A Sound Among the Trees

A Sound Among the Trees by Susan Meissner is a fictional tale about the women of a grand Sounthern estate named Holly Oak, connecting the women of the house in the past who lived during the Cival War Era, to the women of the house in present day. The story is based primarily upon the premise that the spirit of Susannah (who was believed to be disloyal to the confederate cause) needs absolution for her deeds, and she is taking it out on the women of future generations of Holly Oak. Adelaide, the current matriarch of Holly Oak, believes this to the fullest extent, and lives her life in the shadow of Susannah and Holly Oak, to the detriment of her family and herself. After Adelaide's granddaughter passes away who lived with her at Holly Oak, a new woman "Marielle" marries her grandson in law, and thus begins a new discovery of the house and the past memories who overshadow everyone's existence who lives or has lived there. This book does a great job of showing human nature's tendency to explain away things because of superstitition and misconceptions and also shows how exposing truth can change our perspectives and beliefs. I also enjoyed the Civil War history and how the author made it very interesting to the reader by using the characters and the location of the house to make it real. This is a fun read!
I received this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."