Customer Reviews

Far From the Tree

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

If I could give this book a 10 I would. This to me was better than 'Tryin to Sleep...'. I totally enjoyed this book from the first page to the last. Della had a life before her daughters came into the world and she definitely wasn't finished living by any means. Ronnie and Celeste thought they had seen it all until they came to Prosper, NC. This book was like 'Soul Food' with better twists and turns and more drama. I cried and cheered at the end that the family came together. It is amazing what communication between family members can do and what harm secrets can create. I hope that every mother and daughter can read this book and get something from it. I too am beginning to realize that my mother and grandmother were women on their own at one time and it is nice thing to know my mother as a woman and not just "Mommy". So, if you are looking for a soul searching book, I highly recommend Far From the Tree. As Virginia and Donna say, we never really fall that Far From the Tree. Enjoy.

This is a beautifully written story about the relationship between two sisters, Ronnie and Celeste and their relationship with their mother, Odella. The story opens immediately following the death of the father/husband Will. The central theme of the novel is how at some point in our lives, we all try to hind from the individuals to whom we are the closest and what happens when we are forced to reveal what we have tried so hard to hide.

In this story, Ronnie tries to hide the fact that she is not an up and coming model/actress as she wants and leads her family to believe. Celeste, tries to hide the fact that she is not as wealthy as she wants and leads people to believe. However, the crux of the story lies with the secrets held by the mother Odella and the experiences she had while growing up in North Carloina. A trip to the attic to clean out the fathers personal belongings takes these women on a journey which is mysterious to the daughters, painful for the mother and casts the much beloved yet deceased father in somewhat of an unfavorable light at least as far as his daughters are concerned.

A trip back to North Carolina causes these women to explore themselves, come face to face with the past and its demons and come out on the other side more knowledgeable and as better people. This novel is fantastic and makes you wonder what secrets our parents hold, not as parents but as people. Highly recommended.

I am FEELING this book!! I really LOVED this book. It's about Ronnie and Celeste (sisters), their mother (Della) and Celeste's daughter (name escapes me) and their relationship with each other. The death of the father brings them together at the beginning of the book. The sisters find out that they own land in Prosper, North Carolina, which is where their parents are from. The mother refuses to talk about her life in Prosper, so the sisters are forced to go to Prosper with intentions of selling the land. Something brings the mother to Prosper and together with the sisters, all three are forced to face the reality of who they really are and why each of them is miserable. The characters were SERIOUSLY flawed and their lives weren't happily ever after at the end of the book - more so on the road to recovery. This book is tightly written! Drama starts from page one and continues up until the very end. I found myself hating the book to end.... Don't miss out on this book....

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!

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

...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.

I was so excited when I walked into the bookstore and saw these authors had a new book. I ran right up to the counter to purchase it. I was not disappointed. The relationship between the two sisters is so real until you have to pull back and make sure they're not talking about somebody you know. The secrets that Odella keep are so tragic it's a wonder she didn't lose her mind. I thought this was a wonderfully written and well-thought out second endeavor from DeBerry and Grant. Much better than the first (and it was good!). The events roll along at a nice pace- just fast enough to keep you turning, but slow enough that you understand. I eagerly await their next effort. They have won a fan for life.

"Far From the Tree" is a story about a family that keeps so many secrets from one another that it almost destroys them. First you have Odella the mother that has hidden so much from her children that ,that it almost destroys her,then there is Celeste who just wants to keep up appearances not matter what, and then there is Ronnie who lives hand to mouth but pretends she is rich. This is a very good book, and a nice second effort from the authors.

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.

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.