Giveaway & Review ~ A Sound Among the Trees by Susan Meissner

This is my first Susan Meissner book and I can honestly say it won't be my last! I closed the book impressed with this authors ability to weave so many characters into such an intriguing tale.

Marielle is marrying Carson, who lives in his deceased wife's family home, Holly Oak, with his two children and grandmother-in-law, Adelaide. This stately home has been in the family since the Civil War and has an aura of mystery and sadness surrounding it. Is it the house itself that wants to exact a portion of each Holly Oak woman for past wrongs or is it the ghost of Susannah Page, accused of being a spy for the Yankees, who haunts each woman who dwells within? Is there really something supernatural going on at all?

As interesting as the present day events in the story were, I was most captivated when the forgotten letters from Susannah Page to her cousin were introduced into the story. From that moment on, I didn't want to put the book down! I was totally drawn into the life of Susannah. Even though they are fictional letters, I went so far as to read some of them to my husband! The descriptive nature in them had me believing that what I was reading was detailing exact moments and events that took place at Holly Oak from 1860 to 1863. The people seemed so real. I could hear the conversations, the ramblings, the shot of the muskets and feel the ground and walls quiver with the roar of the cannons! The tension and fear that was felt when the yankee soldiers were coming and the townsfolk were running was palpable. My emotions were fully engaged throughout this novel.

I'll just say this. Adelaide has some eccentric friends and I hope that when I'm an elderly woman I have some friends like that who will gather around me and support me even if they think I'm nuts. Of course, I thought a couple of the friends were nuts but that's what made them so lovable.

Even though this novel is published as Christian Fiction, the spiritual thread is not overly obvious. This would probably appeal to many who read contemporary and some historical fiction. I do wish there had been more time spent in the historical time frame of the book but that's just my personal preference and does in no way detract from the wonderful story that is A Sound Among the Trees.

Get it. Read it. You won't regret it!

WaterBrook Multnomah provided me this book for free through their Blogging for Books program. I was under no obligation to write a positive review, just my opinion of the book.

Short Author Bio

Award-winning writer Susan Meissner is a multi-published author, speaker and workshop leader with a background in  community journalism. Her novels include The Shape of Mercy, named by Publishers Weekly as one of the Best Books of 2008.  She is a pastor’s wife and a mother of four. When she's not writing, Susan directs the Small Groups and Connection Ministries  program at her San Diego church.





To purchase a copy of Susan's books, click here.

If you would like to enter to win my review copy, please leave a comment. Let me know if you've read any of Susan's books. Give me a recommendation if you have! Giveaway ends Nov 10th. US ONLY!!!