Customer Reviews

Watching the Tree Limbs (Maranatha Series #1)

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mary DeMuth calls her blog Relevant Prose, and this is a more than apt description of her debut fiction novel, Watching Tree Limbs. Mary's strong voice along with equally strong characterizations drew me in immediately. Written from the perspective of the nine-year-old protagnoist, Mara, you feel her pain and want to reach into the pages and make things right for her. Shake the adults in her life and say "Don't you see what you are doing to this child?". Yet the only One who can make things right for Mara is God and God does reach in and bring people to Mara that point her to Him. You will fall in love with Camilla, Mara's rhyming and all-knowing best friend; Denim, the mysterious man on the radio who wants to make things right in the small East Texas town of Burl; and Zady, the housekeeper/surrogate mother that God uses most of all to shows her His love. This is a book I will long remember, days after reading the last sentence.

When I received a copy of this book I made the mistake of starting it before I had met some of my most pressing deadlines. I am now playing "catch-up" with those deadlines because once I started reading WATCHING THE TREE LIMBS I couldn't stop until I was done. Not only is this a captivating and moving story, but the writing is exquisite. In this modern age of publishing where selling platforms often take precedence over writing ability, it's exciting to find someone who is a writer first, an author second. Mary's heart so obviously "feels" her words before she pens them that reading her work is akin to listening to a perfectly orchestrated symphony. Thank you, Mary, for one of the best reads I've had in a very long time!

In the tradition of "Secret Life of Bees" or "Peace Like a River", Ms. DeMuth introduces a young character's journey and invites us inside her skin. We feel the heat of the Texas sun, the pain of abuse, the longing for connection and family. Even though the subject matter is truthfully tough, each chapter is infused with grace. The writing is lyrical and hopeful even when confronting brutal realities. The story deepened my compassion for children who suffer in silence and reminded me that although there aren't always easy answers one person's acts of love can make a difference.

Way to go, Demuth! You've taken away a whole Saturday from me. All I wanted to do was to begin this book, so I picked it up yesterday around 2:00. I finished the thing around 6:00.
Crimoney! I'm a pastor. I'm supposed to spend my Saturday preparing for Sunday. I was just going to read a chapter or two to pass some time. Now I've neglected my wife, my kids and the church!
Folks, I just couldn't put this thing down. It's a good read on a tough and uncomfy subject. Every good story has a good villain and and an underdog in need of justice. Such is the case with this one. My heart's cry for resolution, salvation and justice would not let me drop this book 'til I'd polished it off.
Hats off to Mary DeMuth. She knows how to make a book not only mysterious but meaningful. The subtle reference to the book of Ruth near the end of the story is masterful.
Gotta go. The honey-do list has grown.

Kudos to any author who can successfully draw me away from a looming pile of "to do" items. This book was so painful yet delightful, I couldn't put it down until I'd reached the last page of sweet Mara's tale. Mary DeMuth has woven a heart-rending story filled with delicious characters, amazing imagery, and redemption rolled into one. As a first time novelist, I'm a bit jealous she could pull this off with her debut novel, but I'll forgive her. I consumed this puppy in a day and a half and can't wait to read part two, Wishing on Dandelions. I'll just be sure to get at least part of my "to do" list done first.

Mary DeMuth's debut novel, Watching the Tree Limbs, tells the story of nine-year-old Mara, a child with a mysterious past, who lives through the unimaginable. Violated by the neighborhood bully, Mara suffers further through a series of losses and an unexpected move. DeMuth handles a difficult topic masterfully, with a sensitivity and grace that few debut novelists possess.

The story moved at a fast pace with several unexpected twists and turns in the plot, making it difficult to put down. Her characters were multi-dimensional; her story compelling. The spirituality of her characters' flowed naturally without appearing forced of feeling like propaganda.

Beautifully written, expertly told, Mara's story will stir you and change you. Without a doubt, a five-star read--one that I highly recommend.

Watching The Tree Limbs by Mary E. DeMuth is a superbly crafted novel depicting the heart wrenching story of Mara Weatherall, a nine-year-old girl who suffers repeated rapes by a neighborhood boy, the lack of father and mother, and the poor living situation amidst an entirely African American community of her peers. Young Mara discovers that help from her best friend might help to create a better life. Watching The Tree Limbs is a novel about what a Christian pathway for a flailing child can accomplish. Watching The Tree Limbs is very highly recommended especially for Christian-fiction readers, as an outstandingly written and vividly detailed of a young girl finding a way out of the darkness when her only light is the hope of one day knowing anything of her parents.

. . . after reading this book. Mary DeMuth's witing is superb. The setting is rich, and so is the story. Every character in this novel is unique, yet someone we can identify with. My heart bled for poor little Mara, but God uses all things for the good for those who love Him, and does so by the end of this story. I've not read anything so touching in a long, long time.

Burl, Texas has secrets and one of its biggest is the secret of Mara and her past. In this poignant novel, nine-year-old Mara longs to belong to someone, but not to the bully down the street. Watching the Tree Limbs will take readers on a heart-rending journey that will inspire them to stand up for those who can't do so for themselves. With well-drawn characters readers will care about and intricate threads that weave together perfectly, this novel is one to watch, and definitely to read.

Wow! This story gripped me from page one. At first, you wonder how anything good could come from something so bad. And though good things (per se) didn't come, Mara did find love in this world. She learned to trust, found strength despite her traumatic past, and discovered who she was by novel's end. This story will make you think more, want to love more, seek God more and most of all, will leave you with a sense of completion and satisfaction. I was sad when the story ended, but am ecstatic that a sequel is coming out called Wishing on Dandelions. If it's half as good as the first, it's still superior to many books on the market today. In my mind this story is a classic just like To Kill A Mockingbird and is a must read for someone who wants to escape to another time and place. Since I grew up in the 1970's it was especially nostalgic for me. I kept picturing myself as Mara at her age. I felt for her and wanted someone to come to her rescue and fill the void in her life. Beautiful story. Wonderfully written. Life-changing. A must read!