The epic reader: A Sound Among the Trees,

-My random thoughts-

This novel is a different sort then my normal genre. I tend to prefer Adventure, Sci-fi, suspense, Fantasy or Mystery. Romance isn't even on my radar. Yet, for some reason, I was drawn to A Sound Among the Trees. Probably because of the ghost mentions, and the likely hood of Susanna being a Ghost. I wasn't truly disappointed, as I hadn't given it much expectations, I was just going to try it out, and see what it was like. But, I wasn't thoroughly satisfied either.

-Publisher's description-

A house shrouded in time.
A line of women with a heritage of loss.

As a young bride, Susannah Page was rumored to be a Civil War spy for the North, a traitor to her Virginian roots. Her great-granddaughter Adelaide, the current matriarch of Holly Oak, doesn’t believe that Susannah’s ghost haunts the antebellum mansion looking for a pardon, but rather the house itself bears a grudge toward its tragic past.
When Marielle Bishop marries into the family and is transplanted from the arid west to her husband’s home, it isn’t long before she is led to believe that the house she just settled into brings misfortune to the women who live there.
With Adelaide’s richly peppered superstitions and deep family roots at stake, Marielle must sort out the truth about Susannah

-Info to know-

Author: Susan Meissner

My recommended age: 13+

Their recommended age: NA

Publisher: Waterbrook Press

Number of pages: 336

· Characters: I must say, they were good. I really liked Adelheid, and the whole Confederate thing made me very happy (Would you unfollow me if I told you I was a Rebel at heart?). None lacked dimension, every character was themselves. And Pearl...Oh, dear, silly old Pearl. I really did like her.

· Plot: I had at turns thought, "Susanna is haunting Holly Oak". Then, went to the idea that she wasn't, It was nice, though, I wouldn't have minded if Susanna WAS a...well...I'd spoil it to say anything further. Lets just say, yet again, I wasn't disappointed for satisfied. the thing that pleased me the most was Caroline. I really enjoyed that.

· Writing: I liked the writing. It was easy, clear and just all around good.

· Cover: The cover is pretty, and I keep looking at it mainly to look at it. And it is nice having a real picture of Holly Oak.

· Ending: In some ways, I was so-so about it. But, as stated eariler, I REALLY liked how the Caroline situation was healed.

· World building I live in the South, so I could picture everything as it was written, and I think Meissner did really well in describing my beloved South.

Cons:

For me, it was a little bit boring. Not all, just a wee bit. and it didn't stick out and make me love it and swoon over it. I don't truly know if that is a Con, as I just don't think it is my style of novel.

Pros:

It didn't rat out the Confederates, in fact, if anything, it made them look good. BIG plus for me.

It was a sweet novel, just not for me.

Language:

None.

Romance and sexual content:

Mariel and Susanna were/are married, and there is one or two comments about sleeping. But nothing crude or distasteful, but just in a way of, "Thats what happens when people get married". I don't really feel it was bad. I wouldn't read it to a little kid, just because they wouldn't understand, but if the reader already knows, I see nothing wrong.

Violence:

None.

Drugs and drink:

None.

Ratings:

Hard one. I think the book would probably be a 5 star to someone who liked reading 'romance' (I call A Sound Among the Trees a romance, but it is deeper, more then that. Its not a tiddly little, guy meets gal, falls in love romance. Its a romance of Mariel to Carson, and Susanna to Nathaniel, of falling in love with your spouse.). I didn't particular love the book, while I did enjoy reading it, I would enjoy reading the worst book ever written just to poke fun at it and the simple joy of just reading. So it is hard to write a true rating.

It was a good book. If you enjoy Romance novels with a historic twist to them, then I think it would be a 5 star for you. If you dislike romances, and they just don't interest you at all, a 3. I think I will meet in the middle.

I rate the book: