The Catalpa Tree

by Denyse Devlin

When Jude is orphaned at fourteen, her father's best friend comes to the rescue. Oliver wants to remain her friend as well as her guardian, but spirited Jude isn't a girl you can shelter from the world - not after she's already suffered so much heartache. And with each passing year, both Jude and Oliver struggle in their own ways against the ties that bind them. What place has love inside and outside of their relationship? Who is really protecting whom - especially when Jude grows into a desirable young woman? And what future can a relationship with so many complications ever really have?

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Literature

468 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Denyse Devlin, who also writes as Denyse Woods, was born in Boston in 1958 and is the daughter of an Irish diplomat. As a result of that, and of her career as a translator in the Middle East, she has travelled extensively and had many homes around the world. In 1987 she settled in Co. Cork with her husband. They have two teenage daughters.

Reviews

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled upon The Catalpa Tree a few years ago at my local bookstore and I picked it up on a whim. I have never been more blindsided by a book. I did not expect to love it as much as I did. I couldn't put it down! I stayed up all night reading and bawled my eyes out when I was done. I was an emotional wreck for days. I never thought I could be so affected by a book. The story still haunts me to this day. A beautiful, heart-wrenching piece of fiction.

[Tory · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far the best book that no one has heard of.

[Ameerah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best underrated read ever

A friend knew I loved books and recommended this to me. Paying it forward: I recommend this to whoever reads this review

This book is achingly tragic and opened me up to emotional, core-shaking fiction. The characters are relatable and lovely. It's a page-turner for sure! Denyse Devlin has a way of having you cheering for the characters by making them real to you.

I didn't give it the full 5 stars because her use of metaphors was excessive and muddled. She had trouble at the end and sort of laboured the point a bit and dragged out an ending. Otherwise a lovely read and a book I keep re-reading.

An aside: this could make an amazing movie with Michael Fassbender as Oliver.

[Issi]

Typical wee Irish story - a sad twist at the end.

[Gemma Coles · Rating 4 out of 5]

It made me cry my eyes out and I couldnt put it down. However it was such a mixture of being captivating and sad I cant say I really enjoyed it.......

[Asghar Abbas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unusual friendships segueing into natural relationships. But almost.

[Sarah Chantler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the story, a really enjoyable read with well rounded characters.

[SheReads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't believe at one point in my life, I was super excited to read this book, only to be let down, and quite frankly disappointed. The book was so overwhelmingly dramatic, and honestly at times made my blood boil with anger. I just wished we saw the heroine expand her wings, it seemed she was always dependant with the "hero" (which she totally was) and got to see her live HER LIFE, not just assume at the end of the book, and possibly assume she reunited with hero again. But then another assumption could be they are real soulmates, Yet star-crossed lovers, who took a different life path. On the other hand, as readers will never really know, because the ending was not concrete. I also think what made the book hard to love was the hero. He was messy, (sure somewhat lost), but man his choice in women, and looking at it from the side, it makes me question who he really loved, or who he was trying to make up for deep deep down. I will be sharing in a bit more detail why the story didn't do so well for me, which will contain spoilers.

Though I will say writing was good, those who adore drama and don't mind other women drama will maybe like it.

When I found out:
-Hero was in love with heroine's deceased mom, and that heroine looks and acts like her
-When he knocked up heroine's dead beat aunt, and heroine was to just accept being a cousin/step mom to his little girl in her early 20s (this was honestly hard to even imagine)
-Omg, when I guess it was kinda settled that she would live her young life, and just be "independent" and hero agreed, only for this naive girl to even assume he would suicide?! and drown himself? Lol and him saying like no, no you're crazy I wouldn't do that, I have my daughter and myself to think about (the audacity) and here heroine was "saving him" and even ready to "die" with him, only for them to still part. Like that scene was a bit unnecessarily funny but hey the girl was obsessed with him.
-I love age gaps, though 19 year difference was a bit much, I overlooked it because their love could be simple and possible: Heroine would live, continue studying, travel, marry and probably have kids (at her timing) within next 4-10 years?, they would have even co-parent hero's other son well, UNTIL his daughter came along. The SEPARATION just messed up the timeline and any possible chance. Because assume, she takes years to herself, hero will be older. And while older fathers are wiser and financially set, they aren't as healthy anymore. So the age gap didn't work well in the end.
-Heroine didn't get to date around, because the only other "guy" was Hero's younger brother, yet HE was able to move on from her and marry on lol. I'm over heroine's being virgins and naive in romance books, and thinking heroes are the only men in the overpopulated world. (Will understand this book was published in 2004)
-There are a few more reasons why the "romance" didn't work well for me, but I think this is a very long review already. In the end, I just hoped that Jude may have have travelled and met a special person of her age range and falls in love and has her own family./

[Kaylie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unintentionally, I seem to have visited The Catalpa Tree at the same ages as its characters. First, when I was 14 or 15, as Jude is during the opening scenes, when I loved it for how very grown-up it felt. Second, when I was in my 20s, as Jude is by the end, when I couldn't see what I'd liked about it in the first place. Finally, for now, at 33 — Oliver's age. Yet despite having this and an identity as a writer in common with Oliver, it was still Jude who captured my attention.

