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    The Language of Trees: A Novel
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    The Language of Trees: A Novel
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    The Language of Trees: A Novel
    Ebook381 pages5 hours

    The Language of Trees: A Novel

    By Ilie Ruby

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    “The Language of Trees, like Whitman’s Leaves of Grass though in a magic realist vernacular, refreshingly asserts that deeply American conviction: the gravest natural instinct is to heal and be healed. A shimmeringly heartfelt story.”

    —Gregory Maguire, New York Times bestselling author of Wicked

      

    “Crafted with suspenseful pacing and delicate imagery, Ilie Ruby’s book combines the qualities of an irresistible ghost story with a healing tale of redemption.”
    —Elizabeth Rosner, author of The Speed of Light

     

    A truly stunning literary debut, Ilie Ruby’s The Language of Trees is a fiercely beautiful novel that explores the relationships that define us, the events that shape us, and the places we will go to in order to save ourselves and those we love most. Fans of Jennifer McMahon, Alice Hoffman, and Niall Williams will be captivated by this haunting tale of homecoming and secrets that sparkles with exceptional writing and a gothic edge.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateJul 20, 2010
    ISBN9780062006554
    Unavailable
    The Language of Trees: A Novel
    Author

    Ilie Ruby

    Ilie Ruby is an award-winning writer and a painter. You can read more of her work at www.ilieruby.com.

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    Reviews for The Language of Trees

