What do you think?
Rate this book
The Killing Tree
It's the summer after Mercy Heron graduates from high school, and she's living in the household of her domineering grandfather and a grandmother whose behavior has always been erratic--some folks even call it crazy. They've raised Mercy since her mother died giving birth to her under the June apple tree, after Father Heron locked her out and ignored her pleas for help.
Mercy's days are spent working at the local diner, and hanging out with her wild best friend Della. Unlike Della, she's never seriously considered leaving the insulated community on Crooked Top mountain. Not until that summer when she meets Trout, a man who opens Mercy's eyes to a world beyond what she's known--both physically and emotionally. Their relationship must be kept secret, because Father Heron won't approve of his granddaughter being involved with a migrant worker. But when Mercy tries to escape, she'll learn just how powerful, and ruthless, her grandfather can be. And the truth of her past will threaten to forever bind her to the mountain.
Mercy's days are spent working at the local diner, and hanging out with her wild best friend Della. Unlike Della, she's never seriously considered leaving the insulated community on Crooked Top mountain. Not until that summer when she meets Trout, a man who opens Mercy's eyes to a world beyond what she's known--both physically and emotionally. Their relationship must be kept secret, because Father Heron won't approve of his granddaughter being involved with a migrant worker. But when Mercy tries to escape, she'll learn just how powerful, and ruthless, her grandfather can be. And the truth of her past will threaten to forever bind her to the mountain.
324 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 2009
7 people are currently reading
293 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Keener
3 books47 followersYears ago, during an intense law class I gave up trying to make sense of civil procedure. Instead, I opened a blank page on my laptop and started writing about a girl named Mercy. By the time I graduated, that blank page had become my first novel.
Today, my law license is inactive, but my writing is not. I'm the author of The Killing Tree, The Memory Thief, and my new novel, Pearl Weaver's Epic Apology. I aspire to create books filled with characters that endure. It is my great wish that you will treasure your time with these characters as much as I have.
I love chatting with readers. If your book club would like to set up an author discussion, please visit my website at www.rachelkeener.com for more information.
Today, my law license is inactive, but my writing is not. I'm the author of The Killing Tree, The Memory Thief, and my new novel, Pearl Weaver's Epic Apology. I aspire to create books filled with characters that endure. It is my great wish that you will treasure your time with these characters as much as I have.
I love chatting with readers. If your book club would like to set up an author discussion, please visit my website at www.rachelkeener.com for more information.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
August 29, 2009
At times I got a bit fustrated at the dialouge but I enjoyed the tale enough to give it 4 stars. It was a good read and I'm one that doesn't always like a perfect ending, (since life isn't like that), so this book suited me just fine. Also I love first time writers...it makes my heart sing when one does a good job.
February 21, 2018
This book was thought provoking for me... I'm still thinking about it days later. It was kind of haunting and sad, though. I was so angry with Mercy's grandfather (Father Heron) throughout the book! I can't say why without a spoiler, but I actually cheered a little at the end. I agree with one of the other reviewers that the ending left me somewhat dissatisfied. The author left several loose ends that I would have loved to have seen be resolved... Even an epilogue would have been nice. I did feel as though I was right up there on that mountain. Overall, an interesting but sad read.
April 19, 2018
Very enjoyable read. Neat that the author and I went to the same college---Carson-Newman (east TN). Not sure but what the setting might have been somewhere in that area, especially with reference to the Melungeon people
April 22, 2018
This one was really gripping; it'll be haunting me for a while.
July 26, 2010
I have been thinking of the words I would use to describe this book since I finished reading it late last night. For some reason, I can't seem to formulate a description. Each character kept me up for different reasons: the cold, domineering grandfather kept me up as I wondered how anyone could be that cruel to his own blood. The aloof, free spirited grandmother kept me up as I wondered how she could allow so much sadness to happen under her watch. Teenage Mercy kept me up as I thought about her journey, her life, her entrance into this world: born under an apple tree where her mother would later die as a result of childbirth complications. Mercy's mother forced to give birth outside as her father refused to open the door to their house, ashamed of his daughter. Yet, despite all of the sadness and cruelty in her world, Mercy finds her way. A fast read. Powerful overall themes about love, family, and friendship.
December 23, 2010
Rachel Keener's writing has put a spell on me. I read her second novel, The Memory Thief, first and was bowled over by how wonderful it was. I've even put it on my best reads of 2010 list. When I closed the pages of her debut novel, I was equally as thrilled and surprised. It is a beautiful and wonderful story that is at turns hopeful and achingly sad. The writing is terrific, so vivid that I felt transported to Crooktop Mountain. A coming of age story that is hard to put down. Mercy's story will stay with me for a long, long time. I rarely re-read books, but these are two that I will keep and enjoy again soon. I can't wait for her next effort. Very highly recommended.
June 4, 2009
For me, this was just one of those books that I lost track of and I stopped caring what happened. It's decently written. It may be that I've got too much going in right now to pay attention.
October 12, 2009
This book was different. There was a lot of symbolism, and I felt disconnected with the characters.
February 5, 2018
I liked this book, but did not care for one of the characters. I finally finished it last night and enjoyed the setting in the Appalachians, and the lovely detail of different places there. It's a story with some magic and meanness of the mountains, quirky people but kind-hearted too. I will read more of Rachel Keener...she writes beautifully.
From Amazon:
It's the summer after Mercy Heron graduates from high school, and she's living in the household of her domineering grandfather and a grandmother whose behavior has always been erratic--some folks even call it crazy. They've raised Mercy since her mother died giving birth to her under the June apple tree, after Father Heron locked her out and ignored her pleas for help.
Mercy's days are spent working at the local diner, and hanging out with her wild best friend Della. Unlike Della, she's never seriously considered leaving the insulated community on Crooked Top mountain. Not until that summer when she meets Trout, a man who opens Mercy's eyes to a world beyond what she's known--both physically and emotionally. Their relationship must be kept secret, because Father Heron won't approve of his granddaughter being involved with a migrant worker. But when Mercy tries to escape, she'll learn just how powerful, and ruthless, her grandfather can be. And the truth of her past will threaten to forever bind her to the mountain.
From Amazon:
It's the summer after Mercy Heron graduates from high school, and she's living in the household of her domineering grandfather and a grandmother whose behavior has always been erratic--some folks even call it crazy. They've raised Mercy since her mother died giving birth to her under the June apple tree, after Father Heron locked her out and ignored her pleas for help.
Mercy's days are spent working at the local diner, and hanging out with her wild best friend Della. Unlike Della, she's never seriously considered leaving the insulated community on Crooked Top mountain. Not until that summer when she meets Trout, a man who opens Mercy's eyes to a world beyond what she's known--both physically and emotionally. Their relationship must be kept secret, because Father Heron won't approve of his granddaughter being involved with a migrant worker. But when Mercy tries to escape, she'll learn just how powerful, and ruthless, her grandfather can be. And the truth of her past will threaten to forever bind her to the mountain.
May 25, 2019
I thought this was outstanding for a first novel. It's primarily a love story (if I'd understood that, I probably never would have read it), though not in the usual drugstore romance novel sense. But even if you're a guy who hates romance, there is plenty of other stuff going on in this story to hold your interest. A young, poor woman in a small, isolated Appalachian town falls in love with an even poorer migrant worker, incurring the wrath of her harsh, self-righteous grandfather and condescension and judgment from others in her life. This probably doesn't sound that compelling, but the couple's journey, and their meaningful encounters with marginalized peoples, and what I saw as a timeless quality and a mystical undercurrent in the story had me keep reaching for the book, and thinking about for some time after I finished it.
Some have complained about the ending, including a friend I lent the book to, saying that it left questions unanswered, or that they felt there was a lack of closure, or things along those lines, but I personally didn't feel that way about it.
Some have complained about the ending, including a friend I lent the book to, saying that it left questions unanswered, or that they felt there was a lack of closure, or things along those lines, but I personally didn't feel that way about it.
August 10, 2018
Beautifully written. I didn't want to put this one down. I'm so taken with Rachel Keener's use of language. Every moment is described with such vividness, you are left with the feeling that you've been where Mercy has been and seen what she has seen. I love an author who is able to bring the story to life in this way. The book becomes more than another novel, it is a true reading experience.
The characters have a depth to them that makes you want to know more about their lives. They know suffering and sorrow, yet remain hopeful. I especially enjoyed the friendship between Mercy and her best friend. They laughed together despite the most difficult of circumstances and each girl was a source of strength for the other. Each character and relationship was unique and well developed. This is a book I would re-read for the chance to absorb even more.
