Our Father Who Art in a Tree

I was intrigued by the description on the back cover of "Our Father Who Art in a Tree", as well as by the title. Judy Pascoe's debut novel is a southern tale of loss and love - the main characters learn how to cope wth their grief in different ways and learn how to move on after the tragedy that afflicts their life. Pascoe uses the ten-year-old Simone as her narrator - who can only speak for her actions through a child's perspective. After her father's death, ten-year-old Simone is convinced that her father's spirit resides in the tree in the backyard. By climbing the tree, she can converse with her father. She is delighted with her find, and tells her mother as their own little secret. Her mother takes to talking to her deceased husband, but his presence is keeping her from moving on. Simone relates the events - some down-to-earth, some fantastically unbelievable - that occur throughout the year after her father's death. Pascoe has infused Simone with a powerful voice. While only ten, she bears witness to much and at times comes across as an adult. However, it is this very distinction that causes Pascoe's voice to seem forced - at times she tries too hard to capture the innocence and burgeoning experiences of a ten-year-old. The reader must also suspend disbelief at the story's end, when a catastrophe of biblical proportions wreaks havoc on the family's life. However, the novel ends with the growing perspective of Simone as she ages and looks back on the events that unfolded when she was ten-years-old. "Our Father Who Art in a Tree" is an overall interesting and enjoyable read.

In ways wise, sensitive and true, Australian author Judy Pascoe explores the impact of a father's premature death on a family in her elegant debut novel, "Our Father Who Art in a Tree." Perceived through the eyes of ten-year-old Simone O'Neill, the process of mourning and rededication to life is invested with imagination, determination and hope. Pascoe's characters not only wrestle with loss; they struggle with legacy, despair and abandonment. It is Simone's vision and voice that elevate the themes and energize the narrative. Simone's discovery of her deceased father's presence in a huge, untamed tree adjacent to her house both astonishes and empowers her. Against her instincts, she shares this startling discovery with her mother, who instead of mocking her child's epiphany investigates it. As Simone's mother communes with her departed spouse, the child battles against feelings of betrayal, jealousy and anger. Simone describes her mother's grief as "a monologue she could unload onto anyone" while the children paradoxically suffer from the mother's "broken dam of grief," preferring to express itself in "explosive arguments." It is the tree that gains symbolic presence, serving not only as the spiritual home of her father but as an ever-present reminder that death is not final, that Simone's father can refract and distort events. Soon after Simone's mother decides to reacquaint herself romantically with another man, a large branch of the tree crashes through the bedroom window. The appearance of a tree branch in her mother's bed elicits Simone's initial awareness that sex and loss embrace her mother. This abrupt, shocking realization angers Simone, and "this thing called sex...that had to do with beds and men and women..." empowers her father "to assert his claim over my mother" in a "touching" fashion. The triumph of "Our Father" is the author's belief in the capacity of the heart to heal itself. Rarely does a child protagonist possess such reflective abilities, and Simone's ability to discern differing means of mourning (her older brother's self-induced exile behind books, her mother's willingness to allow the house to decline, her own need for imagination) permits her to not only respect distinct patterns of sadness but to learn from them. As the novel builds in tension and the family faces a physical crisis laden with psychological consequences, Simone grows in self-awareness, tolerance and hope. Not only does "Our Father Who Art in a Tree" feature a powerful narrative, a stunning climax and a convincing denouement, it does so through an unpretentious voice, one that is at once authentic and compassionate. Judy Pascoe's investigation of the legacy of loss, its enduring scars and its resultant healing, provides hope...for those who have not only suffered the ravages of death but for those who may have abandoned hope in life.

