:: The Eve Tree :: a book review

I've followed Journey Mama's blog for a few years now. I love her writing style and her adventures with her family have been wonderful reading material; however, even better, she's just published her first novel and I'm excited about reviewing it for you here!  

The Eve Tree

by Rachel Devenish Ford

"All people had some sort of material running through them, something that held them up, kept them from folding into themselves.  Catherine's felt like iron.  Even when she wanted to let go, even when she was trying to let go, she could barely bend.  Her late husband could have told you.  But Molly's core was weak, flexible.  A straw, or a reed.  A daisy stem."

"It was no wonder now that Molly felt puny beside her mother, no wonder that she wavered now, torn between acquiescence and the need to stand up for herself."

"The leaves of the oak rustled again, and Molly looked at them.  The sound filled her with longing, and she realized where she needed to be.  She wanted the Eve tree."

Family relationships.  Generational ties.  "The dark, slippery places of the mind".  The Eve Tree delves deeply into all of these.  

This novel begins simply enough with the story of a woman, a ranch, and a forest fire threatening land, animals, and a way of life.  As it progresses, and the words flow across the page, woven into the simplicity of the plot is an emotional depth and complexity that has such a strong pull on the reader that it could aptly be described as  "page-turner".  

I found myself re-reading sentences and paragraphs again and again, savouring their almost prose-like quality. The author has a gift for minutely describing detail in a way that allows the reader to sense exactly what's happening. There are no wasted words, no rambling scenes, no dragging plot.  No useless dialogue or boring characters that make you feel like speed-reading.  Scooping up every spare word from the page, you feel thirsty for more until the final sentence plays itself out in front of your eyes.

I feel averse to describing too much.  This is definitely a case of "less is more".  Just get your hands on a copy, and read it.  You can check out Rae's blog here.