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The Light Through the Leaves
One unbearable mistake at the edge of the forest.
In a moment of crisis, Ellis Abbey leaves her daughter, Viola, unattended—for just a few minutes. But when she returns, Viola is gone. A breaking point in an already fractured marriage, Viola’s abduction causes Ellis to disappear as well—into grief, guilt, and addiction. Convinced she can only do more harm to her family, Ellis leaves her husband and young sons, burying her desperate ache for her children deeper with every step into the mountain wildernesses she treks alone.
In a remote area of Washington, a young girl named Raven keeps secrets inside, too. She must never speak to outsiders about how her mother makes miracles spring from the earth, or about her father, whose mysterious presence sometimes frightens her. Raven spends her days learning how to use her rare gifts—and more important, how to hide them. With each lesson comes a warning of what dangers lie in the world beyond her isolated haven. But despite her mother’s cautions, Raven finds herself longing for something more.
As Ellis and Raven each confront their powerful longings, their journeys will converge in unexpected and hopeful ways, pulled together by the forces of nature, love, and family.
In a moment of crisis, Ellis Abbey leaves her daughter, Viola, unattended—for just a few minutes. But when she returns, Viola is gone. A breaking point in an already fractured marriage, Viola’s abduction causes Ellis to disappear as well—into grief, guilt, and addiction. Convinced she can only do more harm to her family, Ellis leaves her husband and young sons, burying her desperate ache for her children deeper with every step into the mountain wildernesses she treks alone.
In a remote area of Washington, a young girl named Raven keeps secrets inside, too. She must never speak to outsiders about how her mother makes miracles spring from the earth, or about her father, whose mysterious presence sometimes frightens her. Raven spends her days learning how to use her rare gifts—and more important, how to hide them. With each lesson comes a warning of what dangers lie in the world beyond her isolated haven. But despite her mother’s cautions, Raven finds herself longing for something more.
As Ellis and Raven each confront their powerful longings, their journeys will converge in unexpected and hopeful ways, pulled together by the forces of nature, love, and family.
463 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,472 reviews
September 20, 2024
Picture this:
Ellis watches distractedly as her twin sons are catching tadpoles from the river that runs through Wild Wood - a forested area close to the trailer park she had grown up in. Her newborn daughter, Viola, lies tranquilly in her child carrier. This forest had always soothed Ellis's aching spirit and had been her only refuge during her often brutal childhood.
But for once, her idyllic surroundings could do nothing to ease Ellis's turbulent thoughts and anguished feelings of betrayal. She had just discovered that Jonah, her husband, was cheating on her with another woman.
The visit to the woods is destined to be a tragic disaster. Ellis's twin boys act up, the incessant call of a raven and Ellis's own wrought emotions cause her to forget that she had put her baby daughter's car seat carrier onto the ground next to the van before dealing with one of her son's tantrums. Ellis is horrified when, a mile into the return trip home, she notices that she had left the baby behind. Her worst fears are realized when she speeds back to the river, only to find that the carrier, and her baby, are gone.
Ellis's world implodes. Sedatives, then alcohol, then a heavy mix of both, help at first. Ellis spends entire days in bed. Her boys are neglected, her husband is angry with her and her hateful mother-in-law (what a viper!) undermines Ellis at every turn. Ellis reaches a breaking point when she realizes that she is turning into her own neglectful, drug addicted mother. The media has judged Ellis harshly for her role in baby Viola's disappearance. At the end of her mental and physical endurance, Ellis makes the only decision she believes is best for her boys. She must leave them before she causes them any more damage.
I was totally riveted! Is this just another abduction story? Far from it! The storytelling is told from two separate points of view, alternating between the two main characters of this story: Ellis and Daughter of Raven. We watch Ellis spiral into a drug and alcohol induced hell after she severs all ties with her old life and crisscrosses America, camping out in the wilds, trying to outrun her soul-destroying grief and her crushing feelings of guilt and self-blame.
Then we cut away to scenes of young Raven's life with "Mama." Raven has learned to adjust her behavior and her responses to avoid Mama's dark or angry looks. Sometimes Mama falls into a fugue state and retreats into the Spirit World, so Raven has learned to be self-reliant and to fend for herself. Life is not all roses for sweet Raven, but we are comforted by the fact that Raven is allowed to wander at will through the forest surrounding their enormous rural Washington homestead.
She is taught to nurture her raven spirit and heed the signs of nature.
The tension in this story builds like Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, until everything unravels: chaos ensues and triggers a shattering crescendo. And don't worry, the action is even more fraught and intense after the devastating reveal. (Also, there are no real spoilers here: all of the above occur in the first few chapters and are hinted at in the blurb. There is plenty of action yet to come!)
The ending is spectacular! I sighed with total satisfaction when I finished this one. Ellis was such a strong, heroic woman: I don't think I could have born half of her sorrows. And Keith!!!! I want a park ranger like him for my very own! This book delivered on every level and touched every emotion, and yes, you will find yourself laughing out loud at River's very provoking behavior!
Glendy Vanderah, you did it again: you wrote another beautiful, unforgettable story that left me incredibly moved and hopeful. Applause, Applause!
Go on: get up and take a bow! You earned it: 10 out of 5 stars for this precious gem! Highly, highly recommended!
(My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.)
Ellis watches distractedly as her twin sons are catching tadpoles from the river that runs through Wild Wood - a forested area close to the trailer park she had grown up in. Her newborn daughter, Viola, lies tranquilly in her child carrier. This forest had always soothed Ellis's aching spirit and had been her only refuge during her often brutal childhood.
But for once, her idyllic surroundings could do nothing to ease Ellis's turbulent thoughts and anguished feelings of betrayal. She had just discovered that Jonah, her husband, was cheating on her with another woman.
The visit to the woods is destined to be a tragic disaster. Ellis's twin boys act up, the incessant call of a raven and Ellis's own wrought emotions cause her to forget that she had put her baby daughter's car seat carrier onto the ground next to the van before dealing with one of her son's tantrums. Ellis is horrified when, a mile into the return trip home, she notices that she had left the baby behind. Her worst fears are realized when she speeds back to the river, only to find that the carrier, and her baby, are gone.
Ellis's world implodes. Sedatives, then alcohol, then a heavy mix of both, help at first. Ellis spends entire days in bed. Her boys are neglected, her husband is angry with her and her hateful mother-in-law (what a viper!) undermines Ellis at every turn. Ellis reaches a breaking point when she realizes that she is turning into her own neglectful, drug addicted mother. The media has judged Ellis harshly for her role in baby Viola's disappearance. At the end of her mental and physical endurance, Ellis makes the only decision she believes is best for her boys. She must leave them before she causes them any more damage.
