What to Read: Book Reviews From Real Simple Readers

The Forgetting Tree, by Tatjana Soli

Reviewer: Savannah Butler; age 28; married with three kids; Conway, Arkansas.

Savannah’s assessment: Soli’s novel follows Northern California rancher Claire Baumsarg in the years that follow a terrible tragedy: the murder of her youngest son. While I usually prefer lighter, more optimistic fiction, Soli’s elegant prose—filled with loving details, dynamic characters, and lots of intrigue—enchanted me. She mines the depths of a mother’s despair and later vividly portrays the grieving process that follows a radical mastectomy. The book is a near pitch-perfect look at a life fully—albeit imperfectly—lived.

To buy: $26, amazon.com.