Tag Archives: Mary DeMuth

If you liked Delayed Justice . . .

29 Mar

Delayed Justice by Cara Putman was a hit with my book club. Although the subject matter (sexually abused children) was difficult to read, we all felt the author handled the subject with sensitivity. Suspense is probably our favorite genre, but I thought I would recommend books from other genres that also deal with sexual abuse. All the stories are told with grace and portray a spirit of light and hope in the darkness. I hope you find a book that you will love.

How Sweet The Sound by Amy K. Sorrells

Wealth and etiquette can hide a lot of things in the South, as the esteemed Harlan family of sleepy Bay Spring, Alabama, knows. But behind the gentle facade of white pillared porches and acres of cultivated pecan orchards, family secrets smolder.

Young Anniston Harlan cares little for high society and the rigid rules and expectations of her grandmother, Princella. She finds solace working the orchards alongside her father and grandfather, and relief in the cool waters of Mobile Bay.

Anniston’s aunt, Comfort Harlan, has never quite lived up to the family name, or so her mother Princella’s ever-apparent scowl implies. When she gleefully accepts the proposal of her longtime boyfriend, Solly, a flood tide of tragedy ensues that strips Comfort of her innocence and unleashes generations of family secrets, changing the Harlan family forever.

While Comfort struggles to recover, Anniston discovers an unlikely new friend from the seedy part of town who helps her try to make sense of the chaos. Together, they and the whole town of Bay Spring discover how true love is a risk, but one worth taking.

Watching The Tree Limbs by Mary DeMuth

Watching the tree limbs keeps resilient nine-year-old Mara Weatherall from the pain of General’s daily attacks – attacks he warns her to keep secret, or else. In the small world of 1979 Burl, Texas, all Mara really has are the tree limbs, a lumbering Aunt Elma, her boyfriend Officer Gus, the bully General, and her new best friend Camilla who rhymes maddening snatches of truth. Mara needs to escape General’s advances and find out who her real parents are before those who would want to destroy her succeed. Will she recognize redemption through Zady the Jesus-loving housekeeper, Denim the clandestine town prophet, or Mr. Winningham her new guardian whose quiet rage masks even deeper secrets?

 

Words by Ginny Yttrup

A child whose silence holds the truth captive. An artist whose work speaks the agony of her past. When drawn together, will they let the truth set them free?

Ten-year old Kaylee Wren doesn’t speak. Not since her drug-addled mother walked away, leaving her in a remote cabin nestled in the towering redwoods, in the care of a man who is as dangerous as he is evil. With silence her only refuge, Kaylee collects words she might never speak from the only memento her mother left behind: a dictionary.

Sierra Daw is thirty-four, an artist, and alone. She has allowed the shame of her past to silence her present hopes and chooses to bury her pain by trying to control her circumstances. But on the twelfth anniversary of her daughter’s death, Sierra’s control begins to crumble as the God of her childhood woos her back to Himself.

Will Kaylee and Sierra let the truth set them free?

Top 10 Tuesday — Do You Re-Read?

27 Feb

Once upon a time I re-read books. You know those books that speak to the heart, that make their way deep inside a reader. But once I became a book blogger, I rarely had time for anything other than the latest shiny book that made its way into my mailbox or Kindle. I can’t say no to the new books, so I have no time to savor yet again the old. But that doesn’t mean I don’t take them out and look at them. So here is a short list of Books That Should Be Re-read (this list is not exhaustive; we are limited to 10, don’t you know). Do you agree? If you haven’t read them yet, put them on top of your TBR List. That way they’ll make their way to your Re-Read List quicker. 😉

To find out what books other bloggers re-read, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

 10 Books That Should Be Re-Read

(or read as the case may be)

Burning Sky by Lori Benton

Christy by Catherine Marshall

The City of Tranquil Light by Bo Caldwell

The Curse of Crow Hollow by Billy Coffey

Dogwood by Chris Fabry

The Girl from The Train by Irma Joubert

Long Way Gone by Charles Martin

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

Watching The Tree Limbs by Mary DeMuth

Water From My Heart by Charles Martin

What books do you re-read?