I was totally riveted! Is this just another abduction story? Far from it! The storytelling is told from two separate points of view, alternating between the two main characters of this story: Ellis and Daughter of Raven. We watch Ellis spiral into a drug and alcohol induced hell after she severs all ties with her old life and crisscrosses America, camping out in the wilds, trying to outrun her soul-destroying grief and her crushing feelings of guilt and self-blame.
Then we cut away to scenes of young Raven's life with "Mama." Raven has learned to adjust her behavior and her responses to avoid Mama's dark or angry looks. Sometimes Mama falls into a fugue state and retreats into the Spirit World, so Raven has learned to be self-reliant and to fend for herself. Life is not all roses for sweet Raven, but we are comforted by the fact that Raven is allowed to wander at will through the forest surrounding their enormous rural Washington homestead.
She is taught to nurture her raven spirit and heed the signs of nature.
The tension in this story builds like Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, until everything unravels: chaos ensues and triggers a shattering crescendo. And don't worry, the action is even more fraught and intense after the devastating reveal. (Also, there are no real spoilers here: all of the above occur in the first few chapters and are hinted at in the blurb. There is plenty of action yet to come!)
The ending is spectacular! I sighed with total satisfaction when I finished this one. Ellis was such a strong, heroic woman: I don't think I could have born half of her sorrows. And Keith!!!! I want a park ranger like him for my very own! This book delivered on every level and touched every emotion, and yes, you will find yourself laughing out loud at River's very provoking behavior!
Glendy Vanderah, you did it again: you wrote another beautiful, unforgettable story that left me incredibly moved and hopeful. Applause, Applause!
Go on: get up and take a bow! You earned it: 10 out of 5 stars for this precious gem! Highly, highly recommended!
(My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.)
April 5, 2021
Man oh man, Glendy Vanderah's books really know how to kick me right in the feels.
I ADORED Where The Forest Meets The Stars and now she's given me this gorgeous, uplifting book.
Of course it begins with tragedy, since UP can't exist without DOWN.
Ellis is a young mother of three when her infant daughter is abducted. Over the course of almost two decades we witness the devastating affects(effects??🤷♀️) this has on her family, while rotating chapters follow her daughter Raven as she grows up with the unusual woman she believes is her mom.
This book is filled with wonderfully flawed characters that I couldn't NOT love and I enjoyed spending so many years with them while knowing it was all building to an inevitable reunion.
I thought the last 20% was a little too campy. Too many life-long traumas were so insta-resolved that some of the characters lost the depth that made them special. But I guess if the book's only flaw is being too sweet then that's not much of a complaint and so Vanderah is now on my auto-read list.
Gorgeous cover designed by Shasti O'Leary Soudant.
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺.
𝘈𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘕𝘖𝘞.
I ADORED Where The Forest Meets The Stars and now she's given me this gorgeous, uplifting book.
Of course it begins with tragedy, since UP can't exist without DOWN.
Ellis is a young mother of three when her infant daughter is abducted. Over the course of almost two decades we witness the devastating affects(effects??🤷♀️) this has on her family, while rotating chapters follow her daughter Raven as she grows up with the unusual woman she believes is her mom.
This book is filled with wonderfully flawed characters that I couldn't NOT love and I enjoyed spending so many years with them while knowing it was all building to an inevitable reunion.
I thought the last 20% was a little too campy. Too many life-long traumas were so insta-resolved that some of the characters lost the depth that made them special. But I guess if the book's only flaw is being too sweet then that's not much of a complaint and so Vanderah is now on my auto-read list.
Gorgeous cover designed by Shasti O'Leary Soudant.
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺.
𝘈𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘕𝘖𝘞.
May 13, 2021
true to GV style, this story is an ode to nature. its an appreciation for our environment and how the comfort it lends can lead us to the most insightful and human of moments. i really enjoyed this.
i will say that one major component of the story is very predictable. when it got to the moment of the reveal, i was not at all shocked - i saw it coming ever since i read the synopsis. however, that did not affect my reading experience. in fact, it probably enhanced it, knowing how the lives of these two characters were connected and how their parallel lives so closely mirrored each other from the beginning.
one thing is for sure - this is no sophomore slump of a novel for GV.
thank you for the ARC lake union publishing.
↠ 4 stars
i will say that one major component of the story is very predictable. when it got to the moment of the reveal, i was not at all shocked - i saw it coming ever since i read the synopsis. however, that did not affect my reading experience. in fact, it probably enhanced it, knowing how the lives of these two characters were connected and how their parallel lives so closely mirrored each other from the beginning.
one thing is for sure - this is no sophomore slump of a novel for GV.
thank you for the ARC lake union publishing.
↠ 4 stars
February 8, 2023
The “Light Through The Leaves” is a story of terrible loss, grief, friendship, love, the power of the human spirit to continue on and the healing powers of nature.
Ellis was struggling with lots issues and her mind was unsettled the day she took the children to the woods for a hike. Her twin boys River and Jasper aged 4 were arguing and distracting as Ellis got them into the car to head home. Her infant daughter Viola was in her car seat. The inconceivable happens and she drives away without the baby. She left her behind at the side of the parking lot! Just in the time it took to turn around to go back, Viola was GONE, ABDUCTED.
Ellis who was already struggling with some mental health issues and cannot deal with the guilt and heartbreak of what she has done. She leaves her husband and young sons and disappears out of their lives.
The novel is told from two points of view, that of Ellis and the other Viola, or Raven as she is renamed by her abductor.
We next meet Raven when she is about 7, allowed to roam alone through the acres surrounding her secluded home in the woods. “Mama” has taught her what she needs to survive in the woods and is often gone for the entire day. On a warm summer day she meets 3 boys who are cooling off in the stream. Throughout the next years until we meet her again at age fifteen she has learned that how she lives is not “normal”. She goes to school but still believes in the magical tale that her mother has woven around her, including the fact that her father is the raven spirit.
The story at this point really becomes unbelievable to me. How can Raven at this age still believe the fairytale of how she came to live with “mama”? She starts dating and her sexual exploration is encouraged by her mother. What does this woman want from her???? We can only imagine!!!!!
We don’t return to Ellis’s story until Raven finds herself alone and her aunt forces Raven to return to a family she knows nothing about. Eventually she will meet Ellis and the story moves on to it’s conclusion.
The author has once again placed her story in the woods which she describes beautifully. Her background as an avian biologist shows through her descriptions of the Florida marshes.
I didn’t connect with these characters as I did with those in “Where The Forest Meets The Stars. In particular the ending of the book which introduces us to the grown twin boys and a plethora of other characters. There is background on the boys, Jonah’s failed second marriage, an interfering grandmother. When we get back to Ellis we also meet people that she has lived with and loved. People she works with her in her business, too many characters which we know little about!!
