Watching the Tree Limbs (Maranatha Series #1) [Paperback]

Mary E DeMuth (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 23, 2006

Nine-year-old Mara loves playing Nancy Drew with her best friend, Camilla. But then there are big mysteries that Mara's afraid to share: Who is her mother? Her father? And how can she stop the biggest criminal of all, General?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this debut faith-based novel, DeMuth transports readers to the hot East Texas town that is nine-year-old Mara's home. Amid the red dirt and pecan trees, Mara struggles to find her way through a painful and mysterious family situation. Who were her parents? Is her aunt Elma really her aunt-and does Elma really have a tumor? What will happen to her if her aunt dies? The pain in Mara's life multiplies when she meets General, the teenage neighbor who repeatedly rapes her, threatening her life if she tells anyone. DeMuth captures the horrific situation-from Mara's inability to keep her body from shaking to her determination to watch the tree limbs to keep her mind off of what is going on-while providing hope of redemption and healing. Her characters are expertly drawn, and encompass meanness, evil, great kindness and the confusion of generally good people who don't know how to handle what life has given them. Christian themes are woven throughout as a natural expression of the characters and situation. Readers may be surprised at the dark subject matter, but this book will appeal to many readers both as a thoughtful, powerful reflection on a difficult topic and as a compelling story.
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From the Back Cover

Knowing something bad will happen if she misses, nine-year-old Mara keeps her appointments. And she’s never told a soul. But despite the fear and shame that ensnare her, she clings to the hope that she can break free. Mara doesn’t know her real name. She doesn’t even know who her parents are. But with the help of her best friend, Camilla, and the mysterious DJ, Denim, she determines to unveil the secrets that shroud her life. Caught in a maelstrom of lies and deceit, Mara picks her way through the wreckage of a lost childhood until the day something magical happens underneath the pecan tree. Written in beautiful prose and set against the backdrop of the quirky town of Burl, Texas, Watching the Tree Limbs takes us on a journey through a young girl’s self-discovery and reveals the lengths to which God will go to redeem His precious children.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: NavPress (February 23, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576839265
• ISBN-13: 978-1576839263
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #355,566 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm a freelance writer and novelist living in Texas with my husband of nineteen years and my three wonderful children.

I have been writing since 1992, first as a newsletter editor, then as a freelance writer, followed by a fiction and nonfiction author. My articles have appeared in Marriage Partnership, In Touch, HomeLife, Discipleship Journal, Pray!, Bon Appetit, Kindred Spirit, The Writer, and Writer's Digest. For two years I penned a lifestyle column for Star Community Newspapers in Dallas (circulation 100,000). My books include Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God (Harvest House, 2005), Building the Christian Family You Never Had (WaterBrook, 2006), Watching the Tree Limbs, Wishing on Dandelions (NavPress, both novels releasing in 2006), Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture (Harvest House, 2006), Daisy Chain, A Slow Burn (Zondervan 2009), Life in Defiance (Zondervan 2010), Thin Places: A Memoir (Zondervan 2010), 150 Quick Questions to Get Your Kids Talking (Harvest House 2011), You Can Raise Confident and Courageous Kids (Harvest House, 2001) and The Muir House (Zondervan 2011).

I'm more than my books. I love to cook, try my hand (body!) at triathlons, have a nose ring, and am passionate about singing.

I love to help people overcome a difficult past and blog about it five times a week at http://www.marydemuth.com. My facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/authormarydemuth and you can follow me on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/marydemuth