Rating: 
Summary: Somewhat Disappointed...
Review: As I was awaiting my library copy of The Courage Tree, I could not wait to begin. The novel starts with great promise - a missing child in need of life-sustaining medical treatment. The Courage Tree captured my attention for the first 200 pages, and then it seemed to just lose its steam. The writing is clear and strong however, certain aspects of the plot were somewhat unbelievable. When there is a missing child a reader expects to feel the loss and intensity however, many of Chamberlain's characters seemed over concerned with their relationships that the missing child was only shadowed. Without revealing the plot, the ending was tied up far too perfectly and far too quickly. The Courage Tree had great promise to be something more than it was. Should you endeavor to read The Courage Tree, know that your expectations may be challenged. As this was the first novel that I have read by Chamberlain, I will give her another try with her latest, 'Cypress Point.'
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful!!
Review: I am quickly becoming a Diane Chamberlain fan and her latest book is absolutely wonderful! I found that I could not put down the book and needed to finish it before anything else got done! Chamberlain weaves her story with such precision, that one thinks that they know the ending, but WHAM - a surprise is in store for the reader. The suspense skillfully draws the reader in and does not let go until the very end. I am finding that "secrets" prevail in her books, and they are not revealed until the end, but the reader is kept in suspense until the very last possible moment! Chamberlain combines romance, mystery, thrills and issues of family all interwoven and cleverly revealing. The main character, Janine, is incredibly strong, a maverick, who comes into her own despite her overbearing ex-husband and equally over-bearing and controlling parents. Janine meets Lucas, who shows her how to blossom and to become her own person, and to stop the "puppet" like behavior she has come to know. Lucas believes in her decision to start an alternative treatment for her daughter, against the wishes of both her ex-husband and her parents.
The story will appeal to both men and women, and the suspense of not knowing if Sophie, Janine's critically ill 8-year old daughter, will be found, will have the reader hanging onto every page! The story was every endearing, courageous and filled with the miracle of love conquering all. I highly recommend this book and am most anxious to read all of her previous books!
Rating: 
Summary: Not Diane Chamberlain's best effort
Review: I have read all of Diane Chamberlain's books and enjoy them all until this one. It was not horrid but could have been a lot better. I hope that her next book will be better.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: I'm a middle-aged guy and as such probably not a typical DC fan. But I enjoyed this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Another hit by Chamberlain...
Review: Janine Donahue couldn't dissapoint her daughter by telling her she couldn't go on the camping trip with her Brownie troop. After being diagnosed with a rare kidney disease when she was three years old, Sophie is far from a normal eight year old girl. It wasn't until Janine found out about a new study that was happening that she had hope for her daughter. Now she has an eight year old who can eat whatever she wants, smiles all the time, and generally gets to behave like an eight year old girl should. When Sophie doesn't return from the camping trip, her family and herself automatically assume the worst. Soon, Janine is the only one that has hope that Sophie is out there alive. Even the man she loves, doesn't seem to believe that Sophie is alive. It is soon a race against time as Janine fights to save the daughter she loves. I enjoyed The Courage Tree, but didn't like it as much as I thought. Janine's ex-husband, Joe, was portrayed in a selfish light. At first I thought that he would be the 'hero' in the story, but soon read that the only reason he wanted Janine back was because he liked to control her. The way that Janine's parents and Joe ganged up on her was awful, especially since she never stood up to them. Not even by the end of the book. Lucas, Janine's lover, was a tragic character who has secrets of his own. I didn't really like the epilouge either, because I felt that it was unrealistic.
Rating:
Summary: Another hit by Chamberlain...
Review: Janine Donahue couldn't dissapoint her daughter by telling her she couldn't go on the camping trip with her Brownie troop. After being diagnosed with a rare kidney disease when she was three years old, Sophie is far from a normal eight year old girl. It wasn't until Janine found out about a new study that was happening that she had hope for her daughter. Now she has an eight year old who can eat whatever she wants, smiles all the time, and generally gets to behave like an eight year old girl should. When Sophie doesn't return from the camping trip, her family and herself automatically assume the worst. Soon, Janine is the only one that has hope that Sophie is out there alive. Even the man she loves, doesn't seem to believe that Sophie is alive. It is soon a race against time as Janine fights to save the daughter she loves. I enjoyed The Courage Tree, but didn't like it as much as I thought. Janine's ex-husband, Joe, was portrayed in a selfish light. At first I thought that he would be the 'hero' in the story, but soon read that the only reason he wanted Janine back was because he liked to control her. The way that Janine's parents and Joe ganged up on her was awful, especially since she never stood up to them. Not even by the end of the book. Lucas, Janine's lover, was a tragic character who has secrets of his own. I didn't really like the epilouge either, because I felt that it was unrealistic.
