A Sound Among the Trees book review

A House Shrouded in Time

A Line of Women with a Heritage of Loss

A Sound Among the Trees is a novel by Susan Meissner. It starts with a young bride, Marielle Bishop who marries and moves to Virginia to live with her new husband Carson and his two children. She moves into the house, named Holly Oak, where the husband and children have been living with the children's maternal grandmother, Adelaide.

The house has a rich history starting with the Civil War, and is believed to be haunted by ancestor Susannah Page, who was seeking redemption. Susannah was rumored to be a Civil War spy for the North, betraying her Virginian roots. She married a Confederate officer who got shot during the escape of some Union soldiers she was hiding in the house. The current matriarch, Adelaide does not believe that Susannah is haunting the mansion looking for a pardon. She thinks the house itself bears a grudge towards its tragic past, and brings misfortune to the women who live there.

Marielle is drawn to the story, and learns quite a bit about the history of the people who lived there, and in doing so, learns about herself as well, and makes peace with the sacrifices she has made for love.

The story is divided into three sections - the first part is the modern times with Marielle and Adelaide. The second part is about Susannah, and the third part returns to the modern times. I enjoyed the book, but I think it would have been better if the second part had been broken up a bit with more of the modern story. I wanted to know Marielle's reaction with each new revelation, instead of having to wait until the end. This also makes the end feel rushed, since all the reaction was crammed together at the end.

I enjoyed reading the book. There was an air of mystery about Susannah which intrigued me to want to know more. The stories of Marielle and the other women of Holly Oak, while not as exciting, were interesting as well. I think we can learn a great deal from this book about the power of our thoughts and about making peace with the past.

There is a Reader's Guide at the end of the book to help facilitate a discussion if you read this novel for a book club.

There are additional resources at Waterbrook Press if you want to know more about the book and the author.

The author, Susan Meissner has a background in community journalism. She has written The Shape of Mercy, which was named as one of the Best Books of 2008 by Publishers Weekly. She has also written White Picket Fences and lady in Waiting. Her husband is a pastor, and she has four young adults. She is also a speaker and a workshop leader. She directs the Small Groups and Connection Ministries program in her San Diego church.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for purposes of writing a book review. 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.”