I think the premise was a good one but the author tried to address too many issues and created too many characters that weren’t fully developed. The ending felt way too neatly tied up and didn’t ring true for me.
This was an Amazon First To Read novel which publishes on April 1, 2021.
Ellis was struggling with lots issues and her mind was unsettled the day she took the children to the woods for a hike. Her twin boys River and Jasper aged 4 were arguing and distracting as Ellis got them into the car to head home. Her infant daughter Viola was in her car seat. The inconceivable happens and she drives away without the baby. She left her behind at the side of the parking lot! Just in the time it took to turn around to go back, Viola was GONE, ABDUCTED.
Ellis who was already struggling with some mental health issues and cannot deal with the guilt and heartbreak of what she has done. She leaves her husband and young sons and disappears out of their lives.
The novel is told from two points of view, that of Ellis and the other Viola, or Raven as she is renamed by her abductor.
We next meet Raven when she is about 7, allowed to roam alone through the acres surrounding her secluded home in the woods. “Mama” has taught her what she needs to survive in the woods and is often gone for the entire day. On a warm summer day she meets 3 boys who are cooling off in the stream. Throughout the next years until we meet her again at age fifteen she has learned that how she lives is not “normal”. She goes to school but still believes in the magical tale that her mother has woven around her, including the fact that her father is the raven spirit.
The story at this point really becomes unbelievable to me. How can Raven at this age still believe the fairytale of how she came to live with “mama”? She starts dating and her sexual exploration is encouraged by her mother. What does this woman want from her???? We can only imagine!!!!!
We don’t return to Ellis’s story until Raven finds herself alone and her aunt forces Raven to return to a family she knows nothing about. Eventually she will meet Ellis and the story moves on to it’s conclusion.
The author has once again placed her story in the woods which she describes beautifully. Her background as an avian biologist shows through her descriptions of the Florida marshes.
I didn’t connect with these characters as I did with those in “Where The Forest Meets The Stars. In particular the ending of the book which introduces us to the grown twin boys and a plethora of other characters. There is background on the boys, Jonah’s failed second marriage, an interfering grandmother. When we get back to Ellis we also meet people that she has lived with and loved. People she works with her in her business, too many characters which we know little about!!
I think the premise was a good one but the author tried to address too many issues and created too many characters that weren’t fully developed. The ending felt way too neatly tied up and didn’t ring true for me.
This was an Amazon First To Read novel which publishes on April 1, 2021.
September 7, 2021
I was one of the few readers who wasn’t completely enamored with Glendy Vanderah’s Where the Forest Meets the Stars, but glowing reviews made me want to give the author a second chance with The Light Through the Leaves. Well the light shone through the leaves and revealed… everything but the kitchen sink!
In this melodrama you get:
- a stolen baby
- maternal abandonment
- attempted rape/assault
- parental gaslighting
- drug abuse/addiction
- marital infidelity
- mysticism
- teenage sexual exploration
You also get a story of guilt and forgiveness, which ultimately makes the reading experience as vibrant and rich as the book’s lush cover. I was never bored and grew to really care for the characters. Even better yet, I’m now eagerly awaiting Ms. Vanderah’s third novel coming in 2022 (The Oceanography of the Moon).
The Light Through the Stars is available as part of the Kindle Unlimited program with WhisperSync for those who prefer the audiobook format.
Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/
In this melodrama you get:
- a stolen baby
- maternal abandonment
- attempted rape/assault
- parental gaslighting
- drug abuse/addiction
- marital infidelity
- mysticism
- teenage sexual exploration
You also get a story of guilt and forgiveness, which ultimately makes the reading experience as vibrant and rich as the book’s lush cover. I was never bored and grew to really care for the characters. Even better yet, I’m now eagerly awaiting Ms. Vanderah’s third novel coming in 2022 (The Oceanography of the Moon).
The Light Through the Stars is available as part of the Kindle Unlimited program with WhisperSync for those who prefer the audiobook format.
Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/
December 15, 2021
That spell you put on me...
It won’t rub off no matter how hard I try.
Oh—the spell?
Yes, the spell.
I must have gotten that spell too. I absolutely love this book! Beautiful prose, broken characters, and nature references. I wasn't expecting suspense and this many emotions, but yes! they're all there. Wow!!
I knew I was in trouble when I got to 16% and didn't want this book to end.😢 It was that good. This is part of Kindle Unlimited with audio and I enjoyed both reading and listening equally. The first book by this author and it's going to my favorite shelf. ❤️
It won’t rub off no matter how hard I try.
Oh—the spell?
Yes, the spell.
I must have gotten that spell too. I absolutely love this book! Beautiful prose, broken characters, and nature references. I wasn't expecting suspense and this many emotions, but yes! they're all there. Wow!!
I knew I was in trouble when I got to 16% and didn't want this book to end.😢 It was that good. This is part of Kindle Unlimited with audio and I enjoyed both reading and listening equally. The first book by this author and it's going to my favorite shelf. ❤️
May 17, 2021
We say we would never do that! How could anyone possibly do it? We shame; we judge.
Ellis, is a woman destroyed. While being emotionally distraught, she was putting her kids in the car, and forgot the baby. She turned around a mile later and the baby was gone. Abducted.
Addiction becomes her means to survival- drugs and alcohol.Believing she would only curse her family, she leaves her 2 young sons and travels into the wilderness with her camping gear.
The story is told in parallel with the young girl, Raven, being brought up in the other side of the country with the spirit woman who stole her.
A story of horror any mother can relate to if it happened to them, surrounded by the healing power of nature. The guilt, hurt, depression that attaches itself to these traumas.
The dynamics of family that can be toxic at times and healing at others. Self forgiveness maybe the most Critical step in the healing.
Thematic and symbolic. Truly an engaging and powerful story. 5⭐️
Ellis, is a woman destroyed. While being emotionally distraught, she was putting her kids in the car, and forgot the baby. She turned around a mile later and the baby was gone. Abducted.
Addiction becomes her means to survival- drugs and alcohol.Believing she would only curse her family, she leaves her 2 young sons and travels into the wilderness with her camping gear.
The story is told in parallel with the young girl, Raven, being brought up in the other side of the country with the spirit woman who stole her.
A story of horror any mother can relate to if it happened to them, surrounded by the healing power of nature. The guilt, hurt, depression that attaches itself to these traumas.
The dynamics of family that can be toxic at times and healing at others. Self forgiveness maybe the most Critical step in the healing.
Thematic and symbolic. Truly an engaging and powerful story. 5⭐️
March 11, 2021
Mixed bag
I really enjoyed this book alllllll the way up to the last ten percent of it. Then it became absurdly sappy, hallmark-channel-esque and overly dramatic. Sigh. But really - up until the final 10% of the book, it was actually a truly enjoyable read.
