The Trees

Rating:
Summary: Great Story
Review: I saw the miniseries years ago and loved it instantly. This seems like the real way it must have been for our ancestors (not that far back!). It's always fascinating to get a glimpse of how people lived many, many years ago. I read the Trilogy, and found this book, as the first in the series, probably my favorite. It will capture your imagination from the beginning.

Rating:
Summary: A True Bore
Review: I was asked to read The Trees over the summer for school. As a high school student who loves to read, I was estatic to have a new, thick book placed in front of me. 2 months later, I wasn't even half way through it. Every time I started to read the novel, I would either fall asleep, or just give up out of simple boredom. Richter did not make this book very reader friendly, never setting up a true plot, never reaching an exciting climax in the story, and never making you become attached to ay character besides Sayward Luckit. Who lived a dull life, caring for her brother and sisters. Perhaps this is a book beyond high school capability, or perhaps it is a book that was made to cure insomnia... I don't know. However, I do know that I would never recomend it to anybody, unless they were looking for a way to fall asleep.

Rating:
Summary: Lyrical and poetically beautiful in its simplicity
Review: The first part in "The Awakening Land" trilogy, "The Trees" chronicles the settling of the Ohio wilderness in the early days of the Republic. With an ear toward authenticity, Conrad Richter has seamlessly mixed history with fiction by introducing realistic characters who tamed Ohio when it was the "West." The story is simple, but beautifully told as Richter introduces the Luckett family, especially eldest daughter Sayward. The Lucketts claim the land and eke out a living among a howling wilderness as Sayward becomes the true head of the family. Richter is to be congratulated for introducing a realisitically strong character who, representing nameless and countless pioneer women, is a true hero. Read it for history or read it for fiction, it will touch you and teach you.