A Sound Among the Trees: A Novel

Written by Susan Meissner

Narrated by Susan Denaker

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 Page and Holly Oak— and make peace with the sacrifices she has made for love.    

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
• Release date: Oct 4, 2011
• ISBN: 9780307944252

Susan Meissner

Susan Meissner is a USA TODAY bestselling author with more than three-quarters of a million books in print in eighteen languages. Her novels have been named to numerous "best of" lists, including Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Goodreads, and Real Simple magazine. A former newspaper editor, Susan attended Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego and lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their yellow Lab, Winston. When she's not writing, Susan loves long walks, good coffee, and reading bedtime stories to her grandchildren. Visit her online at susanmeissnerauthor.com; Instagram: @susanmeissnerauthor; Twitter: @SusanMeissner; Facebook: @susan.meissner; and Pinterest: @SusanMeissner.

Reviews for A Sound Among the Trees

[Cheryl Long · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was a little hesitant about listening to an audiobook about ghosts in an old house, but because I'm a big fan of Susan Meissner, I trusted that she would handle the subject well. I was not disappointed. I thoroughly enjoyed how the realistic telling of the events of the past revealed the secrets of the house. I would recommend this book to Meissner fans as well as those interested in Civil War era fiction.

[carol420 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Actually I picked the book up for my mother. I read through the first chapter and found myself reading more and more. It has a really surprising ending and nothing is as it appears to be.

[olegalca · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I'm a big fan of Susan Meissner's contemporary fiction (not so much of a fan of her historical fiction) but I found it very, very hard to stay connected with this story. The main problem is that the focus of the novel is the house, not the characters living in the house during the present day (although they had interesting back-stories that would have been fun to explore more deeply) and the possibility that there were ghosts or curses attached to it. I have to give Meissner credit for attacking such a controversial topic in a novel geared for the Christian market but I felt that she didn't make it "real" enough to capture our attention (and again, that may have been deliberate to be able to market this book to Christians). I finally gave up about half-way through and wished that I was reading more about family dysfunction and whether or not this second marriage could survive, house or not house.

It probably didn't help that I read "The Lost Quilter" immediately before reading this book and Jennifer Chiaverni's emotional writing about the Civil War and slavery in general was much more powerful and real to me. Made "The Sound Among the Trees" seem trite and shallow.

[brandyhei · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I thought I was going to love this book. Ostensibly it is everything I should want in a book--past/present interaction and a spooky old house especially. It's certainly well-written. For some reason, it didn't connect for me.

[tammy7ford7cuevas · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When Marielle married Carson, she knew he had been married before. For the sake of his children, she agreed to live in his first wife's family home with Sara's aging grandmother. She knew she might have to contend with Carson's memories of Sara, but she never dreamed she might be dealing with a Civil War-era ghost.
Susan Meissner's novel is a gripping read, especially for anyone interested in the Civil War. The chapters dealing with Susannah and her involvement with both the Union and the Confederate soldiers really held my interest. Her historic details were correct, which adds realism to the story. Also, for anyone who has ever felt that they were overwhelmed by the "ghosts" of past relationships, this is a must read.

5 stars



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group book review bloggers program . I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[skstiles612 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book. It has something for everyone. There is the contemporary romance between Marielle and Carson. Marielle has moved across the country to in the house that Carson’s first wife lived in. She is now raising his two children from that marriage. In the mix is the grandmother-in-law who is the matriarch of the house. Most of the people in the area believe the house is haunted. Adelaide doesn’t. She believes the house holds a grudge that affects the women in the family. If Marielle is to survive in this new environment she must put to rest the ghosts, real or imagined, of this house. She must discover the secrets that have kept generations in the dark. I loved that the person who held the key (literally and figuratively) to those secrets was the one person most considered an outcast. She was also the one person that I really admired. She faced her ghosts head on.

This is a book that I whole heartedly recommend to anyone who likes romances, the Civil War and it’s impact on families and a great mystery to tie it all together.

