Explore our new BookBrowse Community Forum!

Read advance reader review of The Forgetting Tree by Tatjana Soli, page 2 of 5

Summary | Reviews | More Information | More Books

The Forgetting Tree by Tatjana Soli

The Forgetting Tree

A Novel

by Tatjana Soli

  • Critics' Consensus:
  • Published:
  • Aug 2013, 432 pages
  • Rate this book

  • Buy This Book

About this book

Reviews


Page 2 of 5
There are currently 33 member reviews
for The Forgetting Tree
Order Reviews by:
  • Barbara O. (Maryland Heights, MO)
    A Magical Journey
    "The Forgetting Tree" is Claire's story, at first, her happy successful life, then tragedy followed by numbness and illness. A page turner as you journey with Claire back to her youth and forward through great pain to peace. Vivid in it's scent and color and characters, this is a beautiful and magical story.
  • Mary Q. (Greeley, CO)
    The Forgetting Tree
    I was immediately drawn to this book because of its gorgeous cover and the fact that I'd read and loved Tatjana Soli's other novel, The Lotus Eaters. This one I liked slightly less, but it generally kept my interest and educated me in various ways. At certain moments I felt frustrated with the time frames abruptly going back and forth -- I didn't feel a good flow as a result. But it was an interesting story with well-defined characters, and Tatjana Soli writes SO well. All in all, I'm glad I read this book and will recommend it to my friends who enjoy the types of books I do.
  • Gwendolyn D. (Houston, TX)
    Lyrical family epic
    I really enjoyed reading about this farming family, particularly the strong matriarch. The first part of the novel was entertaining and heartbreaking. The last third of the book takes a dark turn that I wasn't expecting. Overall, I enjoyed the experience, but the last third was a little tough to get through for me.
  • Martha D. (Poway, CA)
    I'm still not sure...
    ...what I felt about this story. I was both fascinated and frustrated by Claire and her dedication to her land. I did find both Claire and Minna's story in the second half of the book, as another reviewer said, "haunting" and rather "spooky". And the end left me with many questions, which is not always a bad thing. I am still thinking about it so that says something about the story.
  • Mary H. (Phoenix, AZ)
    An unpredictable personal influence.
    This story takes the reader on a journey that tests the origins of our faith and belief in a positive future. How much mental and physical stress can a person endure and still display hope. The magic of personal belief and the ability to demonstrate an understanding of what is truly important in one's life. Family, physical possessions, health, wealth, memories and trust build this complex story. You will not be disappointed and you may even gain a new perspective on your own life. The book is most enjoyable.
  • Carol N. (San Jose, CA)
    The Forgetting Tree
    The “Tree” is a mystifying, complex novel that focuses on two forgiveness-seeking women, Claire, the citrus farm owner, and Marie/Minna, the enigmatic and beautiful Caribbean care keeper. Their relationship is engrossing, two damaged, but powerful women each seeking endurance and survival.

    With a slow start, the second part of the book really grabbed me with its complicated and haunting storyline as Minna becomes the common presence in the life vulnerable Claire. This story with its multi-layered themes was very dramatic and somewhat “spooky” and kept me reading well into the night.
  • Linda P. (Rockport, ME)
    The Forgetting Tree
    Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Tatjana Soli’s debut novel, "The Lotus Eaters," I waited with baited breath for my copy of "The Forgetting Tree," an intriguing and complex tale of unlikely soulmates, serendipitously brought together at a failing family citrus ranch in California. As in "Lotus," Soli enriches a complex plot with page-turning prose and dramatic detail, some of which is historic and enlightening.

    This is not light reading. "The Forgetting Tree" paints an intriguing picture of a symbiotic relationship nourished by personal tragedy and the instinct to survive. The ending may leave you, as it did me, with unanswered questions, but sometimes that’s just the way life is.

Read-Alikes

Top Picks

  • Book Jacket: Graveyard Shift
    Graveyard Shift
    by M. L. Rio
    Following the success of her debut novel, If We Were Villains, M. L. Rio's latest book is the quasi-...
  • Book Jacket: The Sisters K
    The Sisters K
    by Maureen Sun
    The Kim sisters—Minah, Sarah, and Esther—have just learned their father is dying of ...
  • Book Jacket: Linguaphile
    Linguaphile
    by Julie Sedivy
    From an infant's first attempts to connect with the world around them to the final words shared with...
  • Book Jacket
    The Rest of You
    by Maame Blue
    At the start of Maame Blue's The Rest of You, Whitney Appiah, a Ghanaian Londoner, is ringing in her...

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    Pony Confidential
    by Christina Lynch

    In this whimsical mystery, a grumpy pony must clear his beloved human's name from a murder accusation.

Who Said...

We've heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare...

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

F the M

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.