Title: The Communing Tree
Author: Theresa Verboort
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 978-1532051494
Pages: 220
Genre: Coming of Age Fiction/Action & Adventure Fiction/Teen & Young Adult
Reviewed by: Anthony Avina
Pacific Book Review
Far too often in life, people are forced to survive great struggles and hardships no one should be forced to endure. Winston Churchill once said, “We shall draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival.” In author Theresa Verboort’s novel The Communing Tree, the author explores the cost of survival.
In this novel, two young girls who have spent eight years away from society as their father, a Vietnam soldier suffering from PTSD, seeks solace away from the world, find their world turned upside down as their parents and older brother are murdered. The oldest sister, Judith, must help raise and protect her younger sister Kali at their grandmother’s cabin in the woods, after their grandmother also passes away. However, a mysterious stranger begins helping the girls, and they must question if this stranger is a key to the outside world, or will keep them alone forever.
A truly multi-layered story of survival, the author does a brilliant job of exploring several themes throughout the book. The story itself is rich and in-depth, starting the story immediately with a devastating event for the protagonist before delving into the aftermath war has on soldiers, an age of religious cult mentality and the depths a person will go to in order to protect the people they love most. By the time the mystery stranger arrives into the story, Judith has already established a long and painful history that really reflects the growth her character undergoes as the story moves forward.
This is the perfect read for anyone who enjoys YA Coming of Age stories, with hints of action and adventure, survival and drama. As a fan of the genre, the story did a great job of really allowing me as a reader to feel immersed into the narrative and the struggle these two sisters had in the face of such great tragedy.
A well written, average length read, author Theresa Verboort’s The Communing Tree is a must-read book filled with emotional storytelling, full realized character development and a gripping tale which readers will not want to miss. If two women’s survival against not only Mother Nature but the world of man is something you enjoy reading, then be sure to grab your copy of this novel today!