[ravenswoodpublishi-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Book Title: "A Sound Among the Trees”
Author: Susan Meissner
Published By: Waterbrook Press
Age Recommended: 18+
Reviewed By: Kitty Bullard
Raven Rating: 5

Review: I just love old Victorian Antebellum mansions that have wonderful stories attached to them and this story is a real humdinger! Susan Meissner is an exceedingly delightful storyteller that takes you on an adventure of a lifetime. The book flows from past to present and back again as the great-granddaughter of Susannah Paige tries to unravel the mystery of the truth behind her great-grandmother’s position during the Civil War.
An amazing read, one impossible to put down!

[lindz2012 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The young bride that moves into her husband's first wife home is first scared that there a ghost in the house. She not understand what it was doing to the people inside the home or what the people inside the house was doing to the family.

A mystery unfolds itself though Marielle. Caroline come home to help explain what was going on and what was happening Carson and her mother. Her mother does not know what going but think the house is stuck. Things start to clear up about Susannah Page in letters when Caroline less her in on what the truth is and what is happening.

I do not want to give away how it ends or any of the secret the books has to offer. Though I will tell you it tell you about the part of the Civil War and the Battle of Fredericksburg. It tell about romance and in love. But I will let you decide If you want to pick it up and want to read. Just because I like to read about Civil War a bit does not mean you would not to so you may decide that you want so I will let you decide for yourself. Now if I were asked I recommend this book for sure.

[sonyatyler · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A Sound Among the Trees was a timeless trip through the south, a tale of today and yesterday. Author, Susan Meissner, weaves a tale among the life of young bride Marielle Bishop, as she marries into a southern heritage that she is not anticipating. Marielle finds herself learning about the history of her new family through whispers of ghosts and tragedy that become so real she wonders if she is being haunted herself. Adelaide, the family matriarch of Holly Oak, the family home, living inside her own past mysteries, is caught up in Marielle's desire to find the truth. Both ladies search for answers and are surprised at what they learn.

In the midst of the current mysteries, Meissner weaves a tale of Susannah Page, another young bride, rumored to be a Civil War spy and a traitor to her own family. Susannah is the great-grandmother of Adelaide, and her story is spun like a web that entrap both Adelaide, her daughter, and Marielle. Can these women overcome their fears and find the love that has alluded them?

Meissner's book is a lovely read, traipsing among the large oaks of a Virginia plantation from one era to another, capturing the heart of her characters and the spirit that drives them. I definitely recommend this book to romance and history buffs alike.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[msh09_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved the history in this book by Meissner. I have never read her books before, but I enjoyed this one and intend to read more. I enjoyed the characters and liked how Meissner wrapped up the superstitions and brought the story to conclusion.

[dlester_32 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Susan Meissner's novel, A Sound Among the Trees weaves together both the contemporary and the historical to give readers a mysterious and haunting novel. Meissner is known for her writing about love and loss and this novel is no exception. The author is able to draw the reader in and lose them in the nuances and history of the civil war era, while still grounding them in the present day. Not an easy feat! Meissner has a knack for creating a setting that is steeped in mystery and intrigue that will have readers on the edge of their collective seats!

This is a novel that has to be savored. It starts out in the present day with Marielle Bishop meeting the man of her dreams online. She leaves her home in the Arizona desert to join him at Holly Oak, his estate in Virginia. What she doesn't know is that Holly Oak has a history all it's own. I liked the fact that Meissner starts out the story in the present and then works back and forth between Marielle's story and Suzanne's story, which takes place in the Civil War era. She weaves both story lines effortlessly and takes the reader on quite a journey. It started out a little slow for me, but it really picked up when Marielle begins to study Suzanne's Page's letters, that end up revealing what really happened to her at Holly Oak. Once I got to the letters, I flew through the rest of the book. It was interesting and engaging.
Though there was no major conflict in this novel. It still worked. Meissner is able to pull off the "semblance" of conflict by showing Suzanne or the house itself as an conflicted entity. There was something not quite right about it. I liked the fact that Marielle took it upon herself to try to figure out what was going on, not only to ease her own mind but Adelaide's as well. It was very mysterious and spooky in some ways and that added to the overall appeal of the book. I thought Messiner did a fantastic job of creating suspense and urgency just with the mystery itself. The house was so interesting that it almost took on the role of a character in itself.

