Time 2 Read: Review: Family Tree

Family Tree

by Susan Wiggs

Why I chose this book? I liked the title

When I read this book? January 2018

Who should read this book? Fans of women’s fiction and contemporary romance

Source: TLC Book Tours

My Rating: ✰✰✰✰ 4 Stars

Here is a synopsis of Family Tree from TLC Book Tours

• Paperback: 400 pages

• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Reprint edition (January 9, 2018)

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a powerful, emotionally complex story of love, loss, the pain of the past—and the promise of the future.

Sometimes the greatest dream starts with the smallest element. A single cell, joining with another. And then dividing. And just like that, the world changes. Annie Harlow knows how lucky she is. The producer of a popular television cooking show, she loves her handsome husband and the beautiful Los Angeles home they share. And now, she’s pregnant with their first child. But in an instant, her life is shattered. And when Annie awakes from a yearlong coma, she discovers that time isn’t the only thing she’s lost.

Grieving and wounded, Annie retreats to her old family home in Switchback, Vermont, a maple farm generations old. There, surrounded by her free-spirited brother, their divorced mother, and four young nieces and nephews, Annie slowly emerges into a world she left behind years ago: the town where she grew up, the people she knew before, the high-school boyfriend turned judge. And with the discovery of a cookbook her grandmother wrote in the distant past, Annie unearths an age-old mystery that might prove the salvation of the family farm.

Family Tree is the story of one woman’s triumph over betrayal, and how she eventually comes to terms with her past. It is the story of joys unrealized and opportunities regained. Complex, clear-eyed and big-hearted, funny, sad, and wise, it is a novel to cherish and to remember.

My Review

I like the cover on this book, but I was drawn to it because of the title. When I am not reading, I am usually working on my family history, so when I saw ‘Family Tree’ I was immediately interested. Once I read the synopsis, of course, I knew the story had nothing to do with genealogy, but was even more interested in reading the book!

As the story starts, Annie realizes there are minor issues in her marriage, but still believes she has a wonderful life with a wonderful husband and a great career. But that all ends quickly when there is an accident on the set of Annie’s show and she is seriously injured. One year later, Annie awakens from her coma to find she has been moved back to her hometown in Vermont for recovery. She must relearn even the most basic skills. And as she recovers, she learns everything she knew about her old life is no longer true—she is a new Annie.

The first half of the book tells the story of Annie’s physical recovery; how she learns to speak, to walk, etc. While I found her miraculous survival a little unrealistic, I did enjoy reading about her recovery at the rehab facility. As she regains her memories, we learn about her past; her high school boyfriend, how she met her husband, how her career developed, etc.

The rest of the book is the story about Annie’s life after recovery; how she comes to deal with her past and to move on. We get to know Annie’s family and her childhood friends. And we learn a lot about the production of maple syrup, which I found fascinating. Possibly my favorite character in the book is one we met only in Annie’s memories of the past, her grandmother who taught her to cook.

Overall I enjoyed the story, though the outcome was a little predictable. I also felt that the ending was a little rushed; that things were resolved just a little too easily. It was a quick read that someone with free time could easily finish in a day! With the descriptions of snowy Vermont scenes, the warmth of fires, and the scents of maple syrup, this would be a great choice for a lazy winter afternoon!