I picked up "Our Father Who Art in a Tree" for its clever and catchy title, but read it for its interesting themes about love, loss, and hope. Narrated by Simone, who was ten when her father died, this short debut novel concerns her family's efforts to accept and cope with her father's death. When Simone hears her dead father's voice calling from the backyard poinciana tree, she climbs the tree to talk with him. When her mother finds out, she also climbs the tree to converse with her late husband. But soon the tree, and with it Simone's father's memory, turn into an obsession that threatens to destroy the emotionally fragile family and their home. Author Judy Pascoe provides an interesting look at the effect of a parent's death on the family, but at times she exaggerates those effects to make a point. The tree assumes metaphorical proportions as it tries to prevent Simone's mother from having a relationship with another man and threatens the house they live in with its encroaching branches and roots. The story does hit home with its analysis of the complications of the death of a loved one, including anger at the father's abandonment and the children's fear that a suitor will replace the father and usurp the mother's affection. Written in simple yet lyrical prose, the story has humor interspersed at odd moments to offset the emotional peaks. It infuses the action with a bit of magic while portraying the various ways people handle and overcome grief. I recommend it for its novel approach to a melancholy topic.

This story of a family attempting to deal with the natural grief they feel at the death of the husband/father is a touching one, and poignantly told by Pascoe's ten year-old narrator Simone. The author manages to capture the voice of the girl very well - an all-important factor when utilizing such a young narrator - and the ways in which the various surviving family members deal with their loss ring very true. Naturally, they run the gamut from shock to bottomless sadness to anger - and everything in between.Simone has the emotions of three brothers - one younger, two older - as well as her mother's on her hands, not to mention her own. Neighbors and extended family members all have their two cents' worth to contribute to the situation as well. When Simone climbs the huge tree in the family's yard and hears the voice of her recently departed dad speaking to her - and answering her - things begin to get a little out of hand. Her mom soon discovers Simone's secret, and channels her grief into the tree as well - her brothers are a bit more skeptical about the whole business. It's when the neighbors find out what's going on that the family's difficulties begin to be the center of attention for outsiders - deep grief is hard enough to deal with within a family, and when a whole gaggle of neighborhood busybodies decide that Simone's mum has gone off her nut, they set out to intervene. Add to all of this the fact that the roots of the tree are beginning to do serious damage to the house itself, and the mixture becomes even more volatile. Pressures mount on Simone's mom to have the tree cut down before the house is destroyed - but she clings to it as much as Simone, for some of the same reasons as well as some of her own.This is Pascoe's first novel - she also works as a stand-up comedienne (and, I believe, in theatre) - and it's a fine effort. There are passages full of great sensitivity and insight, and there's a liberal sprinkling of humor as well - which never, thankfully, becomes the dominant mood of the book. As humorous as several of the scenes might be, the author never strays far from the heart of the matter - that grief is a natural reaction to a loss such as this family has experienced, and that it is a universal trial. Each of us must find our own best way of dealing with it. This book is a very entertaining and insightful read for readers of any age - and I can imagine that it might be extremely helpful for a young person (say between 10-17) who is struggling to deal with the trauma of grief for the first time.

10-year-old Simone's father has had a heart condition all his life. His family knew it, but still, his sudden death came as a shock to them. When "Our Father Who Art in a Tree" opens, he has been dead for several months and the family has just begun to recover from his passing. Until one day when Simon hears her father's voice calling from the gum tree in the backyard. She climbs up, and her father tells her he is sorry to have left everyone behind. Simone's still grief-stricken mother notices her young daughter in the tree and calls the fire department. She punishes her daughter until she will explain why she is in the tree. The tree, inhabited by her father's spirit, becomes a way to communicate with the dead. It sets everyone back in the grieving and threatens to tear apart any normalcy in the family's life. "Our Father Who Art in a Tree" is an interesting look at loss and recovery in a family when someone dies too young. It is a quick and poignant read that is good for everyone, but I would recommend it especially to someone who is a period of mourning. Overall, Judy Pascoe has done a great job taking us into a heart of a mourning family, told through young Simone's eyes. The cast of characters is sometimes funny, and sometimes able to bring their sorrow into your own heart. Four stars to a well-done first effort!