I thought Marielle was just as interesting as Suzanne, though Suzanne had the more colorful life. When Marielle first hears all the rumors about Suzanne and the house she sort of dismisses them and goes about trying to live in a home that belonged to her new husband and his former wife. She has a lot to digest without taking on a ghost. She is trying to start a life with a man and his children in a place that holds some very strong memories of their mother. That was daunting, but once she starts to put some credence behind the stories about the house and Suzanne, it gives her a new sense of purpose. She doesn't want to end up a part of the curse that seems to have descended on the women of Holly Oak and I thought she was courageous and full of determination. Just an all around great character.
This is one I would recommend to readers who are looking for something a little different. For romance readers and especially for history buffs. There is a lot going on in this novel and Meissner really had a vision for how she wanted this one to go. A Sound Among the Tree's may seem a little tedious in the beginning but if you give it, it's due and keep reading I think you'll really enjoy this one!

[bookscookslooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book has such a refreshing take on Civil War history - a house stars. Yes, a house can be a character and a good one. This was a sad, heartrending tale from a difficult period in our country's history but the people that populate a house leave their spirits behind. The mystery left then helps the next generation to move forward. Not all is easy though, just like life. It was a book that was hard to put down and I read it over the course of a night and the next afternoon. Definitely an author I would like to read again.

[neverwithoutabook · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely loved this book! I'm not sure what I expected picking it up, but the more I read, the more I was drawn into the story and feeling the mystery and the curiosity. The implication that a house can have almost a life of it's own, with it's own character, was dealt with in a very realistic and believable manner. The current story aroused curiosity, and the letters filled in the historical details. All in all, a very satisfying read. I'm a fan! Now looking for more by Susan Meissner. I've already recommended this book.

[halo776 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a lovely book! I devoured this novel in a couple of days (along with a busy working and writing schedule), because once I started reading, I could not put it down! The story is told from multiple viewpoints, and the effect is breathtaking. I love the author's writing style. She did not feel the need to state everything directly and allows the reader to draw some conclusions on her own. This is definitely "chick lit," but it's not a light, beach read. Because it is considered "Christian Fiction," it was a good, clean book that both my mother and I enjoyed. My next step is to find more books by Susan Meissner. I'm now a fan!

[godsgirl_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book. At first I felt like I could not connect with the characters, but then when they started talking about the history of the house and the mystery of it connecting to the Civil War I could not put it down! Loved it so much I can't wait to read some other books by this author. Just love historical fiction.

[r_tomio · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I eased into it and began to really like the characters. I think that the author really captured their emotions. The story itself really picked up half way through. This was much better than I had expected. I really enjoyed this book and definitely plan to read some other books by Susan Meissner.

[texicanwife_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Marielle has married a widower with two young children and is moving into the house that he shared with his first wife. Her family's old southern hospitality house located in historic Fredericksburg, Virginia. As if that weren't enough, the dead wife's grandmother still lives within the house; a 90-year old woman full of vim and vinegar!

Marielle thinks she can handle living in the house without difficulty. It was best for the children! That is until she hears about the alleged ghost, and the curse upon the house, Holly Oak.

A wonderful novel mixing today with Civil War era history.

Can Marielle make it work living in the house where her husband once lived with his deceased wife? Are there ghosts lingering the halls and stairways of Holly Oak?
Or is the house really the cursed place Marielle has been hearing about?

This is a novel I simply could not put down, sitting up all night to read it! At times goose bumps, at others reaching for the box of tissues...I give this book...Five Stars and...my Thumbs Up Award!

Suitable for teens and older, this is a great read!




****DISCLOSURE: This book was provided without charge in exchange for an independent and unbiased review.

[foreigncircus · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Marielle Bishop met Carson online and married him, moving across the country and into Holly Oak, the historic home he and his children shared with her grandmother Adelaide. Adelaide thinks the house is stuck, her friends insist the house is haunted- the bottom line is this house has a history that dates back to the Civil War and the battles fought in Fredricksburg, VA. The book tells the tale of Marielle's efforts to cope with the house, her new family, and the shadow of the past.

