The Beach Trees
May 4, 2011
Author: Karen White
Publisher: NAL Accent/Penguin
Publication Date: May 3, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-451-23307-3
This is the 6th Karen White book that the Dew has reviewed! Wow! I will have to say, that given the location and background story surrounding the main tale, this is my favorite.
Set in the 1950/60s and also present day, it deals with the very shady happenings between two families as their lives intertwine. The story timeline istself is centered around Hurricane Camille and the restoration efforts from Hurricane Katrina. What I so enjoyed, beside the story itself, was that while New Orleans and the damage there was certainly discussed, Mississippi and the damage it sustained in both hurricanes was a major subject. I always have felt that the towns I am so fond of on the Mississippi Gulf Coast are often overshadowed and forgotten so I was so pleased to see it be as visible as it is in this story.
Karen's descriptions in this book make you feel like you're right there in the moment.
Julie is a women who's been "lost" for years. She didn't watch her sister like she was told to when she was 12 and has suffered unending guilt since then. You see, she went into the house, leaving the yard unguarded and her sister was abducted. They've never found her or a body. 17 years later Julie still waits and searches.
When her good friend, Monica, dies after a long illness, who just happened to be completely estranged from her family, Julie finds that she is now the legal guardian of Monica's little boy. A big job for someone who's never put down roots ever since she was a girl. At Monica's request, she heads down to the Gulf to show her new son his roots and meet the family he's never known. She is welcomed into Monica's family as they desperately seek the answers to why Monica disappeared from their lives so many years ago.
Imagine Julie's surprise when she starts to discover that Monica may not have been someone she just happened to become friends with, but that Monica may have sought her out in New York on purpose. Mysteries abound!
What mysteries? Read and find out! :)
Karen is all over the South in the next few months, discussing this book. If you're interested in learning more about her and the story, check out her events list HERE and see if she's coming to an area near you.
