Customer Reviews

If The Tree Could Talk

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On summer days and summer nights, you can find families, friends and loved ones sitting comfortably under a tree sharing stories, secrets and kisses. For the Greenson family, they have a tree in their front yard that the author compares to the biblical tree of life and knowledge. Some life-changing conversations and events were shared under the "family tree."

The protagonist and sometimes narrator of If The Tree Could Talk is Callie Greenson, a.k.a. Sweetie Pie. She's sassy and filled with wisdom that surpasses her twelve years. One day, as Sweetie Pie struggles to get out of bed to start her day, she gets a feeling that something is going to happen that will spin her life out of control. While sitting under their tree, she hears her mom and dad doing what she calls "code talking." It's not long before Callie, her family and her friends find themselves caught in a spider web of deception, manipulation and betrayal.

I enjoyed getting to know Callie and the host of adults who were touched by one woman's desperation and lies. Ms. Brown did a wonderful job with the background story and secondary characters after the lie was known. I felt their pain and anguish over what Ms. Dasie revealed to her friends.

The first thing that attracted me to a book (if not a recommendation) is the cover. The cover and the title of this book brought the focus of the "tree" to the forefront; but as I continued to read the book, I kept waiting for the theme of the tree to have more of a presence in the story. Even the cover portrays a huge tree taking over, but that was not the case inside the jackets. I believe the lie should've been revealed under the tree along with the rekindled love story we witnessed from several places in and out of town.

My favorite quote is nestled on page 92 when the lie is revealed and the characters hear it for the first time and are shocked. One of them responds in this way: "You have done the unthinkable, and I want you to know that you have ripped your drawers and there is not a needle in the world that can fix them" (too funny) If The Tree Could Talk was a pretty good read and a very promising start for this new author.

Reviewed by Missy for Urban Reviews

"If The Tree Could Talk (oh, what stories it would tell)", by Karen C. Brown, is a beautiful, poignant tale about family values, morales and secrets - through the eyes of a smart and sassy 12-year-old, the unforgettable Little Miss Callie Greenson, a/k/a Sweetie Pie.

The novel takes place in Top Water, Louisiana, a small, southern town picture-perfect for raising a family -- where everyone knows everyone and gossip is plentiful. The Greenson family is at the center of the story, along with a wise old family tree in the front yard that is the centerpiece of drama, every decision, issue, and secret held by the Greenson family. A shocking secret may forever change the lives of everyone in the Greenson family - more importantly, Sweetie Pie. As Sweetie Pie finds her own way through life, many surprises ensue, lives change and lessons are learned.

What a delightful story! Sweetie Pie is wise beyond her years and through her eyes, she narrates a heartfelt story filled with love, humor and sheer honesty. The language of Sweetie Pie is a bit brash for a 12-year-old - as an educator, I sincerely wanted to wash her mouth out with soap! Once I moved beyond the language, I laughed, cried and cheered on Sweetie Pie and the Greenson family! Author Karen C. Brown is a masterful storyteller and I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend her first novel!

Review: 4.5 out of 5 Beignets

Reviewed by: Sonya

Books and Beignets (BAB) Book Club

All families have secrets, and while some are not a big deal others can change the lives of the entire family. Sweetie Pie is the baby of the family, but she seems wise beyond her 12 years. When her social studies teacher assigns the class an assignment based on their family tree, Sweetie Pie hopes she will finally get her parents to open up about their parents and siblings. In If The Tree Could Talk by Karen C. Brown, Sweetie Pie's family tree project may give her more branches than she was looking for.

Sweetie Pie is a very inquisitive girl. She sees and understands things that most girls her age would not. In the front of the Greenson's yard, there is a tree where many important discussions are held. Sweetie Pie learns more than she was expecting under that tree after a serious conversation with her parents. Will she be able to handle all that is revealed to her? Or, will her wisdom hold her world together?

Brown wrote a story of secrets, lies, and unconditional love. I liked the premise of If The Tree Could Talk. However, some areas fell flat. The story was told from two points-of-views, where at times they ran into each other with no transition. The story would flow smoother with the help of a proofreader and/or an editor. I recommend If The Tree Could Talk to readers who like to read about family secrets and lies.

I received this book for review purposes from the author.

Jennifer Coissiere

APOOO BookClub

Callie "Sweetie Pie" Greenson is a savvy young girl with wisdom well beyond her 12 years. With gnawing curiosity and a keen sense of intuition, not much gets past her. So when she feels there is something going on in the small town of Top Water, Louisiana that she isn't supposed to know about, her senses go into high gear. As the history of the Greenson family quickly unravels, Sweetie Pie finds herself questioning whether her curiosity has finally gotten the best of her.

The family tree that sits in the front yard of the Greenson family's home serves as a meeting place for relaxation, decision-making, and life changing events. Revealing truths and deceiving lies have been told under this tree and Sweetie Pie is determined to uncover them all. When she overhears a brief encoded discussion between her parents, she knows that something is amidst, but what? She knows better than to question her parents for fear of punishment, so she keeps her suspicions to herself. A class project and an unexpected visit from out-of-towners soon give her the answers to her brewing questions. But she has no idea the depth behind the secrets the family tree holds and how it will affect her for the rest of her life.

