Posts
All Comments
She said she wanted to be like the trees, that she had read they were most trusting of creatures because they put their roots down in one place, knowing they'd be there for their entire lives."
~Page 41
Title: the Language of Trees
Author: Ilie Ruby
ISBN: 978-0061898648
Publisher: Avon HarperCollins/2010
Pages:339
One only has to look at the trees to learn all about roots, being totally grounded or be down to earth. Every part of a tree speaks to us. Reaches out to us. This novel too does that for the reader. Yet we find the novel in the realms of what is nowadays called magical realism. Roots (of ones own self) and flying (that of the mind) go hand in hand.
Grant Shongo is back to his roots in Canandaiga, to deal with his broken heart. His wife has left him and he knows that only solace he will get is by coming back to his childhood home. He also knows that his Seneca blood will not let him rest until he deals with a past tragedy. The spirit of a young boy, haunts him.
Melanie and her sister are unable to get over the death of their younger brother, Luke, which happened more than a decade ago. Almost eveyone who had been connected with Luke, has not been able to get over it. THen Melanie disappears all of a sudden leaving her boyfriend, Lion and their newly born son, Lucas...
Echo O'Connell, too comes back to the place she calls home after 15 years. When she meets with Grant again, she knows that, she can't go back, leaving her first love. But before both can find love love again, they have to face the past, the spirits of the place, the whisperings of the trees. Echo has to let Grant know, what he really is. Only then the healing can overcome the past tragedy, the spirit may leave to rest eternally.
How the lives of Grant, Echo, Melanie are connected by a spirit? Why is Luke not ready t leave yet? The secondary charracters are all essential for the story and have been well etched out by the author. I really loved the language in the Language of Trees, both literally and figuratively.
Title: The Queen of Palmyra
Author: Minrose Gwin
ISBN: 978-0061840326
Publisher: Harper Perennial/2010
Pages: 416
Based in summer of 1963, in Milkwood, it depicts those times in the eyes of 11 year old Florence Forrest. Her father is a racist and mother is the cake lady, who is trying to get away from her brutal marriage by drinking and bootlegging. Florence finds a friend in the form of her grandparents maid, Zenie, which is a soetrt form of Zenobia, the Queen of Palmyra. Zenie can simply considers Florence as unwanted chore but Florence look forward to being with her every day.
Florence's father has a dark secret, which even when revealed to the young girl, is not comprehended by her. She doesn't understand class or colur differences and her father is totally racist. He is abusive too for her and her mother. ONly her grandparents seem to be somewhat tolerant towards coloured people.
Everything seems to be peaceful until the day Eva Greene, Zenie's niece appears in time. Along with college, she too is selling insurance like Florence's father. In a race divided community, it is unthinkable and tragedy strikes.
Florence's relationship with Zenie and Eva is well brought out. Zenie barely tolerates her but Eva cares for the girl. Both bond well. Florence's mother gets drunk to forget her abusive husband. She in her own way even tries to protect the black community.
Florence tries to understand all that is happening around her and her struggles are well depicted. She is naive in the beginning but circumstances do make her grow up and all the other characterisation have been done very well.
It did remind me of To Kill a Mockingbird. And that is saying something about the novel. With good prose, Minrose Gwin has written a winner.
