The Light Through the Leaves
Ratings5
Average rating4.2
15
Ratings5
Average rating4.2
Go on a powerful journey of forgiveness and healing with The Light Through the Leaves, a transcendent novel of love, loss, and self-discovery by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Where the Forest Meets the Stars. One unbearable mistake at the edge of the forest. In a moment of crisis, Ellis Abbey leaves her daughter, Viola, unattended--for just a few minutes. But when she returns, Viola is gone. A breaking point in an already fractured marriage, Viola's abduction causes Ellis to disappear as well--into grief, guilt, and addiction. Convinced she can only do more harm to her family, Ellis leaves her husband and young sons, burying her desperate ache for her children deeper with every step into the mountain wildernesses she treks alone. In a remote area of Washington, a young girl named Raven keeps secrets inside, too. She must never speak to outsiders about how her mother makes miracles spring from the earth, or about her father, whose mysterious presence sometimes frightens her. Raven spends her days learning how to use her rare gifts--and more important, how to hide them. With each lesson comes a warning of what dangers lie in the world beyond her isolated haven. But despite her mother's cautions, Raven finds herself longing for something more. As Ellis and Raven each confront their powerful longings, their journeys will converge in unexpected and hopeful ways, pulled together by the forces of nature, love, and family.
Reviews with the most likes.
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Perfection...utter perfection! One of the best books I have read so far this year!
4 Stars for this book!
I'm not going to lie, at first I was very disgusted with the character of Ellis and just how selfish she was but she redeemed herself and when we got the full story I fell in love with the story. For this reason I only gave this book 4 stars.
This is the story of a guilt ridden mother and her abducted daughter. Ellis is the mother of three in a marriage that is falling apart. One day as she takes her twin boys and her newborn daughter to the pond after seeing her husband kiss another woman she inadvertently leaves her newborn in her car seat in the parking lot. When she realizes her mistake she immediately turns around but it's too late and her baby is gone. Ellis can't take the guilt of leaving her child and finally leaves her family completely with no phone or contact with them (do you see why I hated her?). Eventually Ellis finds herself in need of a friend and she finds that in a local park ranger Keith. With this new friendship Ellis is finally able to see the error of her ways an come to grips with her new reality.
While we get Ellis's story we are introduced to seven year old Daughter of Raven who is being raised “off the grid” in a lovely log cabin on acres and acres of forest. She is being raised to be one with nature and has not had any doing with the “outside” world. She eventually stumbles upon some boys on her land and they befriend her. She decides to fight for her right to go to school and we see Raven blossom into an intelligent and witty woman...albeit with many irrational concerns due to her abductor whom she knows as mom. When she finally is told the true story of her background Raven makes the hardest decision and forges forward with her new found family.
I'm glad that I picked this book to read and I would recommend.
I'm not sure what I think...The story took such a turn, as did the characters. I didn't find it all believable and did not buy into all of the transformation of the characters. I feel the author tried to shove too much into the plot line and I found much of the dialogue “clunky.” However, I did like the nature settings and the premise that nature can be healing.
