Saturday, February 12, 2011

Nicole Baart is a fresh voice in Christian fiction. She has a gentle way of telling her story and her characters make us want to have them as friends. Beneath the Night Tree is the last book of a trilogy but it can easily stand alone. Julia, the main character, tells her own story and the reader feels what she is feeling. Julia is the unwed mother of a 5-year-old boy and the half-sister of a 10 year old boy who is really more her son as well. She lives with her grandmother on her grandparents’ farm. This multi-generational family is loving and well-adjusted and not at all the dysfunctional group that popular opinion might have us believe. As Julia struggles with the idea of making long-time boyfriend, Michael, a permanent part of the family, the father of her young son comes back into the picture. Interestingly enough, no chaos ensues – just a lot of soul searching and praying and prioritizing. And although it’s not a “happily ever after” cookie cutter ending, it leaves the reader feeling content with the results of all that angst. I received a copy of this book from Tyndale for review.