IF THE TREE COULD TALK was a quick and easy read. Karen C. Brown was successful in creating an interesting story filled with lies, deceit, and family secrets. Although the author attempts to explain Sweetie Pie's wisdom and maturity, I was not convinced the narrative was that of a twelve-year-old child. It seemed to me Sweetie Pie's voice read more like a middle-aged woman. Additionally, I found the dialogue between the characters to be somewhat unrealistic. The cover and the title do not give this book justice. This was a decent read and a promising start for the new author.

Reviewed by Monique D. Mensah

For RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

The story of Sweetie Pie Green is interesting, but somewhat disjointed. This story starts from the perspective of Sweetie Pie, but not in a child's voice. Though it is mentioned several times that Sweetie Pie was wise beyond her 12 years, the childlike innocence was not captured. Furthermore, the conversations Sweetie Pie had with her best friend were certainly not on a child's level. The book seemed to start with a pattern of alternating point of views, which I enjoyed. One chapter would be written from Sweetie Pie's point of view and another from third person. This provided an omni-directional perspective to capture events that may have taken place in Sweetie Pie's absence. However, this pattern was broken mid way through the book and it was disappointing and somewhat confusing to the reader. The focus shifted from Sweetie Pie to her biological parents after Dasie's confession which was also confusing. Finally the tree, while initially intriguing, failed to live up to its potential as truth serum. Events that could have taken place under the tree, to solidify the claim were, Dasie's confession, Tyler claiming Sweetie Pie as his sister, and Eli's marriage proposal. For future writing, I would encourage author Karen C. Brown to stick with her initial story ideas because they are exhilarating and could lead to better storyline flow.

Natasha R. Hines

AAMBC Reviewer

(Official Apex Reviews Rating: 3.5 Stars)

In the front yard of the Greenson home is what is commonly known as "The Family Tree," under which major decisions and conversations are routinely made; as such, the tree holds a special significance in the eyes of twelve-year-old Callie, a precocious pre-teen with a seasoned wisdom beyond her years. While sitting under the tree one evening, though, Callie overhears her parents engaged in a quite shocking conversation, from which she soon learns disturbing truths about her family's history - ultimately thrusting all senses of peace and security that she previously had in serious doubt...

Throughout the pages of If The Tree Could Talk, author Karen Brown presents the reader with a twisted, compelling tale of lust, love, deceit, and hidden secrets drawn straight from the pages of everyday life. Through the eyes of her endearing protagonist, Brown paints a vivid picture of humanity at its best and worst, as well as the often unintended ramifications that follow some of our most fateful decisions. No matter how dark the times we may encounter, though, the light of redemption still shines, and Brown does an effective job of conveying the promise and hope that await us as a result of confronting our deepest fears.

With a solid central storyline and intriguing cast of characters, If The Tree Could Talk is a promising debut effort from an emerging new literary talent.

Tracy Moore

Apex Reviews

If the Tree Could Talk is a delightful tale told primarily by Callie "Sweetie Pie" Greenson. The story takes place in Top Water, Louisiana, a small town where everyone knows everyone, and everyone knows everyone's business. The big shade tree in the Greenson's yard holds not only secrets of the Greenson family, but secrets of many of the town's residents, as well. There is one hidden truth, however, that will forever change the lives of not only the Greenson family (Sweetie Pie in particular), but the lives of several former residents of Top Water.

Ms. Brown, in her debut novel, told a charming story of lies, secrets, and the power of love. The characters and their relationships were well defined, although there were a few areas where I would have enjoyed a little more detail. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and look forward to future works from Ms. Brown.

4 Pink Diamonds

Sistah Deniece of the SistahFriend Book Club

In Karen Brown's book, If The Tree Could Talk, the story takes place in rural Louisiana within a large family living in a small town; a town where everybody knew each other. The story centered on the youngest of the Greenson family, Callie "Sweetie Pie" Greenson. This story involves lies, betrayal, deception and a deep dark secret that Callie's parents hid from her and the family.

Callie was a very sensitive girl, she knew when something peculiar was going on especially in her own family. Though she knew she was different, she didn't understand why. Also, she was very sensitive about certain features that she had that no one in her immediate family possessed; out of eleven children, she was the only child with green eyes. However, the secret that her parents were keeping revolved around their childhood friends and a lie they held for twelve years.

While reading this book, I had many questions concerning the over all theme of the book. At the beginning of the book Callie spoke of a family tree that stood big and strong in her family's front yard and how everything that happened involved that tree. I read the novel believing that I would see the tree theme delicately woven throughout the novel, but I didn't see that at all. I think if that theme had been incorporated throughout it would have added much more depth to this linear story.

One thing that I did enjoy in the novel was the adult characters once the secret was finally revealed. The relationships and the drama between those characters were very good. I especially enjoyed the character `Dasie'; she added a good spin to the story.

For a debut novel, Brown made a good attempt at taking a look at the dynamics of a large southern family living in a small community as they learned how to rise above the lies and dysfunction that plague an otherwise tight knit family.