The characters have a depth to them that makes you want to know more about their lives. They know suffering and sorrow, yet remain hopeful. I especially enjoyed the friendship between Mercy and her best friend. They laughed together despite the most difficult of circumstances and each girl was a source of strength for the other. Each character and relationship was unique and well developed. This is a book I would re-read for the chance to absorb even more.
November 18, 2019
A powerful and surprising first novel that is commercial and suspenseful in tone while deep and lyrical in its prose. 'The Killing Tree' will wrap you deeply in the folds of contemporary Appalachian culture.GR description
This is one of those books that you aren't to sure how you really feel about it. Maybe it was some of the dialect, maybe the spiritual differences, maybe having to read a few sentences twice to get what was happening. I did like the character development and the mountain life in the bones descriptive writing.
This is one of those books that you aren't to sure how you really feel about it. Maybe it was some of the dialect, maybe the spiritual differences, maybe having to read a few sentences twice to get what was happening. I did like the character development and the mountain life in the bones descriptive writing.
August 2, 2021
Disappointed with the ending, anyone else? I was hoping for more embellishment of the conclusion. The book held my interest, but I wanted more on the day to day lives of the people that lived on the mountain.
December 28, 2021
This is the story of Mercy Heron, a teenage girl trying to survive her grandfather's tyrannical Christian worldview. The book revolves around the death of Mercy's mother during Mercy's birth. Years later, Mercy falls in love with the wrong man, and she discovers the reach of grandfather's will.
Read
August 13, 2022One of those books that I couldn't put down. I loved the characters, the setting and the Appalachain culture and mystery.
I still find myself thinking about what happened to the characters afterwards.
I still find myself thinking about what happened to the characters afterwards.
June 26, 2017
Slightly disjointed here and there but overall four stars. I'm a sucker for Appalachia.
March 4, 2018
Young girl growing up on an Appalachian mountain; stereotypes were so obvious, OK read. Apple Tree symbolism a bit overdone.
March 21, 2017
I have never read such a book that understood the culture of some eastern mountain people of the U.S. who are completely immersed in their own religion as this one does. Heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time, you can't help but root for Mercy and Trout as they discover what so many miss in life- love as it is, not as we think it should be.
Want to read
March 11, 2009From a good friend of mine:
"Hi Everyone,
I so rarely recommend books, but there's a book being published this month which I absolutely love, and which I want to give my highest recommendation to -
Rachel Keener's The Killing Tree
Here's the link to the book on B&N:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-...
Here's the link to it on Amazon:
http://tinyurl.com/chqxcv
It's this beautiful, beautiful story about this girl (well, she's 18), in Appalachia, who falls in love with a migrant worker - and about the mystery surrounding her birth and the death of her mother. It's being published by Center Street, which is a division of Hachette (which used to be Warner) - the author's next book, The Memory Thief, will be published by them next year.
The Killing Tree has been getting really great reviews, but what with the current publishing climate (which sucks), that's not enough to guarantee book sales. If you buy one book this month, please buy this one - and tell all of your friends! For all of you in book clubs, it has a reading guide at the end. (if you'd like her to speak to your group via conference call, you can send her an email to set it up - here's the info on her site http://www.rachelkeener.com/Contact.html) The author, Rachel, is one of sweetest, most sincere, and talented writers I've ever met.
thanks! -Andrea"
"Hi Everyone,
I so rarely recommend books, but there's a book being published this month which I absolutely love, and which I want to give my highest recommendation to -
Rachel Keener's The Killing Tree
Here's the link to the book on B&N:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-...
Here's the link to it on Amazon:
http://tinyurl.com/chqxcv
It's this beautiful, beautiful story about this girl (well, she's 18), in Appalachia, who falls in love with a migrant worker - and about the mystery surrounding her birth and the death of her mother. It's being published by Center Street, which is a division of Hachette (which used to be Warner) - the author's next book, The Memory Thief, will be published by them next year.
The Killing Tree has been getting really great reviews, but what with the current publishing climate (which sucks), that's not enough to guarantee book sales. If you buy one book this month, please buy this one - and tell all of your friends! For all of you in book clubs, it has a reading guide at the end. (if you'd like her to speak to your group via conference call, you can send her an email to set it up - here's the info on her site http://www.rachelkeener.com/Contact.html) The author, Rachel, is one of sweetest, most sincere, and talented writers I've ever met.
thanks! -Andrea"
January 23, 2010
A really good book by a first time author. Set in the mountains of Virginia, it is the story of Mercy Heron, her Grandfather, grandmother and her friend Della. Mercy's mother ran away from home with a man,came back pregnant, and her father (Mercy's grandfather) would not allow her back into his house. Mercy was born under a tree in the backyard, and her mother died from the complications of her birth. This event is something that haunts the whole family. Mercy repeats the event when she runs off with a "mater migrant" or migrant farm worker. She eventually comes back pregnant.