I really enjoyed this book alllllll the way up to the last ten percent of it. Then it became absurdly sappy, hallmark-channel-esque and overly dramatic. Sigh. But really - up until the final 10% of the book, it was actually a truly enjoyable read.
September 20, 2021
How can one family have so many issues? Not one person was spared. :/
December 24, 2022
What an absolutely wonderful book!
A mistake that changes everything.
After a shocking revelation, Ellis Abbey, takes her children into the woods to a river near where she grew up. After catching tadpoles, Ellis takes her children back to the car and after getting her twin sons settles, she drives off. She unfortunately leaves her newborn daughter, Viola behind in her car seat on the ground. Devastated and freaking out, Ellis returns immediately but her daughter is no longer there. Heartbroken and quilt ridden, Ellis turns to alcohol and prescription medications to cope with her loss, heartbreak and guilt. Her already troubled marriage is crumbling and Ellis packs up and says goodbye to her soon to be ex-husband and twin sons.
Raven lives with her mother, in Washington. She must keep secrets. Her mother doesn't like people knowing their business. No one is permitted at their home and her mother teaches her the beauty of nature, how to identify plants and animals. But Raven longs for more. She is homeschooled and has never had friends. After a chance meeting with some boys in the woods, she learns what it means to have and be a friend.
Both Ellis and Raven love nature and being in nature. The book is told through both of their POV's. Each of their stories is mesmerizing and captivating. I found myself feeling for both and rooting for both.
This book was wonderful in so many ways. The writing was beautiful, and the vivid descriptions had me feeling as if I was right there as a silent observer with the characters. The author did a brilliant job at showing heartbreak, guilt, addiction, sorrow, friendship, love and hope. I loved how everything came together in the end. I also loved Keith the game warden and how lovely he was. Everyone needs someone in their corner and what a great guy to be there for Ellis and ultimately everyone.
I thought this book was fantastic and so moving and beautiful.
Highly recommend.
*Buddy read with traveling friends/sisters.
A mistake that changes everything.
After a shocking revelation, Ellis Abbey, takes her children into the woods to a river near where she grew up. After catching tadpoles, Ellis takes her children back to the car and after getting her twin sons settles, she drives off. She unfortunately leaves her newborn daughter, Viola behind in her car seat on the ground. Devastated and freaking out, Ellis returns immediately but her daughter is no longer there. Heartbroken and quilt ridden, Ellis turns to alcohol and prescription medications to cope with her loss, heartbreak and guilt. Her already troubled marriage is crumbling and Ellis packs up and says goodbye to her soon to be ex-husband and twin sons.
Raven lives with her mother, in Washington. She must keep secrets. Her mother doesn't like people knowing their business. No one is permitted at their home and her mother teaches her the beauty of nature, how to identify plants and animals. But Raven longs for more. She is homeschooled and has never had friends. After a chance meeting with some boys in the woods, she learns what it means to have and be a friend.
Both Ellis and Raven love nature and being in nature. The book is told through both of their POV's. Each of their stories is mesmerizing and captivating. I found myself feeling for both and rooting for both.
This book was wonderful in so many ways. The writing was beautiful, and the vivid descriptions had me feeling as if I was right there as a silent observer with the characters. The author did a brilliant job at showing heartbreak, guilt, addiction, sorrow, friendship, love and hope. I loved how everything came together in the end. I also loved Keith the game warden and how lovely he was. Everyone needs someone in their corner and what a great guy to be there for Ellis and ultimately everyone.
I thought this book was fantastic and so moving and beautiful.
Highly recommend.
*Buddy read with traveling friends/sisters.
February 19, 2021
Don't mind me, quietly weeping as I finish the last paragraph and read the words aloud...because they are too beautiful to exist only on paper.
My heart. Oh, my heart...this novel is so very special.
Glendy pours her heart out on to the pages of her books and the end result is...magic. Her books have this steady and comforting beauty to them. She marries the magical/supernatural and the everyday so very effortlessly.
Her words are soaked in magic and purity and a tender respect for nature . And love. Always love. A love story wrapped up in a botany/biology lesson. Trees, plants, flowers, animals, insects, the earth- these things are always well-loved secondary characters in Glendy's books.
This one was hard to read at times. The cruelty of mental illness cloaked in love -- well, it's complicated. The Light Through the Leaves contains an intricate recipe of healing, grief, guilt, trauma, addiction, despair, love, longing, and redemption. And all of it a little bit weird, in the most delightful way.
This book is a treasure.
5 stars.
Thank you to Lake Union for a complimentary ARC of this novel. All opinions are my own.
My heart. Oh, my heart...this novel is so very special.
Glendy pours her heart out on to the pages of her books and the end result is...magic. Her books have this steady and comforting beauty to them. She marries the magical/supernatural and the everyday so very effortlessly.
Her words are soaked in magic and purity and a tender respect for nature . And love. Always love. A love story wrapped up in a botany/biology lesson. Trees, plants, flowers, animals, insects, the earth- these things are always well-loved secondary characters in Glendy's books.
This one was hard to read at times. The cruelty of mental illness cloaked in love -- well, it's complicated. The Light Through the Leaves contains an intricate recipe of healing, grief, guilt, trauma, addiction, despair, love, longing, and redemption. And all of it a little bit weird, in the most delightful way.
This book is a treasure.
5 stars.
Thank you to Lake Union for a complimentary ARC of this novel. All opinions are my own.
March 1, 2022
This was a really enjoyable read until the last 50 pages when the story just seemed to go haywire. I would have rated it four starts but all those nice little red bows tied up way too nicely in the end for me.
I was enjoying this book so much on audio that I decided to purchase a hard copy of it about 30% into the book.
When Ellis Abbey leaves her baby daughter Viola unattended at the carpark after a day out with out with her family the unthinkable happens and her life and that of her family’s change forever.
This is every mother’s worst nightmare and I think I connected with this book very early on as you just thank god something like this hasn’t happened to you or your family. The story is well written, the characters are believable and I couldn’t put this one down. However
An ok read but certainly not one for my favorites shelf.
I was enjoying this book so much on audio that I decided to purchase a hard copy of it about 30% into the book.
When Ellis Abbey leaves her baby daughter Viola unattended at the carpark after a day out with out with her family the unthinkable happens and her life and that of her family’s change forever.
This is every mother’s worst nightmare and I think I connected with this book very early on as you just thank god something like this hasn’t happened to you or your family. The story is well written, the characters are believable and I couldn’t put this one down. However
An ok read but certainly not one for my favorites shelf.