Book Review: Watching The Tree Limbs

31 Mar

839265_w185Watching the tree limbs keeps resilient nine-year-old Mara Weatherall from the pain of General’s daily attacks–attacks he warns her to keep secret, or else. In the small world of 1979 Burl, Texas, all Mara really has are the tree limbs, a lumbering Aunt Elma, her boyfriend Officer Gus, the bully General, and her new best friend Camilla who rhymes maddening snatches of truth. Mara needs to escape General’s advances and find out who her real parents are before those who would want to destroy her succeed. Will she recognize redemption through Zady the Jesus-loving housekeeper, Denim the clandestine town prophet, or Mr. Winningham her new guardian whose quiet rage masks even deeper secrets?

 

Mary Demuth 6-IIcroppedMary E. DeMuth loves to write and speak about the redemptive hand of God in impossible situations. Her books include Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God (Harvest House, 2005), Building the Christian Family You Never Had (WaterBrook, 2006), Watching the Tree Limbs, and Wishing on Dandelions (NavPress, 2006). Wife to Patrick and mother of three, Mary makes her home in Texas.

Mary’s Testimony

 

My Impressions:

Watching The Tree Limbs by Mary De Muth is an excellent book. It is filled with powerful emotions, well-developed and relatable characters, real and troubling scenes of violence and abuse and real and hope-inspiring scenes of God’s love and truth. My church book club read this for our March selection and it received unanimous thumbs-up. I think we had the best discussion ever — everyone had strong feelings about the characters, the plot and the intense themes.

Mara Weatherall is a young girl who is given second-hand attention in addition to second-hand toys and clothes. In her ninth year, sexual abuse by a neighborhood boy is added to the neglect by her adult caretaker. Broken, confused and adrift, Mara holds on as best she can with the advice of her friend to watch the tree limbs. The defenseless child may be forgotten and abandoned by most of the adults in her life, but God never leaves her.

I wanted to slap someone while reading Watching The Tree Limbs. I wanted to slap the neglectful and indifferent adults in Mara’s life. I wanted to slap the teenage boy who steals her innocence and her sense of self. I even wanted to slap the loving housekeeper, Zady, who comes to offer a bit of comfort and protection, but is bound by secrets. This book caused me to enter into Mara’s fear, hurt and anger. With autobiographical touches, Mary De Muth has created a challenging and moving novel that will stay with me for a long time. Child sexual abuse is never an easy topic to read about, but I feel this novel is a must-read. Mara’s spiritual journey is one of discovery of a good and loving God who is present even in the midst of darkness, despair, and fear.

Watching The Tree Limbs is the first book in a 2-part series. I am anticipating another excellent read in Wishing on Dandelions.

Highly Recommended.

(I purchased this book for my Kindle. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase this book, click HERE. It is currently FREE for Kindle!

March Book Club Selections

2 Mar

I am excited about the selections By The Book and Page Turners made for our monthly discussions — The Deepest Waters by Dan Walsh and Watching The Tree Limbs by Mary DeMuth. Both were published a few years back so you may have already read them. If so, what did you think? And if you haven’t, then join us in reading them. We would love to hear your thoughts.

8462629What began as a fairy tale honeymoon in 1857 for John and Laura Foster aboard the steamship SS Vandervere becomes a nightmare when a hurricane causes their ship to sink into the murky depths of the Atlantic. Laura finds herself with the other women and children aboard a sailing ship while John and a hundred other men drift on the open sea on anything they could grab as the Vandervere went down. Suspecting her John is gone but still daring to hope for a miracle, Laura must face the possibility of life alone — and meeting her new in-laws without their son if she ever reaches New York.

Readers will be holding their breath as they sail through this emotional and honest story of hope, faith, and love in the face of uncertainty. Talented author Dan Walsh skillfully tells an epic story through an intimate focus on two lost lovers. Inspired by real events, this moving novel will capture the hearts of all who dive into its pages.

1113100Watching the tree limbs keeps resilient nine-year-old Mara Weatherall from the pain of General’s daily attacks–attacks he warns her to keep secret, or else. In the small world of 1979 Burl, Texas, all Mara really has are the tree limbs, a lumbering Aunt Elma, her boyfriend Officer Gus, the bully General, and her new best friend Camilla who rhymes maddening snatches of truth. Mara needs to escape General’s advances and find out who her real parents are before those who would want to destroy her succeed. Will she recognize redemption through Zady the Jesus-loving housekeeper, Denim the clandestine town prophet, or Mr. Winningham her new guardian whose quiet rage masks even deeper secrets?