The Eve Tree: A Novel [Kindle Edition]

Rachel Devenish Ford (Author)

Book Description

When Molly's ranch is threatened by a nearby forest fire, she realizes she will do whatever she can to save it, even at the cost of her fragile mental stability.

Jack, Molly's husband, will do whatever he can to save Molly. He alone knows the true cost of the breakdown she had, sixteen years ago.

Catherine, Molly's elderly mother, is caught between regrets of the past and the present fiery threat. She returns to the ranch and begins a project that she hopes will somehow bring Molly back to wholeness, a project that has nothing to do with fighting fires.

As the whole family waits out the four days that the fire continues toward them, they dig deeply into the past to find the healing that they need and reclaim their place on the earth.

The Eve Tree is a haunting, lyrical novel about the desperation of family, the difficulty of love, and the strength of forgiveness.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for the Eve Tree:

"If you like Barbara Kingsolver's books, you'll LOVE The Eve Tree. A beautiful and haunting tale about generations connected by livelihood and place, Ford evokes the great books by Kingsolver and Steinbeck. Lush prose, conflicted characters so vividly drawn you would recognize them passing them on the street." ~Melissa Westemeier, Ecowomen.net

"Rachel's characters have been so real to me this week that I found myself worrying for them, while I was away from the book, as I would for family members." ~Blackbird in Tuvalu

"It is a masterfully told story, unfolding slowly, layer by layer, working down to the rawest and deepest parts and drawing the reader in almost imperceptibly until they are caught, surprised by how much they care." ~Carrien Blue from She Laughs at the Days

"This is a book to read slowly, to savour. I can open it up to almost any random page and find a description so well crafted that it is quote-worthy." ~Five Minutes for Books.com

Product Details

• File Size: 415 KB
• Print Length: 274 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0615477836
• Publisher: Small Seed Press (May 26, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0052ZR23G
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #117,304 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Savor this one. June 28, 2011

By Jennifer B.

Format:Paperback

What a beautiful book! While some of the other reviews say you'll want to read "The Eve Tree" in one sitting, I suggest that you take the opposite approach: Read a couple of chapters, then set the book aside and think about it, then read a little more, and then think more. Enjoy the book slowly. Savor it. Don't race through to see what happens next. You'll get to the end eventually and in the meantime, will be able to slowly enjoy Rachel Devenish Ford's beautiful creation.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Mesmerizing and Heart-Touching June 13, 2011

By ElleBee

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

In her debut novel, Rachel Devenish Ford has crafted a narrative with characters so real you feel like you're eavesdropping on their lives. One can't help but get caught up, not only in the story of a California wildfire and the logistics surrounding it, but in the lives of Molly and Jack Boscelli. Ford gives the reader a real and poignant and not always pretty look into the mother-daughter relationship between Catherine and Molly. Molly's battle with mental illness and the way her family views it is at once sorrowful and loving. It reminds anyone who has been touched by mental illness that one's own mind is often a dangerous neighborhood. When I put the book down I felt like I should tell the characters "Don't worry, I'll be back soon!"

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A treasure May 31, 2011

By Eleanor

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

In this story of a family, a ranch and a fire, Rachel Devenish Ford has created a mesmerising work of art. Hers is a unique style which combines detailed realism with lyrical fantasy, creating a world so powerful that it left me feeling elated. Devenish Ford understands the complexities of human relationships, and when she reveals these truths she also reveals the beauty of life.

If you've ever struggled with your role as a mother, a daughter or a wife then this novel is your comfortable place to fall. Most importantly, if you have struggled with (in Devenish Ford's own words) "the dark, slippery places of the mind" then I urge you to rush to read this novel. It will bring you through the fire safely, and prove to you that the wildflowers can still bloom.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Lovely and profound. July 25, 2011

By Cate Moon

Format:Paperback

The Eve Tree by Rachel Devenish Ford is a real treasure. It's a multi-generational story, focused on a mother/daughter relationship. While the plot line is gripping and full of all the tension you'll need to keep turning the pages long into the night, what I found most profound was this relational dynamic between Molly and her mother Catherine. Ms. Devenish-Ford so beautifully articulates all the conflicting tensions of a mother/daughter relationship; the unresolved conflict, but the over-riding love between two people who can't communicate what's in their hearts. I read The Eve Tree just as a year's mourning ended after my mother's passing, and the book spoke so beautifully about the relationship that so many women find to be the deepest and yet the most fraught with difficulty. I loved the book,, because it's a book of hope. The writing was mature and the voices so clear. I look forward to another book by this writer. (4 stars is my highest rating for any book not on my `Classic" list--like Tolstoy or Austin...)

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars An unfulfilling read March 11, 2012

By KindleJunkie

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book pulls in too many themes without unifying them, making for a frustrating read. For instance, Molly's mental illness is not fully explored. In short-changing this theme, the book fails to treat it with the respect it deserves, making it a trite reason for her anger and volatility when really she has reason enough to be pissed off. The fire is approaching her family ranch, a symbol of another life failure and her family itself - the family who cannot look upon her without thinking about the mental breakdown she had 16 years ago. She feels alone, helpless, and out of time. The consistent love of her husband is not enough, in part because he lacks the courage to see things through her eyes. His love is genuine but it's easier for him to think her emotions are fueled by "illness" rather than the very real fear of losing everything. So, his love highlights her pain.

This book could be better, if only it were simplified to make room for the profound. Molly is not so different from most women who see themselves as failing when really, they are surviving. She is like the land itself. You may strip the land of all that rests upon it but it's still there, right under your feet!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I felt this book December 19, 2011

By Eileen M. Plunkett

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I find it difficult to find the words to express how much I enjoyed The Eve Tree. What a great gift the author gave me with such varied and interesting characters. I am 75 years old and happen to live in Northern CA so this had special meaning for me. I know what fire can do here and have seen its destruction. Rachel was able to get into the hearts and heads of all the characters and make them my neighbors and friends.

I could feel what they felt, think what they thought and be afraid as they were. I could feel the tension between mother and daughter and husband and wife. This book was one of the best I have ever read. It touched my every nerve and emotion. I wanted it to go on and on and cannot wait for Rachel's next book. I got it early when it was free to all and I can say that it is worth every penny of the current cost. Buy this book, I guarantee that if you love excitement and love, you will truly enjoy The Eve Tree.

More About the Author

Rachel Devenish Ford was born in Ontario, Canada, and grew up reading like a fiend in various small towns of British Columbia. She was just a kid when she realized she loved to write. Shortly after, she discovered that she loved to travel, and ever since, she's been writing and traveling the world.

Rachel spent six years working with homeless youth in San Francisco and Arcata, before embarking on the journey of her life with her husband and four children. She is still traveling now. You may bump into her in India, Nepal, or Thailand.
You can follow her life and travels at www.journeymama.com.

Rachel is currently surrounded by a storm of paper in the revisions of her second novel.