Her lover, Trout, is sent to jail when her grandfather identifies him as the one who stole his prize hunting dogs. Actually, Mercy's Mamma Rutha, (her grandmother)and Mercy took the dogs away from the home after they started killing all the animals around the place.
A very interesting setting, The time is today, but things come slowly to the mountains, so you might think this is a story from years gone by. A very good debut novels from Rachel Keener, about her home state and the people who inhabit its mountains.
Her lover, Trout, is sent to jail when her grandfather identifies him as the one who stole his prize hunting dogs. Actually, Mercy's Mamma Rutha, (her grandmother)and Mercy took the dogs away from the home after they started killing all the animals around the place.
A very interesting setting, The time is today, but things come slowly to the mountains, so you might think this is a story from years gone by. A very good debut novels from Rachel Keener, about her home state and the people who inhabit its mountains.
July 15, 2009
The Killing Tree: A Novel
Written By: Rachel Keener
Published By: Center Street a division of Hachette Book Group Inc.
Date: 2009
Pages: 327 pages
Format: Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-1599951119
The Killing Tree's title alone is enough to pique ones curiosity. As I began reading the story I was immediately drawn into Mercy's emotional struggle and felt very strongly towards many characters whose lives impacted the teen-aged girl in a negative way. Mercy's Grandfather in particular, is a real (insert curse word here)! As the story unfolds, we learn more about Mercy's history and what her plans are for the future. Along the way we meet Mercy's best and only true friend on Crooked Top Mountain, “dazzling” Della. Each of the characters in the story is painstakingly drawn to help the reader feel more connected to the story and...
* Please follow the link to read the whole review:
http://bookreviewsbybobbie.wordpress....
Written By: Rachel Keener
Published By: Center Street a division of Hachette Book Group Inc.
Date: 2009
Pages: 327 pages
Format: Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-1599951119
The Killing Tree's title alone is enough to pique ones curiosity. As I began reading the story I was immediately drawn into Mercy's emotional struggle and felt very strongly towards many characters whose lives impacted the teen-aged girl in a negative way. Mercy's Grandfather in particular, is a real (insert curse word here)! As the story unfolds, we learn more about Mercy's history and what her plans are for the future. Along the way we meet Mercy's best and only true friend on Crooked Top Mountain, “dazzling” Della. Each of the characters in the story is painstakingly drawn to help the reader feel more connected to the story and...
* Please follow the link to read the whole review:
http://bookreviewsbybobbie.wordpress....
August 4, 2009
I really enjoyed this book. It is always interesting to read about cultures and people you do not know a lot about. This book is set in an isolated mountain community and tells the story of one girl's struggle to either fit in or leave the only place she's ever known. While reading this book, I pictured the final home in the book, "The Glass Castle," set deep in the mountains in coal-country.
The author did a great job with the characters; although they were each unique, I could identify with each of them in some way. She portrayed them all in such a way that you even 'almost' understood/sympathized with the antagonist of the story.
I also did not know what to expect from the ending (I like it when I don't guess the ending ahead of time), and although not everything got all wrapped up, the ending fit.
The author did a great job with the characters; although they were each unique, I could identify with each of them in some way. She portrayed them all in such a way that you even 'almost' understood/sympathized with the antagonist of the story.
I also did not know what to expect from the ending (I like it when I don't guess the ending ahead of time), and although not everything got all wrapped up, the ending fit.
September 28, 2009
This was the first novel by this author. I picked it up on the "new"
book row at the library. I don't remember reading an entire book in 24
hours in a long time. I did read for three hours in bed that night.
It was a simple story of a Kentucky mountain girl who had just finished
high school and worked in the local diner while living with her grand-
parents who had raised her. Publisher's Weekly: The novel succeeds in bringing to life a slice of mountain life where old and new, foreign and native, real and imagined, poetic and mundane blend against a harsh and beautiful landscape." It was a simple story that I really couldn't
recommend, but it was a good read for me -- honest characters, the usual
family disfunction, life in a migrant farm worker camp (when had I ever
thought about that), and a great friendship between young women.
book row at the library. I don't remember reading an entire book in 24
hours in a long time. I did read for three hours in bed that night.