    4/5

    71 ratings25 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This was lovely. It has strains of magical realism with lovely interwoven stories about the characters of a community. Beautiful book.
    • 4/5
      I live near Canandaigua, so this book was really interesting to me. The charactors are well defined and I enjoyed the mystical quality. There was a good deal of suspense as well.
    • 3/5
      This is definitely not a book to read whenever one has a spare minute or two. There is a lot going on with this story so it's best to plough through and read it in one go to avoid confusion (unfortunately I didn't take this advice and spent a lot of time trying to figure out the relationships between all the characters). Overall I liked it. The author shows a lot of promise and I'd be interested to see what she does next. But, like pointed out above, there was a lot going on and it got really confusing at times. The main storyline was pretty straightforward but then the secondary plot (the renewed love interest between Echo and Grant) was really rushed and was never fully fleshed out. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a mix of 'family secrets/mystery with a little romance thrown in for good measure' type of novel.
    • 4/5
      For readers who are primarily interested in the story line of a novel, this book may not satisfy. Ruby's deft hand with language and ability to evoke moving, crystalline images with words, however, will more than delight a different sort of reader. The touch of magic that weaves through the book adds a dimension of enjoyment and the characterizations, while lightly handled, are engaging.
    • 2/5
      About half-way through this book, I began skimming the large paragraphs and only reading the dialogue. Had I not done this, I would have put it down and never looked back. However, I was reading it for a group, so I wanted to at least know how it ended. What's the book about? A lot of people who, to this point, didn't follow their dreams and are really depressed about how their lives turned out. And some addicts and the ghost of a dead little boy. I just found the whole thing depressing and boring. If you're going to paint a sad story, at least make me care about the characters first. Instead, the reader is just thrown in to their sad lives and we find out (over and over) about why they are so messed up and unhappy. Perhaps others can read it and find some hopeful message in the way things turn out, but by that point, I just didn't really care what happened to them anyway.Just not my kind of story...
    • 4/5
      A truly beautiful book! It almost made it to 5 stars, other that one issue that might well be a positive for other readers.The characters were amazing. I enjoyed the variety, each with a strong personality, shaped by life experience.Each character carried the past with them-- Melanie, her sister Maya, and her mother carried the death of Luke, the youngest of the three children. Melanie had finally seemed to put it behind her so she could get on with her life with her baby Lucas, and his father, Lion. When she disappears, it's blamed on her past with drugs, but Lion and Leila know better.Grant and Echo are haunted by their past together, wondering if their relationship should have ended many years ago, or at least if it should have ended differently. Each has their individual burdens. Grant has a legacy from his father that he doesn't understand, and a broken marriage he hasn't come to terms with. The paths of each of these characters have crossed in the past, and continue to do so in the book. As they come together to find what happened to Melanie, they learn about them selves as well.The plot revolves around the search for Melanie. I was very intrigued by this aspect of the story, mostly for what it showed about the characters by the actions they took. Even with all of the characters in the book, the plot still took a clear, relatively logical path.When I picked up this book to read, I'd forgotten that the description I'd read included "magical realism". This aspect of the story didn't really manifest until I'd been reading a while, and it took me by surprise. As the magical aspects permeated the story more and more, I appreciated how they helped build the web holding the book together. It was beautiful, internally consistent, and all together well done.I had only one complaint about the book, and my complaint may well be someone else's favorite aspect of The Language of Trees. While I was reading, the writing pulled at me, asking me to look at it. I prefer the words to simply tell me the story. Every time I stopped to pay attention, I agreed that the words were beautifully written, but it wasn't until I realized the book is written in present tense that the words stopped calling me out of the story.
    • 5/5
      This story gripped me from the very first words of the prologue: “The silken hair of the three children glows bone white in the moonlight as they paddle the stolen canoe out into the icy waters of Canandaigua Lake.”Set in Canandaigua, New York, called the Chosen Spot by the Seneca, Ms. Ruby beautifully plants the scenes of her story in words that blossom full-screen in the mind. The landscape of this area of the Finger Lakes comes alive, and with those scenes of nature, the sense of history and significance of its first people with their reverent fusion of life and nature. (Aside: So taken was I with this author, that I sought out her website (IlieRuby.com). When I clicked “Watch the Trailer”, the images of her story were just as I'd imagined them, so fully had she captured them in word.)The writing is perfectly suited to the story, with a kind of lyricism that floats through the ages, that conjures images of secrets fluttering amidst the leaves of the trees; a lovely and lovingly written merging of present and past, groundedness and soaring, grief and healing, and painted in brushstrokes of magical realism. Peopled with believable, fully realized, characters and imagery, this is a story both heart-rending and hopeful. I appreciate the author's participation in LibraryThing's 'Hobnob with Authors' group, and her gift of this book for my review. My heart was engaged with the story and its characters, my soul with the beauty of the setting, and my mind with the captivating writing. I loved this book.
