Beneath The Night Tree

Title: Beneath the Night Tree
Author: Nicole Baart

Goodreads Blurb:

Do I have a child? Julia DeSmit knew she would face the question eventually, but she didn’t expect it now. At twenty-four, she is finally content with the way her life has unfolded. A single mother to her son and young brother, she works at the local grocery store while chipping away at a two-year degree. All her free time is spent with her unorthodox family—her boys, her grandmother, and her boyfriend of five years. It’s not perfect, but Julia is happier than ever.
So when she receives the cryptic e-mail from her son’s father, Julia’s world is turned upside down. She hasn’t heard from Parker since he left her in a college parking lot nearly six years ago. But one look at her son—the spitting image of his father—is enough to convince her that, for better or worse, Parker is a part of their story. Faced with this new reality and an unexpected tragedy, Julia begins a tightrope walk between what was and what is, what she hopes for and what will be.

My Take:

The first word that comes to mind when I think of this book is beautiful. The author's writing is almost poetic. She uses words in a unique way. 


She also tells the story of a broken family - in more ways than one. She shows you all the little pieces and how sharp and painful the edges are - how they rub up against the characters and cut them just when all seemed to be peaceful and "safe" again. For a while they've been in the business of ignoring those broken pieces. Like a bunch of broken glass, whenever someone is cut, then all those pieces get swept under the rug with the hope they won't slip out and cut anyone again.


None of them truly believe that's the best way to deal with it, they just don't want the pain of trying to gather all of them up and face the probability of getting cut by more than one piece at a time. They are all just holding it together and fear that if anything changes - it won't work anymore. Change comes for them whether they like it or not. 


This book had romance in it but it was more a powerful story about life and how the choices we make shape us and our families. It was about forgiveness, grace, choosing to live without fear and not settling for what is expected and safe because we think we aren't worth anything more. It's also about faith but in a subtle way and without being the least bit preachy. 

I enjoyed it very much and need to thank Tyndale for providing my copy in return for my unbiased review.