April 23, 2021
My rating: 3.75
The book comes to us from the perspectives of two female protagonists: Ellis and Raven, whose lives are as unusual as their names.
Ellis has had a troubled childhood but has finally settled into a happy marriage. However, she sees her husband kissing another woman one day and goes with her kids to the woods for some fun time for them and thinking time for her. In her agitated state, she ends up leaving her two month old daughter Viola unattended for some time, only to return and find out that she’s gone. This abduction tears the whole family apart and takes Ellis on the path of self-destruction with alcoholism and pill abuse. She soon realises that she has to leave her husband and four year old twin sons behind and move onto a solo journey of self-discovery to protect them from further harm resulting from her behaviour.
Raven grows up in a remote area of Washington with her mother Audrey who has brought her up to believe in nature and its healing spirits, never interact with outsiders and keep the secret of her miraculous birth from everyone else. Raven is home-schooled by Audrey and then left free to roam the wild woods. However, after a casual interaction with some local children, she realises that something is missing from her childhood.
The book is divided into 5 parts with multiple chapters in each of them. The first four parts come to us alternatively from the perspectives of Ellis and Raven while the fifth is a combined narrative. There is a lot of mystique in Raven’s part of the story. Both the female lead characters and most of the secondary characters are very well-etched. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the connection between Ellis and Raven. But this lack of suspense doesn’t take away from the thrill of the story. The first four parts are excellent and kept me hooked to the story. Each of these parts helped us understand why Ellis and Raven behaved the way they did; there is no character confusion created.
Where the book fell really short for me was in that fifth part. I’m not sure how many international readers would get this below reference but at least my fellow Indians will. Imagine a typical 90s Bollywood family drama. You have multiple characters dealing with various levels of hurt and heartache and communication failure and sacrifice. But in the last few scenes, every single heartache is cured, every single loose end is tied, every single bond is restored, every single character is happy. Almost miraculously. By the last scene, everyone is standing together, happily singing “Hum Saath Saath Hain” (“We are together.”) That’s kind of what happened in the finale of this book (except for the singing part!) It was so predictable and clichéd, not just in its narrative but also in its writing and character development. It killed the entire book for me. To put it in a different perspective, it started off as a Zoya Akhtar movie but ended up as a Sooraj Barjatya one. So what would have been a solid 4.5 stars slipped to just under 4 stars. Of course, this is just the pessimist in me. I know many readers will enjoy the formulaic happy ending. I too might have enjoyed it had I read it a decade ago. So nothing against the ending, but it wasn’t for me.
Glendy Vanderah’s love for nature springs forth on almost every page of the book. Never have I read a book that treats nature so respectfully and insightfully. Nature is almost a character on its own in this plot and that lends an added magic to the story. Overall, the story talks of the magic of not just nature but also of family, togetherness, forgiveness, healing, acceptance, and communication.
It is still worth a read, and a quick read too, in spite of the number of pages. Do give it a try, with lower expectations towards the end.
Thank you, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for the Advanced Review Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
Follow me on Instagram: RoshReviews
The book comes to us from the perspectives of two female protagonists: Ellis and Raven, whose lives are as unusual as their names.
Ellis has had a troubled childhood but has finally settled into a happy marriage. However, she sees her husband kissing another woman one day and goes with her kids to the woods for some fun time for them and thinking time for her. In her agitated state, she ends up leaving her two month old daughter Viola unattended for some time, only to return and find out that she’s gone. This abduction tears the whole family apart and takes Ellis on the path of self-destruction with alcoholism and pill abuse. She soon realises that she has to leave her husband and four year old twin sons behind and move onto a solo journey of self-discovery to protect them from further harm resulting from her behaviour.
Raven grows up in a remote area of Washington with her mother Audrey who has brought her up to believe in nature and its healing spirits, never interact with outsiders and keep the secret of her miraculous birth from everyone else. Raven is home-schooled by Audrey and then left free to roam the wild woods. However, after a casual interaction with some local children, she realises that something is missing from her childhood.
The book is divided into 5 parts with multiple chapters in each of them. The first four parts come to us alternatively from the perspectives of Ellis and Raven while the fifth is a combined narrative. There is a lot of mystique in Raven’s part of the story. Both the female lead characters and most of the secondary characters are very well-etched. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the connection between Ellis and Raven. But this lack of suspense doesn’t take away from the thrill of the story. The first four parts are excellent and kept me hooked to the story. Each of these parts helped us understand why Ellis and Raven behaved the way they did; there is no character confusion created.
Where the book fell really short for me was in that fifth part. I’m not sure how many international readers would get this below reference but at least my fellow Indians will. Imagine a typical 90s Bollywood family drama. You have multiple characters dealing with various levels of hurt and heartache and communication failure and sacrifice. But in the last few scenes, every single heartache is cured, every single loose end is tied, every single bond is restored, every single character is happy. Almost miraculously. By the last scene, everyone is standing together, happily singing “Hum Saath Saath Hain” (“We are together.”) That’s kind of what happened in the finale of this book (except for the singing part!) It was so predictable and clichéd, not just in its narrative but also in its writing and character development. It killed the entire book for me. To put it in a different perspective, it started off as a Zoya Akhtar movie but ended up as a Sooraj Barjatya one. So what would have been a solid 4.5 stars slipped to just under 4 stars. Of course, this is just the pessimist in me. I know many readers will enjoy the formulaic happy ending. I too might have enjoyed it had I read it a decade ago. So nothing against the ending, but it wasn’t for me.
Glendy Vanderah’s love for nature springs forth on almost every page of the book. Never have I read a book that treats nature so respectfully and insightfully. Nature is almost a character on its own in this plot and that lends an added magic to the story. Overall, the story talks of the magic of not just nature but also of family, togetherness, forgiveness, healing, acceptance, and communication.
It is still worth a read, and a quick read too, in spite of the number of pages. Do give it a try, with lower expectations towards the end.
Thank you, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for the Advanced Review Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
Follow me on Instagram: RoshReviews
May 28, 2021
Awesome
This the most wonderful story I believe I've ever read.. The city I live in is even part of it. A family torn,. An abducted baby so much like her birth mother, A family coming together in such a wondrous way. Heartache, romance, suspense, plus a happy ending. I must confess I was tearful a lot during the last part. Love it, love it!!
This the most wonderful story I believe I've ever read.. The city I live in is even part of it. A family torn,. An abducted baby so much like her birth mother, A family coming together in such a wondrous way. Heartache, romance, suspense, plus a happy ending. I must confess I was tearful a lot during the last part. Love it, love it!!