    • 5/5
      I really liked the story of Grant Shongo, Echo McConnell and other characters in this beautifully written novel. I enjoyed learning about the Seneca Indians, their beliefs, and heritage. I'm looking forward to Ms. Ruby's next book and have recommended this one to other reader friends of mine.
    • 5/5
      I know I've found an all-time favorite book when, long after I've read the last page and forgotten some of the details related to plot and character, I remember how it made me feel. The Language of Trees is one of those books. Ms. Ruby's book had me at hello, and carried me through to the end on a magical, multicolored tapestry of love and longing, loss and healing. The characters are so beautifully-drawn, the sense of place so strong, that I still feel both as if they are now a part of me. Thank you, Ms. Ruby, for sharing this place, this story, and your superb writing with us.
    • 4/5
      The title of the book is what caught my eye and the main reason I requested it. It is incredibly sad, a family lost a child and no one ever quite recovers from it, too many people spend their lives in love with someone but never have the nerve to tell them....almost finished with it...will return when I am done.
    • 4/5
      While certainly an impressive work, this work has such contrast in its pages that I feel anything more than 3.5 stars doesn't do it full justice to what it could have been. There were pages I was so swept away by the beauty of the words that I had to go back to re-read what had actually happened within them. However, there were plenty of pages that I knew quite well what was going on but could not seem to care.The characters are ill-developed for such a depth of language and for the scenery in which they exist. I found myself lost multiple times, though I was always pulled back in, which made me keep reading.The story is a fully-fleshed one, giving full insight into a community, with neighborly love and loathing. But the connection was not consistent enough for me.
    • 4/5
      I LOVED IT!!! The writing style was magical. There were so many verses that spoke to me. I loved the character Echo. Her feeling of being "tethered" to her life. It really makes you think about the things that tether you to certain people, places and things. I am a true believer that spirits live on is us and to watch over us and this novel reaffirmed this belief. The Seneca folklore and lifestyle was interesting and I wanted to learn more and research Canandaigua more. I had never heard of this before reading this book. I liked the thought that the characters have "magical thinking." Sometimes this type of thinking helps us get through the tough times in life. I was at a state reading conference and I talked about this book to several people when they saw I was reading it. There are several who will be suggesting it yto their bookclub. This is Ruby's first novel but she writes with the prose of a much more experienced novelist. Her Native American history and folklore remind me of Erdrich. I can't wait for her to write more.
    • 4/5
      Thank you, Avon Harper Collins, for the copy of Language of Trees. I wasn't sure what to expect after the first chapter, but then happily realized that it is a complex, yet captivating novel about not just the love and emotions between a pair of old lovers, but about relationships and their intricate components of trust, faith, love, forgiveness, redemption, regret, and more. It makes a great book club choice.
    • 5/5
      This was a truly lovely book, not a wrong note in it. This author writes so beautifully you almost don't care how the story will end, but of course you do care, and it is a great, provocative story. I rarely give 5 stars, but this has it from me. I received this book through the Goodreads Giveaway.
    • 3/5
      In her debut novel, The Language of Trees, Ilie Ruby weaves magic realism into an enchanting tale of love, loss, guilt, healing, and second chances. The effect is a heightened sense of reality and a satisfying, sentimental, and an often overly emotional journey through the unfathomable territory of the human heart. This is popular fiction, not literary fiction; this is melodrama, not drama; this is fantasy, not reality. Although this book did not appeal to me, I can easily see that it may be very successful with a large portion of women readers who yearn for this type of fiction and its message of hope.Ilie Ruby is a gifted storyteller. Her prose is vivid, powerful, and at times delightfully lyrical. More often, at least in this work, her prose is overly dramatic…of course, this matches, mirrors, and supports the thread of magical realism that underlies the entire text. The dialog is not realistic, but neither does it have to be in a work of magical realism. Unfortunately, I found it impossible to get lost in the story. On the other hand, I am sure that most readers will gladly disappear into this author's artfully crafted spellbinding words.The Language of Trees is set in the present day, in a small town on the shores of Lake Canandaigua, one of a chain of magnificent lakes that make up the famous Finger Lakes of upstate New York. It deals with a diversity of everyday people—a mix of urban, suburban, ghetto, and small town rural Americans. One by one, the reader is introduced to the emotional core of each person's needs, desires, hopes, and dreams. The lives of all the characters intersect in fascinating, mysterious, and surprising ways. Events happen that propel the story toward a page-turning climax. The storyteller's skill makes everything feel natural and authentic, but make no mistake: this work is a highly orchestrated fantasy that succeeds, in part, by being more real than life itself. It guides the reader toward a higher order of reality, a reality where there is a purpose to life and "everything happens the way it was supposed to be." This is a feel good novel where the threads of many stories come together in the final chapters in an emotion-laden shower of good tidings. Many people love this type of book; I don't. I found it difficult to enjoy because I was always aware of how the author was manipulating her readers…I could not simply believe. It is not her use of magic realism—I love this genre in fine literary hands where it helps propel the reader toward a better understanding of the human condition. But that is not the intent of this feel-good author with her theme of hope and love for all. I am too much of a realist to suspend my belief system that much!This novel will have a wide appeal to women who yearn to escape into fiction and be enveloped in an all-encompassing story with a strong message of hope. This book aims to guide its readers toward the belief that there is a greater purpose to our lives—that there is something special in store for everyone.I wish the author well. There is always room in the fiction constellation for works like these. I cannot say I thoroughly disliked the novel; but I certainly was not my cup of tea.
    • 4/5
      This book initially captured my attention due not only to the description, but also due to the title & cover art. As a debut novel, it was impressive. Mildly reminiscent of Sarah Addison Allen's stories with its magical realism, I think there was something deeper here. The description is a bit misleading in that it makes it sound as though the novel centers around the characters of Echo O'Connell and Grant Shongo, but really, they are only a portion of the cast of characters in this multi-layered story. Ilie Ruby has a way with words -- beautifully descriptive & lyrical. The only fault I found was that some of the transitions seemed a little rough, and the ending was wrapped up almost a little too neatly. But otherwise, a beautiful story. Looking forward to future novels by this author!
    • 5/5
      Ilie Ruby’s debut novel opens with a canoeing accident in the waters of the Canandaigua Lake. The three small Ellis children have stolen a canoe and are making their way out to Squaw Island, a few miles away. When a storm springs up, the wind and waves prove to be too much for the children; only two will survive the storm. Twelve years later, the tragedy continues to haunt the residents of Canandaigua figuratively and literally. Grant Shongo has returned to his family’s cabin on the lake. His wife Susanna left him a year ago and Grant has come back to heal. Back to the place his Seneca ancestors called The Chosen Spot, where the earth split open and his people emerged. Grant isn’t the only one who has been drawn back to Canandaigua. Echo, his first love, has returned from Boston, fearing that Joseph, the man who raised her, is in far worse health than he has let on.The reunion of Grant and Echo is overshadowed by the disappearance of Melanie Ellis. Melanie has led a troubled life since that night twelve years ago, when she and her brother and sister were caught in the storm so far from shore. Now she is gone without a trace, leaving behind her boyfriend and young child. Some believe she is on yet another binge, but others are not convinced. Either way, her family is determined to find her. It is a perfect storm of sorts, these events that are unfolding. Events that will reveal secrets long kept hidden, a lifetime of secrets and mistakes “that catch up with a person in a span of a few hours”. This is a great novel with endearing characters that will touch your heart. This is not a novel about regret; instead it is a story of accepting choices made and moving on without regret. It is a story that demonstrates that “not everything is meant to happen. Some things should stay as they are, just like that, full of possibility. It’s wanting them that gives you something to hope for, a reason to get up in the morning and put on a fancy dress”. I loved this novel and its message.
    • 5/5
      Beautiful writing, magical realism, and suspense all combine to make a book well worth reading.
    • 3/5
      This is definitely not a book to read whenever one has a spare minute or two. There is a lot going on with this story so it's best to plough through and read it in one go to avoid confusion (unfortunately I didn't take this advice and spent a lot of time trying to figure out the relationships between all the characters). Overall I liked it. The author shows a lot of promise and I'd be interested to see what she does next. But, like pointed out above, there was a lot going on and it got really confusing at times. The main storyline was pretty straightforward but then the secondary plot (the renewed love interest between Echo and Grant) was really rushed and was never fully fleshed out. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a mix of 'family secrets/mystery with a little romance thrown in for good measure' type of novel.
    • 4/5
      This book has everything – the tragic death of a child, unrequited love, adultery, spouse abuse, child abuse, an orphan, a ghost, the town’s kindly old man, mystery, Native American spiritualism, wolves, beautiful scenery, an attempted murder, alcoholism – you name it, it’s probably included in the plot.It is good enough to hold one’s interest and to make one want to find out what happens next; however, when I didn’t have time to read it, I didn’t keep thinking about it and wishing that reading time would hurry and arrive. I enjoyed reading it but was quite content when not reading it.One good thing about this book is the ending, which could be interpreted more than one way. I think I know the author’s intent, but still… I’d rather read a book that leaves me wondering just a little bit.Some characters you will hate, some you will pity and some will anger you. There is one most despicable person that I hated all the way through, but I found, even though I still didn’t like him, a small measure of sympathy or pity for him by the end of the story.This would have been a three-star volume but for the author’s way with words. Her descriptions made me almost be able to see the lake, the trees, the general store and other places. Speaking of places, “place” seems to be one of the major characters in the book. She also interweaves Native American Spiritual beliefs into the daily happenings of the people in a most convincing way. There is much symbolism to be found, but I’ll let you discover it for yourself.This book is worth a read and will probably be a pleasant experience.