Jude's emotions are big and raw, conveyed in pleasing prose which made me tear up and say 'ouch' more than once. In that regard, The Catalpa Tree reminded me of The Thorn Birds, and they have tropes in common, too. There's certainly a lot happening — the plot moves from one tragedy to another, one complication to the next. While it wasn't as relentless as The Anubis Gates , it bordered on being too intense to be believed.

Denyse Devlin's characters all seem real, and I certainly cared about what happened to them, and yet this isn't as satisfyingly meaty in terms of character development as some other books I've read. The focus of The Catalpa Tree is on emotions and relationships, rather than personality. Perhaps that very single-minded focus means missing out on getting a sense of who these characters are without each other.

The Catalpa Tree was an enjoyable, emotional read. Since I'm not ready to part with it from my bookshelf just yet, maybe I'll come back to it at 35 or later to see what I make of it then.

[Anna Devereux · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourites - I've never really put my finger fully on why. I just loved learning the characters, seeing them change and grow. Am a sucker for these kinds of stories.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite books of all time. So good I cried when it ended. A must read for anyone! Heartwarming, unexpected and tragic all at once. Loved it.

[Adam³ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing of the book was beautiful the only reason why I gave it 4 stars was the ending. I personally find it not satisfying and it leaves me with too much questions.

[Missy Cahill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book surprised me by being extremely well written and had a great plot to boot. I think the reason I gave it 3 and a half stars was the ending, yes it was disappointing, but I felt the author had to rely on cheap tricks for things to actually develop and take flight. The relationship between Jude and Oliver, isn't as creepy as it could have been and is a very natural progression that makes sense and will leave you rooting for them both.



It's a very easy read and the Devlin paints a gorgeous picture of Connemara and the South of France.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book in a local charity shop and I'm glad I did! This book is captivating. I found the characters of Jude and Oliver heart-wrenching- sharing times of grief and happiness while both rejecting and acknowledging the undeniable connection between them. I found the ending abrupt but in such a way that you stayed with the characters until the very last word. I hope even now that they found happiness....an absolutely addictive and emotional book that will sit on my shelf for many years to come.

[Kristin Gleeson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book increasingly absorbing the more I read on, despite the head hopping, that at times was disconcerting. Devlin deftly describes the intensive relationships between the two main characters and how it changes subtly over the years. It is a very intensive read at times that takes you through their own rollercoaster of experiences. She really had a good pulse on demonstrating the complexity of relationships.

[Avril Dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really lovely story. Wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much. The only reason for a four and not five star is that the ongoing 'arguments' between the two main characters (in particular the strops thrown by Jude as a teenager and later as a young woman) started to get under my skin. I understand it's the typical behaviour of a teenager - particularly who had so much to deal with but it started to do my head in. A very enjoyable read.

[Joanne Mcneill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Club book... I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, although some of it was disturbing...loved the characters individually although at times I wanted to give Jude a good shake... Not sure if Denyse Devlin has written any other books but will be having a look to see if this was a fluke or does she have another "good" book in her.. X

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book a few years ago and remember it as a great read. The two main characters Jude and Oliver are explored in depth and can be identified with emotionally as the book proceeds. Definately recommended!

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really great read and thankfully NOTHING like Anne Tyler, as someone compared her to. Things happen in this book, it's a page -turner and compulsive reading - everything Tylers' novels are not. More please.

[Merna Karam · Rating 5 out of 5]

i LOVED IT !!! very well written and great characters ; it was so much fun to read ; wasnt able to put it down

[Gia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark and twisted. One of my favourite books. Devlin has this way of narrating that haunts the reader even years after reading her book.

[Windy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable if slightly predictable. A compelling read, not too heavy which is what I wanted for a holiday read.

[Merna Karam · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books, real page turner, haunts me years later ♥️

[Kellytee · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite books ever.

[Kate Berkeley]

Tilly recommended

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just ok.