A Sound Among the Trees: A Novel [Paperback]

Susan Meissner (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 4, 2011

A house shrouded in time.
A line of women with a heritage of loss.

As a young bride, Susannah Page was rumored to be a Civil War spy for the North, a traitor to her Virginian roots. Her great-granddaughter Adelaide, the current matriarch of Holly Oak, doesn’t believe that Susannah’s ghost haunts the antebellum mansion looking for a pardon, but rather the house itself bears a grudge toward its tragic past.

When Marielle Bishop marries into the family and is transplanted from the arid west to her husband’s home, it isn’t long before she is led to believe that the house she just settled into brings misfortune to the women who live there.

With Adelaide’s richly peppered superstitions and deep family roots at stake, Marielle must sort out the truth about Susannah Page and Holly Oak— and make peace with the sacrifices she has made for love.    

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for A Sound Among the Trees

"Meissner delivers a delightful page-turner that will surely enthrall readers from beginning to end. The antebellum details, lively characters, and overlapping dramas particularly will excite history buffs and romance fans." - Publishers Weekly, starred review

“In A Sound Among the Trees, author Meissner transports readers to another time and place to weave her lyrical tale of love, loss, forgiveness, and letting go. Her beautifully drawn characters are flawed yet likable, their courage and resilience echoing in the halls of Holly Oak for generations. A surprising conclusion and startling redemption make this book a page-turner, but the setting—the beautiful old Holly Oak and all of its ghosts—is what will seep into the reader’s bones, making A Sound Among the Trees a book you don’t want to put down.’
—Karen White, New York Times best-selling author of The Beach Trees

“My eyes welled up more than once! And I thought it especially fitting that, having already shown us the shape of mercy in a previous novel, Susan Meissner is now showing us the many shapes of love. A Sound Among the Trees is a hauntingly lyrical book that will make you believe a house can indeed have a memory…and maybe a heart. A beautiful story of love, loss, and sacrifice, and of the bonds that connect us through time.”
—Susanna Kearsley, New York Times best-selling author of The Winter Sea

“I have a dozen things to do (like sleep!), but here I huddle through the night, turning pages, mesmerized by yet another Susan Meissner novel. How does Susan create characters that stay with me long after I close the book? How does she transport a reader so easily to a mansion in the South, in this century, bringing one family’s challenge of the Civil War to speak to contemporary times? How does she address the emotions and memories that hold us hostage with such grace? How do her turns of phrase bring tears unbidden to my eyes? I keep reading, knowing I’ll discover a fascinating story and hoping I’ll infuse some of the skill and craft that Susan weaves to make it. A Sound Among the Trees is one more exceptional novel from a world-class storyteller. Jodi Picoult, make room at the top.”
—Jane Kirkpatrick, award-winning author of The Daughter’s Walk

“A Sound Among the Trees is another Meissner masterpiece filled with well-shaped characters, a compelling plot, and haunting questions: are our memories reliable enough to grow us, or do we cling to them as an excuse not to live? Meissner stunned me as she skillfully grappled with those mysteries. I left the book resolved to live joyfully in the sacredness of today.”
—Mary DeMuth, author of The Muir House

About the Author

Award-winning writer Susan Meissner is a multi-published author, speaker and workshop leader with a background in community journalism. Her novels include The Shape of Mercy, named by Publishers Weekly as one of the Best Books of 2008. She is a pastor’s wife and a mother of four. When she's not writing, Susan directs the Small Groups and Connection Ministries program at her San Diego church.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: WaterBrook Press; First Edition edition (October 4, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307458857
• ISBN-13: 978-0307458858
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.9 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (222 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #871,836 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #26 in Books > History > Americas > United States > Civil War > Campaigns & Battlefields > Fredericksburg

More About the Author

I cannot remember a time when I wasn't driven to write. I attribute this passion to a creative God and to parents who love books and more particularly to a dad who majored in English and passed on a passion for writing.

I was born in 1961 in San Diego, California, and am the second of three daughters. I spent my very average childhood in just two houses. I attended Point Loma College in San Diego, majoring in education, but I would have been smarter to major in English with a concentration in writing. The advice I give now to anyone wondering what to major in is follow your heart and choose a career you are passionate about.

I didn't do a lot of writing in the years my husband was on active duty in the Air Force, when we were living overseas, or when we were having children. When my little heirs were finally all in school, though, I became aware of a deep, gnawing desire to write a novel; a desire I managed to ignore for several years.

Finally when I could disregard it no longer, I resigned in 2002 as editor of a small town newspaper, and set out to write my first book, "Why the Sky is Blue." It took four months to write and ten months to be accepted by a publisher. But I was absolutely thrilled to sign with Harvest House Publishers in 2003. I am now working on my sixth novel for Harvest House and it's been a wonderful, thrilling ride.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't waste your money or your time. April 22, 2012

By Thinking Girl Guide

Format:Paperback

I started to read **A Sound among the Trees** hoping for an engaging story that intertwined the Civil War and modern times in a unique way. What I got was a book that I would NEVER purchase on my own and I could not finish it.