    • 5/5
      I found this book to be moving, thought provoking and personally relative. It impacted me on a level no other book ever has. The writing is beautiful and the story is captivating. It abounds with a message of hope, love and forgiveness. It speaks to the heart and offers comfort and solace on a number of pertinent womens issues that have been looked over for far too long. This book changed the way I view myself, and life in general. There is emotional healing on many levels in this book, if readers are willing to open themselves up and take the journey. Its by far the most amazing book I have ever had the pleasure of reading.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed the book and found it to be a nice weekend read. The mysticism and paranormal experiences relating to the drowned boy and to the Seneca Indians who formerly inhabited the area were interesting. Sometimes the language was poetic and Ms. Ruby did a good job of giving depth to several of her characters. At times, I felt I was reading a romance novel which is not one of my favorite genres. Despite the dark events that are portrayed in the book, it was a pleasant read. It had a lot of happy endings.
    • 5/5
      This is a beautiful story. The first page drew me into the story, and I found myself unable to put the book down. We begin with a tragedy involving three young children, rowing across a lake to an island of spirits. As dark and tragic as these first pages are, The unfolding story is filled with light and loveand healing. Many kinds of healing...The characters are rich and real and most of them are compelling and likable. But of course, there has to be darkness to balance the light. A beautiful young boy ends up dead. The details are not immediately known, and his sisters,who were with him when he died have a secret buried deep withing their hearts. Perhaps sodeep that they themselves cannot reach in to find it. A decade after his death, we meet others in the small town on a magic lake. Grant Shongohas arrived home in Canandaigua to face and quell his own demons. He never expects to findnot only happiness, but his own true self when he moves into his families home on the lake. The place where his father judged him so harshly, and where his mothers ashes are partof the lake, he spirit one of many who live on the water, and around it. Grant has some secrets of his own. Echo, was his first friend, his first love, and adopted daughter of a good friend in the town.She went to college and only rarely came back home to Joseph, her adoptive father. A phone call home has frightened her, though. Joseph seemed unwell and in her worry she finds herself hurtling back to Canandaigua herself. Something is in the wind, changes are coming to town, but only a few sensitive and wise individuals can feel it coming. What they cannot feel is if the change will be a good one. And only time will tell. I highly recommend this book, 4.5 stars and a place on my keep it shelf for this one.
    • 4/5
      I very much enjoyed this beautifully written debut novel. It reminds me a bit of Raven Stole the Moon by Garth Stein in that it deals with similar themes - the death of a child, the power of place - and interweaves Native mythology throughout the tale, although Ruby's novel is more lyrically written.It is often the case in books about returning home that home is forever changed and vanished. In this book home is changed, but also subtly the same. The journey home is redemptive for everyone involved - almost everyone in this book is grabbing for a second chance, righting a wrong from their past, reconnecting with people they love and lost. It is so tempting for authors in this territory to focus on the tragedies - I very much admire Ms. Ruby for grabbing for the golden ring of happy endings (and doing it in an utterly believable way).I loved the cast of characters in this book and loved how diverse they were. It's unusual to read a book that reflects the diversity I see around me every day and wonderful to see this in a way that isn't contrived. This book doesn't celebrate diversity as a plot device or political statement. Rather, it populates itself with the people it needs to tell its story. I particularly loved the character of Lion, the LA gangbanger and ex-drug addict wandered to the Finger Lakes to choose a different way of life. He is in many ways a minor character, but his journey resonated powerfully for me.Beautifully written, wonderful characters, great story. Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      Ms Ruby's novel explores the universal themes of love lost and found, and families beset ( and ultimately, made stronger) by unimaginable tragedy. It does so, however, in a way unlike anything I've ever read before: by drawing upon and weaving together elements of Native American spirituality and the broader question of what happens to our loved ones once they are no longer of the physical world. Wholly original and yet utterly relatable, The Language of Trees is a story rendered in language so gorgeously evocative, the characters and their home of Canandaigua come to life in precise and vivid ways. Their wisdom and beauty remain well after the book's last page has been reached. Highly recommended!