Innis · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a good story by a good author. I have read quite a number of books by her. I might have given it another star but there were a bit too many loose ends in the end for my taste.

[Mailee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was marked as "historical fiction" by my library and while not wrong, the story is so much more than the setting. While written for children, I think the style and tone might be difficult for a child to engage with, even as adult I found myself getting frustrated with the pacing and voice.
However, I'm glad I stuck with it. The ending is gentle, giving glimpses of the characters future without being too specific.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked Cynthia Voigt when I was a kid. I remember loving "Homecoming" and "Jackaroo." I also read this book, "Tree by Leaf" back then but I didn't really remember much about it, so I picked it up again recently. I was very disappointed -- I had expected much more from a Newbery Award-winning author. Many of her sentences are clunky and awkwardly constructed. Punctuation marks are planted haphazardly and incorrectly in the middle of sentences, and she uses too many dependent clauses. It's as though she wrote the book in a big hurry and it was published without an editor to proofread it. The story itself was also confusing. The characters' actions and reactions are uncharacteristic, unreasonable, and unexplained. And don't even get me started on the mysterious "Voice" . . .

The best part of this book was the dedication at the beginning.

[April Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

What ages would I recommend it too? – Twelve and up.

Length? – A two evening read.

Characters? – Memorable, several characters.

Setting? – Peninsula in Maine in early 1900's..

Written approximately? – 1988.

Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? – No

Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? No.

Short storyline: Clothilde has to face the reality that the disfigured man in the boathouse is the man she remembers as Father, who went off to war years ago. In doing so, she is able to help him heal, and return to his family.

Notes for the reader: This main character has auditory visions of God.

[☆Antigone♪ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Clothilde Speer's life is falling apart. Her father enlists in World War I, only to return disfigured and emotionally broken. He moves to the boathouse at the end of their property and refuses to see anyone. Clothilde's mother, too, is changing in an unsettling ways. She fires Lou, the family servant and Clothilde's only friend, and she ceases to take care of the family and the house. This is an emotionally difficult time. This story is about how a young person grows in an environment where the adults need emotional repair.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have trouble with Cynthia Voigt's writing style to begin with, but when you start a story about a twelve year old girl who wants to keep her family together and her land, and then start having some mystical force randomly speak to her--I just. No.

This was 168 pages of torture. Do not even bother.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are just so many Cynthia Voigt books I read way back when I was ten and up. Several years ago, I gave them away to my friend who was turning ten at the time, and I'm so sorry I don't have them in my possession any more.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this when I was around 13, and this was perhaps one of the first books where I realized it was not only a good story but beautifully written. Maybe one of the first books that sparked my interest in becoming a wordsmith myself.

[Sara Salfrank · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am it sure exactly what to review about this except that it gripped me, at age 12 or so and now again. I like books that do that. And I like stories that aren't easy all the way around, with all the answers.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

A classic Voigt novel - thought provoking, strong young female lead character, slightly depressing. This wasn't my favorite of her work but I did shed some tears at the end, so I guess that's saying something.

[Laura Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

RATING: 2.5 stars

About halfway though the book I started to lose interest, I couldn't really see where the plot was going. Guess I was expecting more action and less exploring the thoughts inside the narrator's head.

[Ellen Hummel · Rating 5 out of 5]

another great read from this author!

[Leah]

I got it at the library and decided to give it a go

[Somebody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating is based on how I felt about the book at 14.

[Jeannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't recall exactly when I read it but after reading Homecoming I read several other books by Cynthia Voigt.

[Heather F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the book, it's a little different for me than some Cynthia Voigt, but different is fine. Another strong commentary on the human condition and how people effect each other. Worth a read.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somehow I missed this one back when I was enjoying the books about Dicey.

This was an odd book. I greatly prefer others by Voigt.

[Kyra Jones]

i hated this book... my 8th grade teacher mrs. borner made me read it.

[Marineke · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tegenvaller; voor een deel ligt dat aan de irritante vertaling en voor een deel aan de karakters die maar niet tot leven willen komen.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book describes someone with a strong sense of place. Great descriptions of the land.

[Cmoreglass]

算是看的第二本没什么名气但也挺好看的英文小说。上一本是a little boy lost。本想写篇书评，还是懒得了。印象深刻的是，clothilde对一个声音许了三个愿望，结果事与愿违，她非常恨自己，觉得是自己的自私，不完美导致了他人的不幸 。再次听到那个声音时，她想为已经离开的女仆许愿，但是她意识到，请求财富或幸福是危险的，只能为她祈求力量。

[Laina SpareTime]

Cross-posted from my blog where there's more information on where I got my copy and links and everything.

This was interesting. This is one of those books where I’m not entirely sure if today it’d be categorized as middle grade or young adult. Clothilde is only twelve, but her voice is a lot older than we’d expect from a twelve year old in today’s MG. My library had it classified as Juvenile Fiction, but honestly I’m not sure that my library had a YA classification in 1988. And this cover clearly ages Clothide up in an attempt at teen appeal, but the 2000 cover has much stronger middle grade vibes.335772

Either way, I enjoyed this. There are obviously things that haven’t aged well. Some things, like a couple phrases about Native people, I’m not sure if it’s a 1988 thing or a 1918 thing, but it is there and it’s not great. It’s dated, and I wouldn’t rush out to recommend it to a kid, but I thought it was interesting as an adult.

I was hoping for a bit more of like a Gothic, creepy vibe, but I liked how it was historical with a fantastical element that’s never explained. It’s a cool premise, and the setting of Maine is perfect for it. It’s all fog, and dreary beaches, and the mysterious sea.

This one I think I will actually keep.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the descriptions were lovely, the story was very slow. The Voice, who was apparently supposed to be God, lacked omniscience and any discernible morality, and what kind of god is that? (An unlikeable one with whom you can’t relate, that’s what kind.) Instead, the Voice gave a “genie in a bottle” type feel, but it seemed Voigt wanted to make the story more “religious” or “spiritual” than fantasy, and it just fell flat. While I appreciate the lessons Clothilde learned, I didn’t like the way she got there.

Also, it was sooo slow. (I know I said it, but it bears repeating.)

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

2025 ReRead: a case where the setting was rich enough for my imagination as a kid to love this book because I could live in and broaden the world in my head; now reading it as an adult, I struggle with understanding characters and the message of the plot. the setting is very beautifully described, otherwise.

[Eavan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started slow but I got pretty engaged in the story within a chapter or two. It's written for a younger audience than the Tillerman cycle or her Kingdom books, but doesn't read much differently. There was some surprise Christianity.