The Oak Leaves (The Oak Leaves Series #1) [Paperback]

Maureen Lang (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 12, 2007

Two time periods—Regency England and contemporary Chicago—are woven together when Talie Ingram finds an old journal belonging to her great-great-great grandmother, Cosima Escott. Through Cosima's entries, Talie learns that her family was once considered cursed with feebleminded offspring, the result of a genetic disorder (Fragile-X) that may have been passed down to Talie and her sister. Unwilling to face the implications their discovery might have on her own life, Talie tucks the journal back into secrecy, until she begins to see signs of developmental delay in her son.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After Talie Ingram finds an old family journal while helping clean her mother's house, she enthusiastically settles down to read about the life of her ancestress Cosima Escott Hamilton, whose diary dates as far back as 1849. From the very beginning, Lang, a romance novelist and author of Pieces of Silver, deftly navigates back and forth in history between Cosima's 19th-century confessions about the strange circumstances surrounding her family and betrothal to Sir Reginald Hale and Talie's growing, present-day fears about her heritage and its potential impact on her beloved son, Ben. With each passing day, Ben shows more signs of struggle with tasks that even the smallest toddlers usually have mastered; waving goodbye, chewing food, and crawling are beyond his grasp. This causes Talie to wonder if the family "curse" Cosima writes about-that the women on her father's side only produce "slow-witted children"-is more than mere legend. The bulk of this tale is really Cosima's, centering on the complications that ensue regarding her postponed marriage to Sir Reginald and the deep feelings she develops for another man. And it's Cosima's lingering voice-her determination and faith-that inspires Talie to reconcile her son's diagnosis of fragile X syndrome (a disability Lang's own son suffers from) with her belief that God is merciful.
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About the Author

Maureen Lang has always had a passion for writing. She wrote her first novel longhand around the age of ten. It was so much fun that she's been writing ever since.

Eventually Maureen became the recipient of a Golden Heart Award from Romance Writers of America, followed by the publication of three secular romance novels. Life took some turns after that, and she gave up writing for fifteen years, until the Lord claimed her to write for Him. Soon she won a Noble Theme Award from American Christian Fiction Writers, and a contract followed a year or so later for Pieces of Silver (a 2007 Christy Award finalist), followed by its sequel, Remember Me.

Maureen lives in the Midwest with her husband, her two sons, and their new puppy, Susie.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (April 12, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1414313454
• ISBN-13: 978-1414313450
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #540,605 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up as one of the youngest in a six-kid, boisterously loud German-Irish family in the suburbs of Chicago. Eight of us in a house with only one bathroom! We didn't really argue, although just to be heard over all the noise it might have seemed that way to an outsider. So whom did I marry? A quiet, reserved son of a German brick layer. While our family gathering decibels would compare to the lift off of a jet from nearby O'Hare, his family gatherings would register more like the soft rustling of oak leaves.
I grew up loving to tell stories, and God has blessed me immeasurably to be able to tell them to a wider audience these days.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A highly recommended read. Whew!, May 16, 2007

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Oak Leaves (The Oak Leaves Series #1) (Paperback)

Talie and Luke Ingram have everything they want in life--a good marriage, a wonderful baby boy, and financial stability. When Talie discovers a journal that belonged to an ancestor from Ireland in the mid-nineteenth century, she is intrigued. But when the journal reveals some frightening things about a family "curse," Talie hides it away, refusing to deal with the past. But could the past be affecting the present--her baby boy?

Born and raised in Ireland, though she is half English, Cosima Escott is affected by the curse and has sworn she'll never marry. When a proposal is made by Reginald, an Englishman, Cosima's parents believe the future of the family is redeemed. Cosima travels to England with Reginald, though she refrains from giving an answer to his proposal. Here she meets Lord Peter Hamilton and his family. Although she begins to fall in love with Peter, because he is in line to receive his father's title, Cosima knows she could never marry him and possibly bring the "curse" upon his family for future generations.

Will Talie and Luke be strong enough to face the truth about their son? Will Cosima be able to overcome the fears about her curse and accept Peter's love? How can God bring good through circumstances that seem so bad?

Maureen Lang has created a powerful and poignant story that deals with the fears and hurts of having a Fragile X child. This book could have been written by someone else, but would have lacked the emotion that Lang put into it. Through Lang's own experience with a Fragile X child, she has been able to share the joys of living with this genetic disorder.

Both stories, past and present, are woven carefully between chapters, and it really works well. It is obvious by the historical details in this novel that Lang put long hours of research into making it true to the period. The dialogue and actions between characters was used effectively to portray the strong emotion that this book pours from each page.

Armchair Interviews says: This was a wonderful inspirational read--highly recommended.

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Sentimental Winner, April 23, 2007

By 

Wantz Upon A Time Reviews (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Oak Leaves (The Oak Leaves Series #1) (Paperback)

Every parent dreams of a bright future for their child. When a child is diagnosed with a profound developmental disability, it can be devastating. So it is for Talie Ingram. When she reads of an ancestral "curse" that seemed to cause feeblemindedness in boys, Talie is put to the test of her life.

Talie's little boy is far behind "average" toddlers in development. She's been able to deny any significance, but reading the journal left by her ancestor, Cosima Escott, forces her to see the truth.

Cosima grew up in Ireland on a family estate. She believes her family is cursed with feeblemindedness, as her brothers, uncle, and male cousins were afflicted. A terrible tragedy in the past year seems to have cemented a lonely future... Until a proposition of marriage unexpectedly arrives from London. She soon learns all is not what it seems.

In reading Cosima's story, Talie will be offered insights she may have never received otherwise. Will Talie retain her faith in God's love, or will this ordeal shatter her world?

In her third novel of inspirational fiction, Maureen Lang combines a contemporary and historical approach to not only weave a story of hope, but also to present a fair and loving light on Fragile X, a genetic disorder that can cause mild to profound developmental disabilities. Mother to a son with Fragile X, Lang has clearly written a novel from the heart, suffusing it with a well of emotion and faith.

Have tissues at hand, clear your schedule, and be ready to smile. This novel is a winner, pure and simple.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
04/23/2007

Also by Maureen Lang: Pieces of Silver: A Novel & Remember Me: A Novel

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Oak Leaves, May 28, 2007

By 

Anita O Reaves "Anita" (Timberlake, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Oak Leaves (The Oak Leaves Series #1) (Paperback)

The book has been summarized so eloquently by others here, so I won't do it again.

I loved the Historical/Contemporary setting of this book. Regency England happens to be one of my favorite historical time periods.

The fact that the author has pulled from her own personal struggles with a child with Fragile X syndrome makes it a richer book. We can feel the hurt and disappointment in the characters when they discover their child will not live a "normal" life.

The book raises the question of whether to have children if you knew there was a small liklihood that they could possibly have a medical condition.

I highly recommend the book, especially to parents of children with disorders.