It was a simple story of a Kentucky mountain girl who had just finished
high school and worked in the local diner while living with her grand-
parents who had raised her. Publisher's Weekly: The novel succeeds in bringing to life a slice of mountain life where old and new, foreign and native, real and imagined, poetic and mundane blend against a harsh and beautiful landscape." It was a simple story that I really couldn't
recommend, but it was a good read for me -- honest characters, the usual
family disfunction, life in a migrant farm worker camp (when had I ever
thought about that), and a great friendship between young women.
April 27, 2009
I won this book right here on Goodreads in the giveaway section. It is a story about 18 year old Mercy Heron who has been raised by her grandparents when her mother dies giving birth to her under an apple tree under dubious circumstances. When I was done the story, I was yearning to know more, and it is my hope that a second book will follow up ~ I am so curious as to what the future holds for Mercy...what happens to Trout? Will they ever get the chance to be together...and Della DeMar ~ I really want to know if the move she makes will have a positive impact to her life. It's not often that I am left wanting more....and this book certainly did that for me.
April 16, 2009
Rachel Keener's 'The Killing Tree' is one of those novels that you just can't put down! Mercy, the main character, and the people of Crooked Top Mountain are true to the life of Appalachia, and allow the reader to feel and experience the beauty, the harshness, and uniqueness of the mountains. It is a story written with depth, heart, and courage, that the reader will not soon forget. My hope is that Keener will continue Mercy's story in a future novel. She definitely leaves the reader wanting more!
May 21, 2009
I really liked this book. I don't think it warranted a full 5 stars. I wish I could give it 4 1/2 but since that is not an option, I rounded up. I tend to give high scores to books that I can't seem to put down and this was one of those. It pulled you into the world of Crooktop with it's imagery. Parts of it were hard for me to relate too (borderline unbelievable or too much fantasy) and maybe that's where I had the slight disconnect. It also left me wanting to know more about the fate of the key relationship in the story. But I would highly recommend this book.
May 20, 2009
I really liked this book about a mountain girl with a domineering grandfather. Her mother died after being cruelly cast out by her grandfather for running off and getting pregnant with a man he didn't approve of, but Mercy still can't help but fall for a poor migrant worker on the mountain. When her grandfather finds out, he'll do anything to make her atone for her sin, and she'll do anything to stay with her love. The ending left an important detail up in the air and therefore wasn't as satisfying as I would have liked. Overall, a very engrossing book.
August 12, 2009
If you novels wrapped up in the end, then this isn't the novel for you as it is pretty ambiguous (perhaps the author is an english teacher). The characters were very interesting and different to me. Mercy grows up in the mountains of Virgina, super poor with her strict Grandpa and crazy Grandma. She's repeats her mother's fate by falling in love & getting pregnant by a migrant worker, but her strong will helps her overcome. I liked it because it's different from anything I've read in a while.
February 17, 2010
I very much enjoyed reading "The Killing Tree" by Rachel Keener.
I actually won this book from a ReadingGroupGuides give away.
It's the story of an 18 year old mountain girl who is being raised by her grandparents after the death of her mother during child birth. Mercy and the people of Crooked Top Mountain just come alive through the vivid descriptions. You are immediately drawn in and made a part of the scene.
It's an emotional book of survival.
It was beautifully written and leaves you wanting more when you turn the last page.
I highly recommend it.
I actually won this book from a ReadingGroupGuides give away.
It's the story of an 18 year old mountain girl who is being raised by her grandparents after the death of her mother during child birth. Mercy and the people of Crooked Top Mountain just come alive through the vivid descriptions. You are immediately drawn in and made a part of the scene.
It's an emotional book of survival.
It was beautifully written and leaves you wanting more when you turn the last page.
I highly recommend it.
July 8, 2012
Loved it. A wonderful debut effort by Keener, set on Crooked Top Mountain in the Appalachians. The protagonist is Mercy Heron, whose mother died during Mercy's birth. Mercy is raised by her authoritarian, Bible-thumping grandfather and grandmother. She befriends, then falls in love with a migrant worker named Trout, finding tenderness and caring for the first time in her life, but leading to further estrangement from her grandparents. Wonderful charater development, suspenseful story line ... highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews