Trees Call for What They Need

Rating:
Summary: Simple but extraordinary
Review: I have completed only the first 165 pages of this text, however, I fight to put it down every time I pick it up. I began the book 3 days ago and I cannot say enough about it. Melissa Kwasny returns a sense of simplicity and quality not only to fiction in general, but to life during an unstable period in American history. She gives insight into an era I know little about, calling up the memories of my own ancestors and their stories of railroads, coal mines, and World War II. For someone in their mid-twenties, it is difficult to imagine existence without television or radio, yet Kwasny captures the home-like essence of life in rural America, the sense of community that is rarely seen or even discussed in modern day society.

Last but not least, the story of these three women serves as a harsh reminder of the history of women's structured roles in our country and what lengths women went to in order to sustain their lives as well as the lives of others. Kwasny's characters are carefully, skillfuly developed and brought to life through their stories of personal struggle and/or change. The female characters call to mind the rugged spirits gone before us, teaching the women of today that the value of their lives is greater than they know.