Watching the Tree Limbs (Maranatha Series #1) - Softcover

Demuth, Mary E.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1576839265 ISBN 13: 9781576839263

Publisher: Navpress Pub Group, 2006

Synopsis

Nine-year-old Mara loves playing Nancy Drew with her best friend, Camilla. But then there are big mysteries that Mara's afraid to share: Who is her mother? Her father? And how can she stop the biggest criminal of all, General?

About this title

About the Author

MARY E. DEMUTH has spent the last 13 years as a writer. Her weekly column appeared for two years in the Dallas Star Community newspapers. She now splits her time between writing nonfiction books about parenting and risky faith, and novels--everything from women's fiction to legal thrillers. She lives in Le Rouret France with Patrick, her husband of fifteen years and their three children, Sophie, Aidan, and Julia. Together, they are planting a church.

From the Back Cover

Knowing something bad will happen if she misses, nine-year-old Mara keeps her appointments. And she s never told a soul. But despite the fear and shame that ensnare her, she clings to the hope that she can break free. Mara doesn t know her real name. She doesn t even know who her parents are. But with the help of her best friend, Camilla, and the mysterious DJ, Denim, she determines to unveil the secrets that shroud her life. Caught in a maelstrom of lies and deceit, Mara picks her way through the wreckage of a lost childhood until the day something magical happens underneath the pecan tree. Written in beautiful prose and set against the backdrop of the quirky town of Burl, Texas, Watching the Tree Limbs takes us on a journey through a young girl s self-discovery and reveals the lengths to which God will go to redeem His precious children.

Reviews

In this debut faith-based novel, DeMuth transports readers to the hot East Texas town that is nine-year-old Mara's home. Amid the red dirt and pecan trees, Mara struggles to find her way through a painful and mysterious family situation. Who were her parents? Is her aunt Elma really her aunt-and does Elma really have a tumor? What will happen to her if her aunt dies? The pain in Mara's life multiplies when she meets General, the teenage neighbor who repeatedly rapes her, threatening her life if she tells anyone. DeMuth captures the horrific situation-from Mara's inability to keep her body from shaking to her determination to watch the tree limbs to keep her mind off of what is going on-while providing hope of redemption and healing. Her characters are expertly drawn, and encompass meanness, evil, great kindness and the confusion of generally good people who don't know how to handle what life has given them. Christian themes are woven throughout as a natural expression of the characters and situation. Readers may be surprised at the dark subject matter, but this book will appeal to many readers both as a thoughtful, powerful reflection on a difficult topic and as a compelling story.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: Navpress Pub Group
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1576839265
• ISBN 13: 9781576839263
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 369