Courage Tree

Great example of faith

I have read several Diane Chamberlain books, which I loved, but this was not one of them. I found the story and characters to be quite unbelievable, and I had to push myself to finish it. I was really surprised that this book was not up to her usual excellence.

This book was one of my favorites of this author. The characters were easy to get to know. The whole way through the book I felt like I was holding my breath worrying about a little girl who was lost in the woods and taken in by shady people. The only reason I didn't give five stars is because there was too much time spent on the time right after the little girl was missing and not getting into the story of what was actually happening.

Multiple angles woven into a tight knit ending with every question answered. Just lovely!

I am quickly becoming a Diane Chamberlain fan and her latest book is absolutely wonderful! I found that I could not put down the book and needed to finish it before anything else got done! Chamberlain weaves her story with such precision, that one thinks that they know the ending, but WHAM - a surprise is in store for the reader. The suspense skillfully draws the reader in and does not let go until the very end. I am finding that "secrets" prevail in her books, and they are not revealed until the end, but the reader is kept in suspense until the very last possible moment! Chamberlain combines romance, mystery, thrills and issues of family all interwoven and cleverly revealing.The main character, Janine, is incredibly strong, a maverick, who comes into her own despite her overbearing ex-husband and equally over-bearing and controlling parents. Janine meets Lucas, who shows her how to blossom and to become her own person, and to stop the "puppet" like behavior she has come to know. Lucas believes in her decision to start an alternative treatment for her daughter, against the wishes of both her ex-husband and her parents. The story will appeal to both men and women, and the suspense of not knowing if Sophie, Janine's critically ill 8-year old daughter, will be found, will have the reader hanging onto every page!The story was every endearing, courageous and filled with the miracle of love conquering all.I highly recommend this book and am most anxious to read all of her previous books!

Diane Chamberlain has written several really good books and this one certainly tops the list. It grabs you from the first chapter and is very, very hard to put down. It has all the ingredients for a fantastic read - a sick lost child, distraught family, ex husband and his new girlfriend, a hidden shack in the woods with another mother and daughter who are hiding out for their own reasons, and a mother who is determined against all odds to find her missing child.It grabs you from the first chapter and never, ever lets up.Great character development and people you really come to know and care about.You won't go wrong with this one.

With The Courage Tree Diane Chamberlain again proves she is one of the best writers contemporary women's fiction has to offer.Despite misgivings and warnings of her parents and ex-husband, Janine Donohue has allowed her eight-year-old daughter Sophie to go off to camp with her Brownie Troup. This is the first time she's been away from home and everyone's concern is magnified by the fact that Sophie has been seriously ill suffering from renal disease. But recently experimental treatments have improved her condition so that dialysis isn't needed as often as it once was, affording Sophie the opportunity to go away for the weekend at camp. But Sophie doesn't return. The car in which the assistant troup leader and two of the Brownies, including Sophie, were riding, is missing. Janine's ex-husband, Joe and her parents blame Janine. They were not supportive of Sophie going on the trip in the first place. In addition, they are upset that Janine has gone against medical advice to enroll Sophie in the experimental program, despite the fact that it appears to be helping.Lending support to Janine is her friend, Lucas Trowell, a rather mysterious man who is the head gardener at the estate where Janine and her parents live - her parents in the mansion and Janine and Sophie in a small adjacent cottage. Lucas and Janine have become more than friends but have kept their relationship a secret as Janine knows her parents would not approve. In fact, they believe there is somewhat Lucas is hiding. They even think he could be a pedophile since he seems to have such an unusual interest in Sophie. When they find out Janine is actually having a relationship with this man, they become unglued. Joe isn't happy either. He's very close to Janine's parents and side with them in nearly every instance against Janine. He also believes he is still in love with Janine and would like to see them re-marry. Lucas is a mysterious character, that's for sure. Instead of living in his home, he prefers to live in a rather comfortable tree-house adjacent to it. It becomes clear that there is something Lucas is hiding. His comings and goings are rather mysterious, to be sure. One evening when Lucas leaves the search scene to return home, Joe follows. What he discovers only makes him more skeptical. In the woods near the area where young Sophie is missing, another drama is unfolding. Aging movie star Zoe has faked her own death in order to help her daughter Marti escape from prison. She has found a small shanty in the woods and made her own and is waiting for Marti to join her when Sophie appears - dirty, injured, and badly in need of medical treatment. But Zoe is reluctant to get the help she knows Sophie needs, because she needs to protect her own daughter.Diane Chamberlain is a master at creating tense drama and then revealing secrets a little at a time - just enough to keep the reader satisfied while turning the pages at a nearly frantic pace. It was all I could

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.