This book was very hard to get into, and never really captured my interest. The narrative improved dramatically halfway through the books when Susannah's Civil War correspondence came to light, allowing her story to be told. I certainly felt more emotional connection to Susannah than to any of the modern-day characters. Marielle was too undeveloped, Adelaide too cryptic, Pearl too annoying, Carson too absent- the most interesting modern character was Caroline and she didn't enter until halfway through the novel. Susannah and her war-time experiences would have made an excellent stand-alone story freed from the unsatisfying frame of Marielle's story. The historical part was 4 stars but the contemporary portion barely hit 2 stars so 3 overall for this promising but frustrating novel.

[liaeve · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have to be honest. The first 60 or so pages of this book, I really thought it was going to be a chore to read. It drug along slowly, and generally did little to garner my interest. However, once I passed that mark, something amazing happened. I started to care about the characters. Each one had their own personality, their own, habits, hobbies, and life. They all intertwined beautifully within the multi-layered story that was being played out. I don't want to spoil anything in the book, but le...moreI have to be honest. The first 60 or so pages of this book, I really thought it was going to be a chore to read. It drug along slowly, and generally did little to garner my interest. However, once I passed that mark, something amazing happened. I started to care about the characters. Each one had their own personality, their own, habits, hobbies, and life. They all intertwined beautifully within the multi-layered story that was being played out. I don't want to spoil anything in the book, but let's just say that I felt like I had grown to know and love these characters as friends, and when something changed in their lives I felt it. That is a fine art of writing that so few can get right. This book is well worth the read. While i don't recommend it to my friends that aren't avid readers (as it does take a bit to really get moving), I do want to recommend it to anyone who wants the feel of a true story. Not just words on paper. Remember that feeling in grade school, when you read your first novel? How you really didn't want to in the beginning, but by the end you wanted to cry that it was over? That's the feeling. That's this book. I'm glad to have this in my collection and will be revisiting its pages, its characters, and its world.

[pamelabarrett · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Holly Oak, the Virginian mansion in Susan Meissner’s new novel, might be haunted. It survived the destruction of Fredericksburg during the Civil War and has been home to generations of mysterious women who have passed on without revealing their secrets. Marielle Bishop knows nothing of its past history when she comes to live there after her marriage to a widower with 2 small children. His dead wife’s grandmother is the current matriarch of the home, and she has been burdened by its history and the rumors about what her great grandmother was accused of during the Civil War. These secrets are putting a wall between her and Marielle; threatening to uproot the newly begun marriage.

An interesting mystery and a glimpse into the way we think we know our families and family history. Very enjoyable, easy transitions between past and present, this book would appeal to many readers. I received this Advanced Reading Copy through the Amazon Vine program.

[heidip_38 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love it when an author makes an object or nature a main character in the story--like the rivers in Charles Martin's books. In this book the house, Holly Oak, stands as a main character. The house was built before the Civil War and holds a grudge against the women of the family through the generations because they were suspected traitors during the war.

Marielle marries into the family and moves into the house with her new husband and 2 new step-children. She immediately hears the ghost stories from the old ladies in town and learns there is a curse on all the women of the family.

The setting is in historic Fredericksburg, VA. The story switches in the middle to epistolary format when a packet of letters is found in a chest in the cellar. So we get a first-hand, eye-witness account of the battle of Fredericksburg.

In the middle of the book I thought, "This is weird." But then, once the time focus shifted to the Civil War, I was more interested in the story.

[headinherbooks_27 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Susan Meissner wrote a superb novel about letting go what might've been and wasn't, and questions us whether devoting oneself to a memory inhibits us from living fully. It is an extraordinary tale and beautifully crafted.

[arielfl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thank you to Library Thing and WaterBrook Press for providing me an advanced readers copy of this novel to review.

I have read one other Susan Meissner novel, Lady in Waiting, about the Lady Jane Grey and her extremely short reign as Queen of England during the Tudor period. The historical portion of a Sound Among the Trees takes place during the American Civil War, another favorite time period of history that I like to read about. Meissner excels at weaving a story in the present while tying it to one in the past. The story of Jane Grey was a true event that happened in history while the past story in A sound Among the Trees is one the author fictionalized.

