The Courage Tree

This book is one you can’t put down. It’s a mystery and it’s sad and also has a great ending. I highly recommend it to everyone.

this was a good book, well researched and kept me thinking about what would I do or have done as a mom. Diane Chamberlain writes very thought provoking books and this is just another one that I found very interesting to read!

The Courage Tree is about love, hope and trust---the kind that so few people truly experience. It's about a young girl who has a chronic illness with a very poor prognosis--end stage renal failure. She is on a non-traditional program of medication that only her mother and a friend support----the rest of the family alienated themselves from the mother because of her decision for the medication. The girl's father also is against this method of treatment. He's struggling with his own emotions. When Sophie doesn't return from a weekend camping trip with the Girl Scouts, everyone becomes part of the "discovery"------of her, of themselves, of each other------and there are several surprises along the way. Diane has a magical way of introducing the many players in the "plot" without confusing anyone. She's also able to weave their lives together, adding some mystery, some mystique and unexpected endings------allowing you to get to know all the characters, to feel their pain, to laugh with them, to smile with them and to be happy for them. I hated to see the book end. I wanted to read more. But then I feel that way every time I read one of Diane Chamberlain's books. She's a master at writing about people-----making the reader feel a part of their lives----as if they're real----making you want to meet them in person. And along the way, you are not bored. There's also a sense of drama and adventure. I truly enjoyed this story.

I know of renal failure but never thought much about but since I only have one person with it! And the treatment that she's had has been strange at times! Sophie was a trooper! She knew what she needed and never hesitated to tell people! And when Janines worst nightmare came true, Sophie became her redeemer! This book keeps you coming back more and more! I tried putting it down just to sleep and the book was the first thing I picked up in the morning! You won't regret reading this! It is very informative!. And even entertaining!

I enjoyed this book and it was a fairly fast read. The characters are interesting and well written but there is definitely a lot of drama in this book with a plot involving illness, a car accident, a missing child, a convict on the loose, etc.I did enjoy this book, but like a few others here, I thought The Secret Life of Cee Cee Wilkes was even better.

This novel took me on an unusual ride, with quite a few unanticipated twists and turns. The events were largely interesting though I did struggle in the middle to stay engaged.

I liked this book. It was a fast read and had a lot of twists and turns.Every few pages revealed a new secret or a complication. Very good book.

Great characters, suspense, interesting relationships between characters. Some good twists in the story. Enjoyable, satisfactory conclusion. My 1st by this author.

What a lovely book. This is the first Diane Chamberlain book I have purchased and it drew me in straight away. Such a refreshing change as I have read some tedious books recently and it was good to get into a book. The only downside was it was so good I finished it so quickly because I couldn't put it down. However, I then went on to purchase Keeper of the Light also by Diane Chamberlain. I am currently reading this and again enjoying it immensely. When reviewing I never talk about the storyline as I don't want to spoil it for anyone else. All I give is a recommendation and I highly recommend The Courage Tree to everyone. I will also be doing the same for the Keeper of the Light. I've nearly finished this one too and will be purchasing more by this author. She is a true storyteller.

In this very readable novel, two mothers are trying to save their daughters. Very sick little Sophie doesn't return from Brownie camp one Sunday in June. Her mother Janine, divorced from the dad, will not give up the search. She trusts her daughter is alive, and knows that she needs her mother's help. Everything is more urgent because Sophie has renal disease and is in desperate need of dialysis. Another mother is trying to help her daughter in the very parts of the West Virginia woods in which Janine is searching for Sophie.Draws you in. Good observations, credible characters, good writing.A little too constructed in parts, just a little much of the cult of true motherhood, but very enjoyable. Couldn't put the book down.4.5

It's hard to review this book without giving too much away, but the plot hinges around the disappearance of 8 year old Sophie following a Brownie camp. Sophie has kidney disease and this is the first time in years she has been well enough to do anything of the kind. The book is populated with believable characters who, like anyone, have flaws and make mistakes along the way, but you can keep barracking for them as they learn from their errors. I am so pleased to find a book where the main character is a divorced mother who isn't wet or feeble, and the ex-husband isn't a total villain.The cover makes it look like it could be a bit of a soppy story but it isn't at all. It's tautly plotted, quite scary in parts, and really hard to put down.

Es hat mir sehr gut gefallen, war sehr spannend und auch für einen nicht native speeker einwandfrei zu lesen. Ich werde sicher noch mehr Bücher dieser Schriftstellerin lesen

I found this book both emotionally wonderful and gripping at the same time. Chamberlain provides the reader with a powerful glimpse of the emotion felt by a mother who is consumed with love for her child. I also found the portrayal of a divorced couple with love for one another very easy to empathise with and made this story line so much more believable and relatable.I found this book almost impossible to put down due to the clever connection of two alternate plot lines. However towards the end felt as though Chamberlain rushed her ending and after such a detailed story, left me feeling slightly cheated. I would have liked Chamberlain to have spent a little more time over the conclusion to the story which is built upon so effusively during the book.However, the ending does not stop the book being an utterly delightful, yet thrilling, read. I would recommend this to anyone who simply enjoys a good, well written, book.