TS 44: The Button Tree Prophet

by William Spires

The year is 1944 in a struggling mill village textile town of Columbia, South Carolina. Ten year old Travis Shipley has just lost his father, with one exception. Entrusted to his heart and hands Travis' father has passed down to him a Bakelite blue button, and tasked him to unravel the lesson that will either bring Travis to irreparable ruin, or open the doors to a redemption beyond his imagination. Seeking answers Travis sets out somewhat begrudgingly to discover the hidden message behind his father's button, only to find out the button has suddenly gone missing. Without his father or the button all is lost, or is it? Travis is about to receive some supernatural help from a few ordinary sources. But will it be enough to save Travis from the other voices that incessantly seek to derail him.

296 pages, Paperback

Published March 14, 2017

Reviews

[Hollisa Alewine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This folksy style of this story is a throwback to Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, but it is set in Charleston, South Carolina. I learned a lot about WWII-era Charleston, and parts of the story are like reading history as told through the reminisces of a grandparent or great-grandparent. As one of the generation that can barely remember our parents' stories of these post-war realities, it was a walk down memory lane. The real surprise was reading the history of the synagogue in Charleston. At first, I thought "No way there was a synagogue that old in Charleston!" I looked it up, though, and the author was on point. I'd categorize it as a young adult novel, but adults will enjoy it too, especially if they've ever struggled with faith after the death of a loved one.