In this novel Marielle moves across the country to start a life as a new bride and stepmother after a brief internet courtship. Her new husband is living in the same antebellum home that he shared with his former wife Sara who has passed away. To make Marielle's new start even more difficult, Sara's grandmother who raised her, Adelaide will be sharing the house with them. All of this takes a lot of adjustment on Marielle's part. Just when she is starting to think that perhaps she made a mistake, Sara's wayward mother Caroline, who has been absent from the family for years due to drug abuse and mental illness suddenly shows up clean and sober and wanting to make amends and know her grandchildren. In order to help Marielle adjust to her new life Caroline shows her the journals she has found of of Susannah Page, a relative who may or may not have been a civil war spy and who may or may not be haunting the house. Susannah's story eventually releases Marielle to begin her new life.

Of the two main women whose stories are featured, Marielle and Susannah, I found Susannah to have the more compelling narrative. Unfortunately we don't get to read her journals until 200 pages in. The first two sections of the book were a little slow going for me but once I got up to Susannah's story the pages flew. I loved how her marriage to Nathaniel may have started out as a convenience but ended up being a true love story. Susannah's grandmother knew what it takes to make a good marriage after all. It's not just a fleeting crush but a mutual and caring respect of one another. Fortunately Susannah realized that before it was too late. Although this was not my favorite Susan Meissner novel, I still recommend it as an enjoyable read.

[soswes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A Sound Among the Trees by Susan Meissner: OUTSTANDING! Couldn't put it down! I lost sleep but it was worth it. She did a great job weaving the past and the present. I could picture the events and locations with ease. Another wonderful book by Susan Meissner!

[altarasabine · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Marielle has just married widower Carson bishop. She moves from her home to live in the house he had shared with his wife. She is thrown into an immediate family of 2 step children and a grandmother-in-law. Rumors surround the house concerning it's past. Locals think it is cursed and haunted. Marielle is thrown into the mystery of the house. On her search to uncover the house's secrets to starts to discover herself. I would call it contemporary not historical fiction. I was a bit disappointed with the outcome of the story. From the build up and context I expected it turn out to be much different. The story is enjoyable.

[mckait · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Were there ghosts in the old hallways of Holly Oaks?

Holly Oak was an old house, one that had seen many lives within and outside of the walls.
It survived the Civil War with only a minor wound. A cannon ball was lodged in the back wall
of the house. Not so bad, really. Most of the other homes in town had suffered a far worse fate
when the Union soldiers came to fight.

Like so many other old Southern homes there was a lot of history there. Some ghosts too, most said.
Susannah was known to be a northern sympathizer, a spy, the said. It only made sense. Her fathers
family was from Maine, as far north as one could get, right?

The house resonated with her sadness and her need to make amends, they said. These days "they" mostly
consisted of the Blue Haired Old Ladies. They were friends of Adelaide, who had inherited the house
from her family. A family where the women were cursed. But even "they" did not talk much about that.
Adelaide, though, she thought about it. She felt the sadness and the chill in her very bones. She
knew that nothing good was in store for the women in her family. The house would see to that. No
one was really safe there, she thought. She should know. Didn't her own grandmother and mother die
there? They lived lives that were far from happy, and then they died. As would Adelaide herself, she
guessed. She would die mourning her granddaughter who had also died there. The granddaughter she herself
had raised. She raised Sara when her mother, Adelaides own daughter, Caroline, came and left her. Caroline
had come to a bad end, or would. Rarely heard from, who knew what what was happening in her life now. So
many poor choices. It wasn't her fault though, it was the house. The curse of Holly Oak.

Or was it? Only when a new you ng woman came to Holly Oak to live would the story finally be told. A woman
who came to raise Sarah's children, and marry their father. Not a family member, not really. It was because
of Marielle that the whole story of the house would finally be told. And it was a surprise to find who would
be the one to finally tell that story.

[bjmitch_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the story of Holly Oak, a house in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and the generations of women who lived in the house between the Civil War and present day. A cannonball still stuck in the side of the house is a reminder that it survived the war, but it did so because the family had connections to both sides. Rumors say the house is haunted, that there are Yankee soldiers buried in the cellar, and that one of the women in the family was a spy for the North.

Beginning in this way, with Adelaide, the great-granddaughter of the supposed spy, hosting a wedding reception in her garden, I had high hopes for the book. Adelaide's daughter and her husband Carson had lived in the house. Their two children were born there. Then the wife died and Carson and his kids had stayed at Holly Oak, believing the children shouldn't be moved from the only home they had ever known. Now Carson has married a young woman from Texas and they too will live at Holly Oak.

The bride, Marielle, has had a successful career and is presumably an intelligent woman. But this is where the story begins to fall apart for me because Marielle suddenly turns into a timid, frightened, gullible child/woman.

Holly Oak is full of secrets and rumors that no one has bothered to investigate and set to rest. It's like a soap opera where everyone keeps secrets which cause all kinds of problems. I kept thinking, "What's the big deal? Why don't these characters just come out with it?" This could be such a good story but I'm sorry, it just didn't work for me. Nor was there any sense of place and motivation was lacking for the characters' actions.

This is just my opinion of course and you might love the book. It is coming out Monday, Oct. 3, 2011. If you like family sagas and historical fiction, this may well be the book for you.

[mldavis2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This actually a contemporary story using old diary-like letters as an historical flash-back to reveal the truth behind old beliefs and superstitions associated with the family house. The narrative is clean and easy to read. Perhaps the author takes a bit more time than necessary to set up the scenario, but the book flows nicely to the end and the story told in the letters captures your attention. There are a number of things for the reader to ponder and this would be a good book for group discussion including some metaphorical questions.

An Advanced Reader Copy received in exchange for an honest review.

[bookaholicmom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a different book than I was expecting. For some reason I was thinking it was going to be about a home that was haunted by a past relative. It is more a story of a home and family that is haunted by the past.

The book starts out with Marielle Bishop moving into the home of her new husband's deceased wife, Sara's family, where Adelaide, the matriarch of the family still resides. Sara was raised by Adelaide, who is her grandmother. Now doesn't that grab your attention? Right away, I thought Marielle was a special woman. I can't think of many women who would move in with the family of the former spouse's family.

Holly Oak, the antebellum house they live in is grand and has housed many generations. Some believe the home to be haunted by the ghost of Susannah Page who is thought by many to have been a Civil War traitor or spy. All is not what it seems.

This book is not a true ghost story but more the story of a family stuck in the past. There seems to be troubles with each generation of women who have resided in the home. All these women are very strong but yet vulnerable. Their stories are pretty involved but it all comes together in the end.

I love when a book includes letters written by the characters. One of my favorite parts of this book is Part 4 where we get to read letters written by Susannah Page. It gives a pretty important glimpse into the Civil War period and how many people did whatever they had to do to survive the war.

This is not a fast paced book. The story evolves slowly but I think that is because it is a very detailed story. The characters are well-developed and have complex issues which add to the story as a whole. It takes awhile to get all their facts out in the open. Even though it is not fast paced, it did keep my attention and I ended up staying up much too late to finish reading this book. I had to know how it all ended once I knew the story of each woman who lived in Holly Oak.

This is the second book I have read of Susan Meissner's. I also recommend her book, The Shape of Mercy. You can tell when reading one of Susan's historical gems that she does quite a bit of research before she tells the stories of her characters. I like how in both of these books, Susan mixes the present day with the past. I recommend both of these books.

[debs4jc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This introspective novel about the power of superstition to tear apart relationships kept me thinking long after I put it down. Two stories are intertwined--in the present a young bride moves to her husband's family home. She encounters a grandmother who believes the house has a curse of sorts--that works to bring misery upon it's female residents. As Marielle digs into the past to discover the truth, she uncovers the story of Susannah Page--a supposed Civil War spy. This powerful story shows how buried secrets can destroy love, and how bringing them out into the light of truth can bring restoration and healing. Christian fiction fans in search of a slower paced read that will make them think will enjoy this one.