Watching The Tree Limbs by Mary De Muth is an excellent book. It is filled with powerful emotions, well-developed and relatable characters, real and troubling scenes of violence and abuse and real and hope-inspiring scenes of God’s love and truth. My church book club read this for our March selection and it received unanimous thumbs-up. I think we had the best discussion ever — everyone had strong feelings about the characters, the plot and the intense themes.

Mara Weatherall is a young girl who is given second-hand attention in addition to second-hand toys and clothes. In her ninth year, sexual abuse by a neighborhood boy is added to the neglect by her adult caretaker. Broken, confused and adrift, Mara holds on as best she can with the advice of her friend to watch the tree limbs. The defenseless child may be forgotten and abandoned by most of the adults in her life, but God never leaves her.

I wanted to slap someone while reading Watching The Tree Limbs. I wanted to slap the neglectful and indifferent adults in Mara’s life. I wanted to slap the teenage boy who steals her innocence and her sense of self. I even wanted to slap the loving housekeeper, Zady, who comes to offer a bit of comfort and protection, but is bound by secrets. This book caused me to enter into Mara’s fear, hurt and anger. With autobiographical touches, Mary De Muth has created a challenging and moving novel that will stay with me for a long time. Child sexual abuse is never an easy topic to read about, but I feel this novel is a must-read. Mara’s spiritual journey is one of discovery of a good and loving God who is present even in the midst of darkness, despair, and fear.

Watching The Tree Limbs is the first book in a 2-part series. I am anticipating another excellent read in Wishing on Dandelions.

Highly Recommended. ( )

This book touched my heart and soul. I know there must be many children who have suffered the way Mara does in this story. It's a close second person-only kept from being first person because she didn't want to admit she had been that little girl. She is on a mission to find out who she is and where she comes from at age nine when a bully brings her to the park and rapes her nine times. Her "aunt" dies and she thinks its her fault because the bully says he will kill her and her loved ones if she refuses him or is late, which she was once. She is put in the home of her uncle and doesn't know hm as such until the end. The housekeeper, Zady, takes her under her wing, but was sworn to secrecy about Mara's identity etc. or she'd lose her job. Mara is brought to church by Zady and her family where she is the only white person, but she comes to love it and eventually comes to God on her own. A very engaging book. I could hardly put it down, though I had other books and things to do. ( )