March 27, 2021
I really enjoyed the first 75% of this book. I felt it was well written, the story was compelling and the characters were rich and complex. Then, something changed. The story became rushed, the interactions between the characters felt forced and trite and ...well, weird. The dialog was stilted. All of the stereotypical scenarios you can imagine were crammed into the last quarter of the book. An angry son, who abuses substances and has a near-death experience? Check. Gay ex-husband coming out of the closet to over-bearing and ultra-conservative mother? Check. Teen pregnancy, but with a support system that allows her to give birth in the wilderness with the support of her baby-daddy, mother, and extended family? Check. A profoundly damaged protagonist who kinda fixes herself, but never tells her partner of 10 years her history? Check. It felt like whoever edited this book gave up and said, "Eh, the first part is great, we'll let this fly." It was almost like I had a really great first date with someone who was articulate, engaged, and funny, who then tried to grope me and stick their tongue in my mouth out in the parking lot because they paid for dinner. So disappointed.
May 4, 2021
I loved this book from start to finish! Beautifully written, wonderful characters, a devastating opening! Ellis is the mother of twin 4yo boys and a new baby girl. She is driving to surprise her husband when she sees him kissing another woman, this upsets her and she drives to the woods, a place to think. . This section had me page turning barely able to breathe, and as the story progresses we follow Ellis as she deals with this and her own past (her mothers addiction, her marriage breakdown.) and in alternate sections . There’s a lot of themes from parenting, addictions, being close to nature, indoctrination, growing up, forgiveness, trust, and everything else! Yes it all comes together in a wonderful ending that is probably too neat but what a brilliant read!
March 13, 2021
Favorite Quotes:
“How did you get like this?” “Like what?” “Like here but not here. Like this snow I can’t touch without it melting in my hand.”
What Audrey Lind did forced our family skeletons out of the closet and turned them into flesh-eating zombies.
She never would trust fate. It always did what it wanted. Fate didn’t give a damn how good a person was, or how innocent a baby, before it swept them away.
“Can I hug you while you’re out of character?” “Okay. But hurry before the real me comes back.”
My Review:
This absorbing book was tragic, emotive, brilliant, shrewdly paced, heartrending, and crafted with exceptionally deft and thoughtfully insightful writing. I fell right into this divinely conjured tale while implanted and entrenched with her struggling characters throughout every well-crafted scene. I could hear the water flowing, smell the plants, and feel the bitter cold of winter and the blazing sun of a tropical summer. Glendy Vanderah has magic in her words. She spun me upside down and sideways, and I loved every minute of it.
“How did you get like this?” “Like what?” “Like here but not here. Like this snow I can’t touch without it melting in my hand.”
What Audrey Lind did forced our family skeletons out of the closet and turned them into flesh-eating zombies.
She never would trust fate. It always did what it wanted. Fate didn’t give a damn how good a person was, or how innocent a baby, before it swept them away.
“Can I hug you while you’re out of character?” “Okay. But hurry before the real me comes back.”
My Review:
This absorbing book was tragic, emotive, brilliant, shrewdly paced, heartrending, and crafted with exceptionally deft and thoughtfully insightful writing. I fell right into this divinely conjured tale while implanted and entrenched with her struggling characters throughout every well-crafted scene. I could hear the water flowing, smell the plants, and feel the bitter cold of winter and the blazing sun of a tropical summer. Glendy Vanderah has magic in her words. She spun me upside down and sideways, and I loved every minute of it.
December 26, 2020
After reading “Where The Forest Meets the Stars” earlier this year I was determined to obtain an ARC of Glendy Vanderahs upcoming release “The Light Through the Leaves”
What I didn’t expect was how much this book would resonate with me.
I took a very hard loss in 2017, my dad. Two days later, without warning, I was watching my daughter fight for her life on a Ventilator. After a long struggle I began to surround myself with life. Nature, is where I began to heal.
The universe and all of the healing power it possesses is the foundation of this poetic story about loss, grief, regret and nurturing ourselves off the ledge when life deals us a bad hand.
This Novel, like her last one, is hard to put down. Most books I want to get to the end to find out what happens but with her books I don’t think about what’s next because I’m so intrigued with where I’m at in the moment. Each page is a therapeutic exercise of mindfulness.
I would recommend this enchanting book to readers who like well developed, three dimensional characters. The kind of characters we can relate to and the sometimes not so good experiences we face.
Glendy Vanderah’s relationship with nature coupled with an endearing, evocative and beautifully picturesque writing technique will leave you yearning for more.
What I didn’t expect was how much this book would resonate with me.
I took a very hard loss in 2017, my dad. Two days later, without warning, I was watching my daughter fight for her life on a Ventilator. After a long struggle I began to surround myself with life. Nature, is where I began to heal.
The universe and all of the healing power it possesses is the foundation of this poetic story about loss, grief, regret and nurturing ourselves off the ledge when life deals us a bad hand.
This Novel, like her last one, is hard to put down. Most books I want to get to the end to find out what happens but with her books I don’t think about what’s next because I’m so intrigued with where I’m at in the moment. Each page is a therapeutic exercise of mindfulness.
I would recommend this enchanting book to readers who like well developed, three dimensional characters. The kind of characters we can relate to and the sometimes not so good experiences we face.
Glendy Vanderah’s relationship with nature coupled with an endearing, evocative and beautifully picturesque writing technique will leave you yearning for more.
June 16, 2022
I really enjoyed this family saga by Glendy Vanderah. Young mother Ellis is distracted while caring for three young children under the age of four and makes the mistake any parent could in sleep deprived chaos—she forgets to strap one of them into her van, leaving them behind at the park where they were playing. This is not an easy book to read as it examines the devastating effects on all members of Ellis’s family in the aftermath of Viola’s abduction (which at times isn’t pretty to watch), but it was thoroughly addictive and I found myself absorbed in the characters and the plot and unable to stop turning pages.
December 13, 2020
Glendy Vanderah’s love for nature shines through in this captivating story about love and loss and carrying on in the face of tragedy. Bursting with extraordinary moments of magic and beauty, it is an enchanting story that tugged at my heartstrings from the very first page and did not let go.
June 19, 2021
Wow, another incredible book by Glendy Vanderah.
Where the Forest Meets the Stars was my favourite book last year. I found this a far more difficult read as there is major trauma involved as the blurb will tell you, child abduction, sexual and physical assault and some very wounded characters. Viola and Ellis are two incredible, strong females that make this such a rewarding read, especially with such a cast of supporting characters.
I loved it.
Where the Forest Meets the Stars was my favourite book last year. I found this a far more difficult read as there is major trauma involved as the blurb will tell you, child abduction, sexual and physical assault and some very wounded characters. Viola and Ellis are two incredible, strong females that make this such a rewarding read, especially with such a cast of supporting characters.
I loved it.
