Book Review: The Language of Trees

I was attracted to this book by Ilie Ruby because it takes place on the shores of Canandaigua Lake in the Finger Lakes Region of New York. I grew up on its neighboring lake, Seneca. (Seneca is a much better lake by the way, but we don't need to discuss that here.)

I soon discovered that the setting, however, could have been anywhere, on any lake. For me the book didn't evoke any of the strong feelings I have for the Finger Lakes, but that was absolutely okay. The story itself completely hooked me in.

There was a mystery, a terrible accident, love stories interrupted. The story is full of secrets and unfulfilled dreams, of lives interwoven and sometimes unrequited love. I loved the characters Echo and Grant, who lost each other once at age 18, and Melanie and Lion, the recovering addict and her true love. And I loved the ghostly element of the book as Melanie's little brother softly haunts the lake shore. This could have been cheesy and annoying, but Ruby does a fantastic job of just haunting enough, in a perfectly chilling fashion.

There is a lot going on in this book, but again, Ruby made the stories flow beautifully. I never had to turn pages back trying to figure out who was who. I was eager to grab the book as soon as possible each evening. Ruby is a wonderful writer. Her characters are intriguing and well drawn, and she managed to pull together several stories without losing me once. In fact, now that I'm finished with the book, I miss it.

Highly recommended.