Rating:
Summary: Another great read by Diane
Review: The Courage Tree is about love, hope and trust---the kind that so few people truly experience. It's about a young girl who has a chronic illness with a very poor prognosis--end stage renal failure. She is on a non-traditional program of medication that only her mother and a friend support----the rest of the family alienated themselves from the mother because of her decision for the medication. The girl's father also is against this method of treatment. He's struggling with his own emotions. When Sophie doesn't return from a weekend camping trip with the Girl Scouts, everyone becomes part of the "discovery"------of her, of themselves, of each other------and there are several surprises along the way. Diane has a magical way of introducing the many players in the "plot" without confusing anyone. She's also able to weave their lives together, adding some mystery, some mystique and unexpected endings------allowing you to get to know all the characters, to feel their pain, to laugh with them, to smile with them and to be happy for them. I hated to see the book end. I wanted to read more. But then I feel that way every time I read one of Diane Chamberlain's books. She's a master at writing about people-----making the reader feel a part of their lives----as if they're real----making you want to meet them in person. And along the way, you are not bored. There's also a sense of drama and adventure. I truly enjoyed this story.
Rating:
Summary: An attention-grabbing read!
Review: The Courage Tree is one of my favorite books. I picked it up at a used book store for $1, and let me tell you I was in for a suprise. It's not only easy to read, but you really connect with the characters. Diane Chamberlain is a greatly talented author and she proves that in this novel.
Rating:
Summary: Another Page Turner From Diane
Review: The Courage Tree is vintage Diane Chamberlain. Secrets and subplots that are as involving or more so than the main plot. This book has it all. Like other reviewers have noted, Diane has a way of doling out just enough information to make you keep turning the pages long after you're ready to turn in for a good night's sleep. Janine, the mother of critically ill and wise beyond her years Sophie, is constantly battling her parents and ex-husband, Joe over every decision she makes. Janine's parents are hypercritical of her every move and welcome subservient, orphaned Joe into the family as one of their own. After their divorce, Joe still refers to Janine's parents as Mom and Dad. Janine's lover, the mysetrious garderner, Lucas Trowell, accurately describes her parents and ex-husband as the "anti-Jan triad". When Sophie becomes lost in the woods during a camping trip that this "triad" vehementley opposed Jan's decision to allow Sophie to participate in, all hell breaks loose. In a similarily involving subplot, Zoe, an aging movie star, is camped out in the same woods as Sophie is lost in. She's trying to free her daughter from prison, believing that she was unjustly convicted for a crime that she didn't commit. Zoe's realization of her own mistakes as a mother, coupled with her realization that something is very wrong with her daughter, Marti, makes for compelling reading. Diane ties all of these characters together and makes you care for all of them. By the time you've finished the last page, you're hoping for a sequel, not unusual in a Diane Chamberlain novel. Bottom line, highly reccomended and can't wait for the next book! As someone who has lived in Northern Virginia for many years, albeit reluctantly, Diane captures the region perfectly. She writes convincingly of the beauty of the Shenandoahs, the small town feel of some cities within walking distance of Washington DC. She also captures the contempt for women and children rampant in that state, from the caviliar attitude of the police officer on the scene when Sophie and fellow Brownie, Holly, are discovered missing, to the ever present and real threat of having Janine declared incompetent solely for doing what she believed was in the best interest of her child, regardless of what the majority would have done in Janine's shoes. Bravo Diane!!
Rating:
Summary: Grabs you and keeps you throughout!
Review: This is my third book by Diane Chamberlain and the one I liked the most. I do believe that all her books are a great stretch of the imagination, but that's fiction for you. This one was really suspenseful and not as predictable as the others. It's one of those books that you just don't want to put down. I highly recommend it for a fast, easy read with a good story.
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