April 7, 2021
3.75 stars ⭐️
March 12, 2021
This review is long and contains spoilers!
Ellis's baby daughter goes missing. Afraid that she is going to repeat her own mother's mistakes, she leaves her family for good and goes on a self-help trip.
In the meantime, baby Viola, now called Raven, is raised by a woman who truly believes the Earth spirits have answered her call for a baby.
This story goes back and forth between Ellis's and Raven's story before they necessarily converge in the last part of the book. I have so many problems with this novel.
First, there is Ellis losing one of her children and deciding the best thing to do in this case is to leave the other two. I'm oversimplifying, but that's the gist of it. Then, out of the box, she meets Mr Perfect and while it takes some time, they get together soon enough and live happily ever after. Ellis's explanation is that like a damaged tree, she learnt to build walls around the part of her that is broken so that the rest of her can still thrive. I'm not against somebody getting a second chance in life, but it makes me angry when they pay for it with their children's happiness. Because all the while she got to do what she wanted, her sons grew up knowing that their mother had rejected them.
Raven's story is much less problematic but you can't help but wonder why she never figured out that her mother was lying to her.
I also hate the ending, because everything is absolutely perfect by the end. There's happy ending and then there's this. It is all topped by Raven gifting her baby to Ellis and everybody acting as if this is something people do. Here, have a baby. I can always make more of them if I want to.
The book wasn't even well written. There are parts in there that make it so obvious the author didn't know how to get from point a to point b and she didn't put much effort into making it sound good. The whole part between Raven's abductive mother dying and Raven meeting her real mother reads like it was written in one day and then never looked at again. By this point I was reading out of spite just to see how much more ridiculous it could get.
Ellis's baby daughter goes missing. Afraid that she is going to repeat her own mother's mistakes, she leaves her family for good and goes on a self-help trip.
In the meantime, baby Viola, now called Raven, is raised by a woman who truly believes the Earth spirits have answered her call for a baby.
This story goes back and forth between Ellis's and Raven's story before they necessarily converge in the last part of the book. I have so many problems with this novel.
First, there is Ellis losing one of her children and deciding the best thing to do in this case is to leave the other two. I'm oversimplifying, but that's the gist of it. Then, out of the box, she meets Mr Perfect and while it takes some time, they get together soon enough and live happily ever after. Ellis's explanation is that like a damaged tree, she learnt to build walls around the part of her that is broken so that the rest of her can still thrive. I'm not against somebody getting a second chance in life, but it makes me angry when they pay for it with their children's happiness. Because all the while she got to do what she wanted, her sons grew up knowing that their mother had rejected them.
Raven's story is much less problematic but you can't help but wonder why she never figured out that her mother was lying to her.
I also hate the ending, because everything is absolutely perfect by the end. There's happy ending and then there's this. It is all topped by Raven gifting her baby to Ellis and everybody acting as if this is something people do. Here, have a baby. I can always make more of them if I want to.
The book wasn't even well written. There are parts in there that make it so obvious the author didn't know how to get from point a to point b and she didn't put much effort into making it sound good. The whole part between Raven's abductive mother dying and Raven meeting her real mother reads like it was written in one day and then never looked at again. By this point I was reading out of spite just to see how much more ridiculous it could get.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2021
Such incredible writing! Vanderah has created deeply flawed characters who highlight issues related to grief, traumatic guilt, mental wellness/illness, substance abuse, and forgiveness. This was a book I could not put down, and I was 100% invested in these characters. The settings Vanderah created were incredibly palpable as well. Nature became the redemptive, breathing life of this story. I am so happy to have found Glendy Vanderah's talented storytelling in 2019 and was ecstatic to see her work being promoted via Amazon First Reads. Well-deserved. Check it out.
My favorite quote:
“Who could know their future with a person they cared about? And even if they did somehow find out something bad was going to happen with that person, would they give up on them? Let them suffer alone? Love couldn’t be removed like a thorn from a thumb.”
My favorite quote:
“Who could know their future with a person they cared about? And even if they did somehow find out something bad was going to happen with that person, would they give up on them? Let them suffer alone? Love couldn’t be removed like a thorn from a thumb.”
October 31, 2022
Distracted by other things happening, Ellis leaves her baby unattended. When she returns a short time later baby Viola is gone. With a marriage that is already more than a little fractured, Ellis tries to deal with her guilt and grief over the baby with addiction. Convinced she will only bring more harm to her two young sons River and Jasper, Eliss leaves them with her husband Jonah and retreats to a mountain wilderness.
In a remote area of Washington a young girl, named Raven is convinced by Mama to keep secrets. This especially means not telling anyone about Mama and the earth spirits she converses with. Mama constantly warns Raven of the dangers in the world and so she is home-schooled. Until she meets Jackie, his mother who is a teacher at the local school, and his friends. More secrets Raven has to keep, since Mama attempts to keep her isolated from the world. But when the world intrudes, Raven’s life starts to change in several ways. Some are positive but others only serve to complicate her life.
I admit it was the evocative cover and the title that initially drew me to bring this book home from the library. I was so glad I did. This is a intriguing read. Something a bit different. It certainly got me in. It raises questions about nature versus nurture, family dynamics, beliefs, mental issues as well as addiction and its effects not just on the addict but others around them. All handled in a sensitive manner. The characters really come to life. Some parts require a suspension of disbelief and there are triggers of violent acts that could upset some people. And maybe the number of issues dealt with could have been culled, along with some of the too neat ending. But overall an atmospheric book that I wanted to keep reading and did enjoy.
In a remote area of Washington a young girl, named Raven is convinced by Mama to keep secrets. This especially means not telling anyone about Mama and the earth spirits she converses with. Mama constantly warns Raven of the dangers in the world and so she is home-schooled. Until she meets Jackie, his mother who is a teacher at the local school, and his friends. More secrets Raven has to keep, since Mama attempts to keep her isolated from the world. But when the world intrudes, Raven’s life starts to change in several ways. Some are positive but others only serve to complicate her life.
I admit it was the evocative cover and the title that initially drew me to bring this book home from the library. I was so glad I did. This is a intriguing read. Something a bit different. It certainly got me in. It raises questions about nature versus nurture, family dynamics, beliefs, mental issues as well as addiction and its effects not just on the addict but others around them. All handled in a sensitive manner. The characters really come to life. Some parts require a suspension of disbelief and there are triggers of violent acts that could upset some people. And maybe the number of issues dealt with could have been culled, along with some of the too neat ending. But overall an atmospheric book that I wanted to keep reading and did enjoy.
