The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge [Kindle Edition]

Christine Nolfi (Author)

Book Description

A savage rape on hallowed ground. Secrets buried for decades by the town’s most influential family.

Now Ourania D’Andre will learn the Great Oak’s secrets as construction begins at the Fagan mansion. She can’t afford to turn down a job that promises to stir up the long-buried guilt—and the passion—she shares with powerful Troy Fagan.

She’s already juggling the most important job of her career with her new responsibilities as a foster mother for young Walt and Emma Korchek. And there’s a hard, older man on the construction crew with eyes void of emotion—cold and killing. The secrets of his brutal past will pose a grave threat to the children in her care. Will she find the courage to face him?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Poignant and powerful, The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge is as much a saga of learning how to survive, heal, and forgive as it is a chilling crime story, unforgettable to the very end." --The Midwest Book Review

About the Author

Christine Nolfi owned a small public relations firm in Ohio. She closed the firm after adopting a sibling group of four children. She has been writing novels full-time since 2004. Both her debut, Treasure Me, and The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge continue to earn high marks from book reviewers. Visit Christine at www.christinenolfi.com and @christinenolfi on Twitter.

Product Details

• File Size: 529 KB
• Print Length: 384 pages
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007IO78QK
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #86,388 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Well-crafted and satisfying April 9, 2012

By prairiecricket

Format:Kindle Edition

I don't typically read in this genre, so it was a slight stretch for me, but I'd heard good things about Nolfi and wanted to read for myself. I found The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge to be well-crafted and satisfying. There are some interesting themes, about family and familial ties, as well as multi-generational families in small towns. (That part, in particular, really rang true for me, still a "newcomer" after a mere eight years in the tiny town where I live.) She also explores adoption from the perspective of an adult adoptee as well as from the perspective of a foster parent who comes to love her foster children so deeply that she wishes to adopt them permanently. She gives a nod to multi-racial families, but without making a big deal out of race; the characters are simply who they are.

Once or twice I felt the book started to lean toward the conventions of a romance novel, as in Chapter 2, which is largely devoted to how beautiful the heroine is. Another example: Ourania's eyes are described as "whiskey-hued," which I found intriguing the first time, but a bit tired by the third or fourth time.

Overall, still a book I'd recommend. The characters are real and appealing, the story is realistic and engaging. I found every plot thread enjoyable, and each gets wrapped up nicely by the end. I hope to read more of Nolfi's writing in the future.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Superb Story of Everlasting Hope March 9, 2012

By WildAboutBooks

Format:Kindle Edition

First off I would have to say that this particular author came to me highly recommended from a good friend. And I was more than a little honored to be one of the first reviewers of her latest book. The story in this book consisted of many twists and turns I both saw coming and yet still did not fully expect. For example, the story initially started out with main character Ourania D'Andre, an independent, female, blue collar electrician whom is just about to start a home remodeling job working for the family of a late friend. She needs the work so that she will be able to prove herself to her family, apply for a much larger contract at the family's plant, and to be able to put her electric business in the black. But as the beginning chapter progresses, I unexpectedly learn that although Ourania D'Andre was so driven in her career pursuits, she was also secretly a foster mother, which was a rather intriguing aspect of her character. Continuing the story I came back around to some more expected events as well. That, given how important both jobs were for Ourania's success, I was not surprised to read that her boss was someone that would pose a problem. He was a childhood arch nemesis, her late friend's older brother and, of course a past lover.

After finishing this book, I wound up truly enjoying the story. I loved how the author addressed and immersed cultural differences amongst the characters. Leading the characters to interact and really flesh out the story that they were telling. So much so, that I found myself to be interested the entire time when my favorite character Dianne made appearances. The author was able to write her in so a genuinely sweet and endearing way I couldn't help falling for her. As she gave the story such energy and vitality with each scene she was involved.

I would have to say that I would totally recommend this book to any one that is open to the possibility of never giving up on themselves, on others, and finding the best part of themselves through the most trying of situations. I would also have to recommend this book to any one that is interested in reading about characters from various cultural backgrounds but not in the stereotypical ways that we are so used to seeing from other sources in the media. Which I think in and of itself is one of the best reason to read this book.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge by Christine Nolfi March 9, 2012

By Nikki Bywater

Format:Kindle Edition

The Fagan family are having their mansion renovated, to build a new south wing for their pregnant daughter and husband to live in. The Fagan family run a successful orchid business; they shipped produce throughout the U.S employing several hundred people. The company had made all the family millionaires.

Their son Troy had left the family business to work in construction and he was working on the renovation for his family. Troy is feeling anxious about the renovations due to the part of the house that they were renovating was his teenage brother, Jason's room. Jason had been murdered fifteen years ago.

Ourania D'Andre runs her own electrical business; she has got a job working on the Fagan's renovation. She sees the job with the Fagan's as the most important of her career and she is hoping it will lead to more work. But she feels her job may be in jeopardy because she and Troy share a past. So she wants to work really hard and prove that she can do the job. She knows that Troy is just looking for an excuse to fire her.

When Ourania's mum, a social worker who manages family services which champions children's causes before state judges, needs an emergency foster home for two children while their father is in therapy. She asks Ourania to take them in. Ourania at first declines because she knows taking on the children would complicate her job. But when she meets the children she decides to take them. She has to struggle with working and looking after two small children.

While renovating Jason's room Ourania finds a box at the back of Jason's closet. She hangs on to the box thinking it might have the usually things in it that a teenager does not want their parents to know about, but after opening it she finds letters that could change Troy's life forever.

Will she choose to pass the letters on to Troy?

And just what is the power of the mysterious Great Oak tree. What secrets does it keep?

This is the brand new novel from Christine Nolfi; The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge is an emotionally charged novel that is beautifully written by Christine Nolfi. I do like a book that has you hooked into the story from page one. I found the story very moving and touching. The conclusion to the story is a very satisfying outcome.

More About the Author

Some writers are gifted with an unusual life and I'm certainly one of those. I've lived in Ohio, Virginia, California, Utah and now South Carolina. In college I was featured on the front page of the Houston Post for a lark that erased all my debt. I met my four adopted children for the first time in the sweltering heat of the tropics. I helped build several companies and was lucky enough to earn a living doing what I love best--writing--in a PR firm I owned.

In 2004 I made the wisest and most irrational decision of my life--I began writing fiction full-time. All those years of hard work pay off daily in sweet notes and comments by readers. Please continue the mail, tweets and comments on FaceBook, GoodReads and other sites. I cherish your support and love chatting with readers.

www.christinenolfi.com

@christinenolfi on Twitter