Here are my issues:
1. Meissner is a good writer. She has good flow, descriptions and expresses characters well. But she's terrible at storyline.
2. Why this was touted as a Christian Fiction book by Waterbrook is not only unfathomable, it is also insulting.
3. The mood of this book is totally depressing. The dialogue leaves the reader sad, morose and blue. It lacks anything uplifting.
4. Chron.10:13 So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord and did not obey the Lord's instructions; he even tried to conjure up underworld spirits. Enough said.
5. I'm a busy woman. I like to read interesting books. I like to read books that engage my mind. I like books that challenge me to be a better mom, wife and Christ follower. I like books that are entertaining and take me to new places. This book did none of these things. I don't have time to waste reading a book about ghosts or people who "see......people who are dead." I couldn't even finish this book.

Don't read this book. It's not worth your money or your time. Shame on you Waterbrook. You've really done us wrong on this one.

I received this book from Waterbrook Mulnomah Press for free.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed that I'm Disappointed November 18, 2011

By Koschnitzgirl

Format:Paperback

I was beyond excited to get my hands on A Sound Among the Trees. See, I happen to love Susan Meissner. Her previous books, A Seahorse in the Thames, The Shape of Mercy, Lady in Waiting, and Blue Heart Blessed all sit on my bookshelf, kept forever in my collection as stories worth reading again and again. Meissner's writing is beautiful, she paints detailed pictures of her settings, and in the past I've found her characters as deep as breathing people.

With that said I have to admit that if I didn't have to read this book because I promised to review it I would have never finished it, goodness, I wouldn't have gotten past chapter three. I'm usually one of those people who can fly through three hundred pages in 2-3 days, this book began a month long battle of making myself pick it up and finish it.

I believe the main issue falls on the characters. I found myself not liking them, not empathizing with them, and frankly not caring what happened to them.

The story is slow moving and the entire plot ends up being one big red herring.

When I read I want to escape and leave a book feeling uplifted, or in the least, entertained. A Sound Among the Trees is just plain melancholy the whole way through.

Now, about two hundred pages in a packet of letters is found and the story dips into Civil War times. What would have been an amazing book would have been Susannah's story alone. She's the only character I felt a bond to and any desire to champion. I loved the hundred or so pages devoted to her story, but remember if I hadn't had to read the book I would have never even gotten to Susannah's portion.

I'm pretty bummed, I think this is the first bad review I've ever given but I can't honestly say I'd tell any of my friends to read this book. I have forty more I'd recommend before this one. Please, look up Meissner's other books and read them, because she's excellent, just something went amiss with this one.

I received this book free from Waterbrook/Multnomah in exchange for this review.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Multi-generational Story That Mixes the Present With the Past September 29, 2011

By Beth(bookaholicmom) VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

This was a different book than I was expecting. For some reason I was thinking it was going to be about a home that was haunted by a past relative. It is more a story of a home and family that is haunted by the past.

The book starts out with Marielle Bishop moving into the home of her new husband's deceased wife, Sara's family, where Adelaide, the matriarch of the family still resides. Sara was raised by Adelaide, who is her grandmother. Now doesn't that grab your attention? Right away, I thought Marielle was a special woman. I can't think of many women who would move in with the family of the former spouse's family.

Holly Oak, the antebellum house they live in is grand and has housed many generations. Some believe the home to be haunted by the ghost of Susannah Page who is thought by many to have been a Civil War traitor or spy. All is not what it seems.

This book is not a true ghost story but more the story of a family stuck in the past. There seems to be troubles with each generation of women who have resided in the home. All these women are very strong but yet vulnerable. Their stories are pretty involved but it all comes together in the end.

I love when a book includes letters written by the characters. One of my favorite parts of this book is Part 4 where we get to read letters written by Susannah Page. It gives a pretty important glimpse into the Civil War period and how many people did whatever they had to do to survive the war.

This is not a fast paced book. The story evolves slowly but I think that is because it is a very detailed story. The characters are well-developed and have complex issues which add to the story as a whole. It takes awhile to get all their facts out in the open. Even though it is not fast paced, it did keep my attention and I ended up staying up much too late to finish reading this book. I had to know how it all ended once I knew the story of each woman who lived in Holly Oak.

This is the second book I have read of Susan Meissner's. I also recommend her book, The Shape of Mercy. You can tell when reading one of Susan's historical gems that she does quite a bit of research before she tells the stories of her characters. I like how in both of these books, Susan mixes the present day with the past. I recommend both of these books.