May 29, 2023
Nie mogłam oderwać się od tej książki! Mamy w niej dwa wątki. Pierwszy z nich dotyczy Ellis Abbey, która pewnego dnia zostawia w lesie kilkumiesięczną córeczkę. Gdy po nią wraca, po małej nie ma śladu. Ellis targana wyrzutami sumienia postanawia odejść od męża i synów. Wyrusza samotnie na górską wędrówkę. Drugim wątkiem jest ten poświęcony Raven, odizolowanej od świata zewnętrznego dziewczynce, która ma szczególną więź z przyrodą, co od razu przywiodło mi na myśl historię Kyi Clark z „Gdzie śpiewają raki”. Jeśli więc lubicie powieść Delii Owens, wydaje mi się, że polubicie się również z książką Glendy Vanderah.
Oba wątki się przeplatają tworząc piękną i niesamowicie przejmującą opowieść o miłości, stracie, przebaczeniu, żalu czy zmaganiu się z traumą. Autorka porusza wiele trudnych tematów, takich jak np. skutki nieleczonej choroby psychicznej, porwanie dziecka, uzależnienie, porzucenie rodziny. Może właśnie dlatego przymykam oko na zakończenie, które w moim odczuciu jest trochę zbyt szybkie i za bardzo przesłodzone. Biorąc jednak pod uwagę wszystko to, przez co przeszli bohaterowie tej książki… Dobra, nie będę się czepiać :) Chętnie sięgnę po inne książki tej autorki. Ta na pewno trafi do grona moich ulubieńców tego roku. Gorąco polecam!
Oba wątki się przeplatają tworząc piękną i niesamowicie przejmującą opowieść o miłości, stracie, przebaczeniu, żalu czy zmaganiu się z traumą. Autorka porusza wiele trudnych tematów, takich jak np. skutki nieleczonej choroby psychicznej, porwanie dziecka, uzależnienie, porzucenie rodziny. Może właśnie dlatego przymykam oko na zakończenie, które w moim odczuciu jest trochę zbyt szybkie i za bardzo przesłodzone. Biorąc jednak pod uwagę wszystko to, przez co przeszli bohaterowie tej książki… Dobra, nie będę się czepiać :) Chętnie sięgnę po inne książki tej autorki. Ta na pewno trafi do grona moich ulubieńców tego roku. Gorąco polecam!
December 23, 2022
Ouch!
This author took 14 hours and 14 minutes to turn a story with great potential and a compelling premise into one that lacked intrigue and dragged on and on and on.
The book started off strong but completely tanked at 15%.
Quite frankly, I am baffled by all of the 5-star reviews.
This book is about the tragic abduction of a child and the devastating impact on family members.
After reading the publisher's blurb, I was expecting the book to be very similar to Helen Ross Klein's "What Was Mine" which, BTW, was a 5-star read for me.
Unfortunately, this book failed to deliver.
I listened to the audiobook. The book was told from two POVs and would have benefited from two narrators.
This author took 14 hours and 14 minutes to turn a story with great potential and a compelling premise into one that lacked intrigue and dragged on and on and on.
The book started off strong but completely tanked at 15%.
Quite frankly, I am baffled by all of the 5-star reviews.
This book is about the tragic abduction of a child and the devastating impact on family members.
After reading the publisher's blurb, I was expecting the book to be very similar to Helen Ross Klein's "What Was Mine" which, BTW, was a 5-star read for me.
Unfortunately, this book failed to deliver.
I listened to the audiobook. The book was told from two POVs and would have benefited from two narrators.
Want to read
October 7, 2020Finally a new book from Glendy Vanderah. I loved Where the Forest Meets the Stars, it's one of my favourite books, and this one sound just as interesting! Can't wait for 2021!
April 19, 2021
What would you do if you were in an unhappy marriage, overwhelmed and then on an outing with your children, drove off, leaving your daughter, Viola, behind in her car seat in the forest? Only to go back and she is nowhere to be found?
That in and of itself is enough fodder for a story. That in and of itself is excruciatingly painful for Ellis, the mother, to live with. Oh the dangerous things that happen to her as she leaves behind the rest of her family to find herself and amend for her sins. It is heartbreaking.
On the other side of this story is Raven, who is Viola. This is not a spoiler, it’s easy to figure out. She is safe, she is well cared for, but isolated. She was a baby when taken, so only knows her current life and current mother. Her current mother has emotional, mental ties to the earth and land, that is her “religion” and she speaks and teaches Raven of its learnings and its gifts. This part is also heartbreaking. Especially when Raven pushes out past her boundaries and sees people and life that she has not experienced before.
The story continues and it amps up to be a very satisfying, and at times, a complicated read. There is a lot going on - with all characters - especially when they all come together and betrayals and past history are revealed. When it all finally falls into place, and I never expected it to happen so easily when there were so many hurts and transgressions and secrets by everyone in the story. I feel that it falls into place easily because it’s all tied up so well by the author. What they all go through in the end is certainly not “easy.” There are timelines that appeared to be rushed - we lose track of time here and now and before and then, but I didn’t see that as a problem for myself. I was able to keep up with the changes.
That in and of itself is enough fodder for a story. That in and of itself is excruciatingly painful for Ellis, the mother, to live with. Oh the dangerous things that happen to her as she leaves behind the rest of her family to find herself and amend for her sins. It is heartbreaking.
On the other side of this story is Raven, who is Viola. This is not a spoiler, it’s easy to figure out. She is safe, she is well cared for, but isolated. She was a baby when taken, so only knows her current life and current mother. Her current mother has emotional, mental ties to the earth and land, that is her “religion” and she speaks and teaches Raven of its learnings and its gifts. This part is also heartbreaking. Especially when Raven pushes out past her boundaries and sees people and life that she has not experienced before.
The story continues and it amps up to be a very satisfying, and at times, a complicated read. There is a lot going on - with all characters - especially when they all come together and betrayals and past history are revealed. When it all finally falls into place, and I never expected it to happen so easily when there were so many hurts and transgressions and secrets by everyone in the story. I feel that it falls into place easily because it’s all tied up so well by the author. What they all go through in the end is certainly not “easy.” There are timelines that appeared to be rushed - we lose track of time here and now and before and then, but I didn’t see that as a problem for myself. I was able to keep up with the changes.
March 24, 2021
Apparently, I'm in the minority on this one but this book simply did nothing for me. I was so excited to read Glendy Vanderah's new novel since I absolutely loved "Where the Forest Meets the Stars," but this book pales in comparison. I found too many of the characters unbelievable, unlikeable, and stereotypically cartoonish. Many conversations laugh-out-loud bad and characters' actions outlandishly self-destructive. And I'm sorry, but I really can't believe that any kid could possibly remain so naive especially after nurturing friendships and participating in activities with those in the "outside world." But what a perfect little bow it was all tied up into at the end. Sadly, this one was a big miss for me.
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