The Sound of the Trees: A Novel [Hardcover]

Robert Gatewood (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2002

An extraordinary debut that brings together a hypnotic quest, a thrilling Western, and an unforgettable love story.

Set in the 1930s, The Sound of the Tree tells the story of Trude Mason, who, seeking to escape a brutal father and a violent past, sets out with his mother on horseback on a grueling journey through the extreme desert and mountainous terrain of southwestern New Mexico. Their destination is Colorado, a place Trude imagines to be abundantly fertile, wild, and free. But along the way, Trude finds himself in the clutches of a small New Mexican border town, once again a victim of brutality and lawlessness, this time in the form of a pitiless sheriff and his posse. When they arrest and sentence to death a young woman whose life Trude has saved, he must face an explosive collision between conscience and self-preservation.

Affecting yet unsentimental, written in piercing, unadorned prose, Robert Gatewood's The Sound of the Trees marks the arrival of a vital new literary voice.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Taking its title from a Robert Frost poem, this engrossing, lyrical novel marks the debut of a writer of great promise. Set during the Depression, the narrative follows 18-year-old Trude Mason as he takes his mother and flees on horseback from his abusive alcoholic father, leaving behind their foreclosed New Mexican ranch for the high country of Colorado. After mourning his mother's death from a rattlesnake bite and braving incredible hardships not the least of which is the approaching winter Trude is bushwhacked and stabbed by an Englishman traveling with a beautiful black girl who is his captive. Eventually, Trude makes his way to a fledgling frontier town where a sinister mayor holds sway. The ambitious mayor dreams of parlaying the coming of the railroad into the creation of a dominant center of commerce on the western frontier, elevating himself to political prominence. Trude discovers that the girl, Delilah, is also in town and has been jailed for the theft of a rake. His thwarted attempts to free her evolve into a classic David and Goliath struggle. When an Eastern magazine writer comes to town, the power-crazed mayor decides to hang Delilah, sending a message to the world that the town is ruled by law and by him. The boy's desperate and heroic struggle against time and insurmountable odds invests the denouement with gut-wrenching tension. At times repetitive and marred by off-key imagery Delilah's hair "fell past her shoulders like nests of stone"; the mayor's boots "sprang from the floor like hand-rubbed coals" this is nevertheless an uncommonly good first novel, strongly evocative of Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-This novel of the West dramatically engages readers' senses from its opening lines and, by maintaining tension and momentum, begs to be read without pause. The Robert Frost poem from which the title is taken empathetically foreshadows a young man's longing to "set forth for somewhere," perhaps risking the "reckless choice" in his destiny-defining quest. The journey begins on horseback in Depression-era New Mexico with Trude Mason, a taciturn 18-year-old, and his mother fleeing their impoverished family ranch in predawn desperation to escape the escalating brutality of the young man's father. En route to Colorado, Trude's steadfastness of purpose is tested by personal tragedy and sharpened by the treachery of man. His fate becomes entwined with that of a girl whom fortune has placed in the hands of scoundrels, and whose rescue he champions out of nascent love and a strong code of honor. The Western genre affords a plentiful selection of character types (some memorable, others sketched in less detail than Trude's horse), and a scale of monumental proportions upon which to stage them. Gatewood has created a richly textured tableau threaded with mysticism and sustained by pitch-perfect dialogue laced with quiet dignity. A promising first novel that fans of Cormac McCarthy's work will welcome.
Lynn Nutwell, Fairfax City Regional Library, VA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.; 1st edition (May 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805068023
• ISBN-13: 978-0805068023
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,741,624 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No Need to Intrude, July 1, 2002

By 

Lee Armstrong (Winterville, NC United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Sound of the Trees: A Novel (Hardcover)

This is a replete tale. The world created is one so austere and beautiful in its sense of nature, that we feel almost like we are intruding, like setting foot into the wilderness for the first time. For all of its western themes and love of nature, this book is also deep because it explores several themes that one would not expect in a western novel with a male protagonist. The first is violence against women. Trude Mason and his mother set out to flee the wrathful hand of his father. The flashbacks are poignant and sharp. Set in the 1930's, it also gives us a feel for the powerlessness and desperation that would cause a son and his mother to flee into the stark wilderness to escape abuse. The second theme which is all the more profound because Gatewood does not dwell on it is that of race. Trude Mason, a young white man, comes across Delilah, a black girl, in the woods, herself abused, and falls into a long-distance attraction that propels the novel to its rivetting conclusion. Trude's morality, upon which he neither dwells nor preaches, gives him the eyes of the innocent, aware of the evils of the world, but not a part. It is this journey that so fascinates us. When I got to the end of the book, I spent several-day break before I could bring myself to read the last two chapters. I thought myself, "Well, you must be more deeply affected by this novel than you realized since you almost don't want to know how it comes out." The suspense is intense. Gatewood's rhythm and pacing are distinct and powerful. His minor characters from the doctor in the Masons' hometown, to Jane the waitress, to Trude's one friend John Frank, to the mayor and the thug Ralstons and well-drawn. The Indian woman who concludes the novel with the great moral about how we carry a person with us in our heart, and although grief can be like a spike in the heart, we learn to live and go on, is masterful. Take a walk into this wonderful world Gatewood has created; there is no need to intrude.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As smooth as Tennessee whiskey, June 14, 2002

By 

Michael Boorman (Atlanta, Georgia United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sound of the Trees: A Novel (Hardcover)

A great read. This book conveys tremendous detail of landscape and emotion using an economy of words. I have read several reviews of this book and almost every one compares this author to Cormac McCarthy. This comparison is warranted but also too narrow of a view. This author also employs a powerful and gripping writing style but clearly has his own voice and themes which he develops. Don't think because you have read McCarthy there is nothing new here.
This book is deserving of your time.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The New West, June 9, 2002

By 

Ondre (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sound of the Trees: A Novel (Hardcover)

Very strong debut. Yes, the influence of Mr. McCarthy is all over this, but the author has a wonderful command of language that is distinct to that of McCarthy. He's maybe a little more readable while still being poetic and strongly evocative. I felt the story meandered a little bit, but on the other hand the ending was more satisfying than I expected. You head toward the climax really wondering which way the author is gonna take things and, fortunately, he provides an unexpected and reasonable outcome. Good stuff. I'd be happy to read his next one and hope he keeps at it.