Far from the Tree

Rating:
Summary: The best!
Review: I am like the other reviewer, if there were more stars, this one would definitely get it. This book is about mothers and daughters,the past, and how that can come back to you if you don't properly deal with it. I got a copy from the library, and I just couldn't wait to read about these ladies and what the big secret was. Della played a good matriach. However, she didn't deal with her past sufficiently and it comes up to bite her big time 40 plus years later. Ronnie was the proverbial little sister, wanting that dream, but not quite getting it. Celeste was a control freak, and almost lost her family to it. And Niki was good. She didn't let her mother stop her dreams despite it. Those so called friends of Celeste(whatever her name was),was not a friend,but I think that we all could have an Everett(for those of us who don't have no one) or a Lester as well. I must say,the prose in this book made you hate to see the ending.But, the story itself, is beautiful,poignant, and down home. Now, the first book these ladies wrote, I initially didn't like the slowness in the beginning, but as time went on, it got real good. This new book is a step up to better, and I look foward to more great books by these ladies.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read!
Review: Far From the Tree turns out to be an excellent title for this book. The old addage 'the apple doesn't fall far from the tree' fits this family of women perfectly. Mother and both daughters all have secrets that have been hidden for years.

Della, strong African American mother believes in living in the here and now and gives no hint of her past. She believes in leaving well enough alone. But Della has a tale to tell and web to unweave.

Celeste, Della's oldest daughter, is strong willed and believes she knows what is best for everyone...except when it comes to her marriage...her daughter...and herself...her web is so tangled she seeks desparatly for that one loose knot.

Finally there is Ronnie, Della's baby girl. Ronnie is a aspiring actress in New York seeking that big break, 'cept the only break she knows is broke.

Destiny brings them together as their southern ancestrial house calls them home where all the secrets are shared one by one to bring a distant family closer.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Reading!
Review: I enjoyed this book so much! The relationship between mother and daughters reminds me of my own personal interactions with my own daughters at times! It all seemed so real.
The sisters behaved just like some sisters do.....the way everything was eventually brought out in the open and the mother's coming to terms with her past was beautifully written.
This is a Great read! I recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Book
Review: Another great novel from DeBerry and Grant. Those of us who read Trying to Sleep... were eagerly awaiting a fabulous sophomore effort and we got it! Far From the Tree is filled with emotion, believeable characters and an eventful plot. The characters' mother/daughter relationships have their challenges, especially when personal and family secrets are kept. Luckily, when they are revealed, burdens are lifted and people can be themselves or find out who they really are. If you're looking for shallow drama, this is NOT the book for you. This is a tale you can really sink your teeth (and reading time) into. Can't wait for the next book from this dynamic duo.

Rating:
Summary: at least twelve million stories of black life . . .
Review: ...this has been one of them. An entertaining, well-written tale of how one woman's demons have affected her and her family. As in their previous effort, Tryin' to Sleep in the Bed You Made, there were plenty of clues planted about what was going to happen, and as in that book they were so skillfully done that when things actually did happen I was caught surprised. There's a lot more subjects to write about than the looking-for-love type of story.

My only complaint is that math is clearly not the authors' strong point. It is not possible for a couple who married in 1957 to be married 44 years in 2000, since that time period only involves 43 years. It is also not possible for there to be a daughter not born until after the marriage to be 46 years old. Because of this I kept waiting for it to be revealed that Celeste was illegitimate and fathered by someone other than Will Frazier, and when I realized it was just an error I found myself annoyed. I think the editor should have noticed this; it would have been very easy to move the North Carolina years back from '57 to '53 without any affect on the story (there was no tie-in to anything historic.)

All in all, I enjoyed reading Far From the Tree.

Rating:
Summary: Great Sophmore Effort
Review: I also enjoyed this book. Celeste and Ronnie Fraiser, two sisters different as night and day, their beloved father has died and neither one can understand their mother, Della. Good storyline, and great characters make this story worthwhile and enjoyable reading. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories about family misunderstandings, legacies, joy and pains and forgiveness. I hope someone can pick this book up and decide to make a movie. Read and Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Warm, enjoyable reading
Review: First off, if you don't like "chick books" as my husband calls them (i.e. lots of emotion, relationship problems, love and family issues, etc.) you may not care for this book. I wasn't sure I would like it, but did--despite myself.

The authors have a gift for dialogue that is witty and entertaining, yet believable. The pacing at the beginning might seem slow to some readers, yet I thought it worked perfectly with the book. With the theme of long-kept secrets and the unintentional harm they can do, the revelations would have seemed more contrived had they come too quickly. If anything, the pacing towards the end was a little too abrupt. I felt that things were tied up a little too neatly after all the secrets came pouring out in one rush.

The characters did seem a bit one-dimensional and stereotyped at times: Celeste--proper and rigid, overly concerned with status; Ronnie--trying to appear successful and carefree while masking her increasing sense of failure; Della--hiding her past and any indication of herself as a woman in her own right in order to remain "the mother." It seemed at times as if every central character was boiled down to one flaw that she needed to overcome, and that the flaw was essentially the same in each--the keeping of a secret that would have been less devastating had she been able to share it with her family.

On the other hand, the sense of a common shortcoming strengthened the sense that they were, indeed, family. And despite the somewhat shallow characterizations, I found myself caring about what happened to each one--and hoping they'd all learn what they needed in order to make their lives work in the future.

This was not complex reading, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable exploration of the relations of a mother and her daughters--the love they have for each other as well as the damage they do to that love in the name of maintaining their own images.

Rating:
Summary: As good as the first
Review: This book is a very great family story about diggin up old secrets. The co-authors have done it again!!

Rating:
Summary: Awesome! Loved the way the plot twisted!
Review: This was an excellent book. It started out slow but DEFINITELY became more interesting as the story began to unfold.

Rating:
Summary: Reflections
Review: Why do we choose to keep the truth from the ones we love? When you keep secrets from family members, those secrets will eventually turn up when you least expect it. "Far From the Tree" by Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant takes you on a soul-searching journey of one family who's forced to come to turns in facing their family secrets and relationships.

The storyline revolves around Odella, and her daughters, Celeste and Ronnie. The book takes you on an individual tour of each person's life, different personalities, and the way they view life itself after they have buried their father. Odella has secrets that she wants to stay hidden which involves her past and upbringing. Celeste is the controlling daughter who knows what is best for her mother, sister, and her family, only her way is not always accepted. Ronnie is a wannabe actress trying to reach that one big break only to find brick walls at every turn.

When they are brought together in North Carolina because of land owned by the family, they soon realize another chapter in their lives is about to be written. Harsh realities are soon revealed and they must now face their secrets and each other to begin the healing process.

I applaud Ms. Deberry and Ms. Grant on a very well thought out storyline and strong character development that allows you to relate to each person's reality on living and surviving. Towards the end, reading each page was heart warming and they grabbed you and made you realize how important family is, and further emphasized that patience, support, and trust are the ingredients in establishing a strong family unit.

Far from the Tree is a unique book, which is presented with great taste and a detailed precision from the beginning to the end. This is a book that will not disappoint you, but leave you with much food for thought and a better understanding on building family trust and relationships.

Reviewed by Kalaani
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers