The Tree of Life

by Justin Stumvoll

The Tree of Life is a cross-generational adventure that speaks to the human condition experienced by young and old alike. Its purpose is to spark conversations around authentic questions, while reminding the reader that imagination, hope, fun, and love are the foundation to a life fully lived.Who am I? What is my purpose? How do I find joy and wonder on the other side of tragedy?Through an act of providence, Oakie the acorn is buried in an apple orchard by an eccentric adventurer, Otis the wild-eyed squirrel. Oakie finds himself in an unfamiliar world, wrestling with who he is and whether or not he should stay.After a thrilling adventure exploring the world beyond the orchard, Oakie returns to an unexpected nemesis named Joshua, “the people”. When tragedy strikes, Oakie and Joshua must face their greatest losses and embark on the most crucial journey of their lives, changing their destiny forever.The Tree of Life is an allegory that chronicles the journey each of us must take to find healing from the bumps and bruises incurred through life.The invitation resounding from The Tree of Life is for adults to return to the joys of imaginative innocence; it’s also a promise to children that everything they need to fulfill their dreams is within them.The message for everyone is that we must learn how to come alive wherever we find ourselves planted.Woven into the pages of The Tree of Life are influences of Brene Brown, Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia, C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia, and William Paul Young’s The Shack.If your family enjoys movies like Meet the Robinsons, Inside Out, Up, and A Bug’s Life, you’ll love The Tree of Life

Genres: Spirituality

312 pages, Paperback

Published February 4, 2025

Reviews

[CasmirHamilcar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good lessons. Classifying this as for adults too is a stretch for much of the book but there are some really good nuggets in there where I wouldn't argue against it. It's cute. The beginning and parts of the end were the best for all ages. Most of the middle and the end are better for older children. There was a lot of extra dialog or action to the scenes that seem to be more for fun than for plot or character development. A lot of the character development was narrated or done through plot rather than organically crafted through a balance of dialog, events, juxtaposition, and symbolism. It's not a fine literally piece but I do have quite a few kids I'd recommend it to, and I was already referencing it to one adult friend the day I finished it. It is appropriate for a much wider audience than most books I've read previously. It's a positive read and it is well worth the read, especially if you don't set your expectations too high.

[Karl Erik Kjær · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book about life and it’s mystery. Not about the mundane things, it’s about how joy and happiness can be found in being creative and imaginative. The author does a wonderful job in creating a spark that can make the reader come alive and start dreaming and see the wonders of imagination.
The book also takes a journey into life’s most terrible moments. It’s a beautiful allegory of how daunting life can be when we invite the wrong comfort.

The first part of the book is not as good as the last 2 thirds of it, but it is more than worthy to read trough it. But the first part of the book is wonderfully woven into the rest of the book and makes it a wonderful story.
This is a book I’m definitely am gonna read again!

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

So worth the rad, you will laugh and cry. Travel on an amazing adventure. Great book for kids and adults!

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an adult book disguised as a children's story. Many lessons and insights hidden within.