The Crying Tree

Debut author Naseem Rakha has penned a touching albeit sad story of a family riven by grief. Her characters are hobbled, not crippled physically but emotionally, sickened by hatred, isolated by an inability to communicate, and driven to find reason for the inexplicable. Our story opens in 2004 when Tad Mason , Superintendent of the Oregon State Penitentiary, receives notice that after 19 years an execution date has been set for Daniel Robbin. The condemned man had been but 19-years-old himself when he was found guilty of beating and then shooting a 15-year-old boy, Shep Stanley, during an attempted home robbery. Now, after all this time Robbin has stopped his appeals and it fell to Mason to make sure the execution is carried out properly and promptly. He'd never been in charge of what he referred to as a "procedure" before, and he has no stomach for it. However, it is his job and his career depends upon it being done correctly. Flashback to the fall of 1983 when Nate Stanley arrives home to tell his wife, Irene, that he has accepted a better job as deputy sheriff in the tiny town of Blaine, Oregon. The family which also consists of their two children, Bliss and Shep, will be relocating immediately. Irene does not want to leave the won in which she grew up, her family and lifelong friends, but she acquiesces and the family moves. They seem to be adjusting well to their new life when Shep is shot, killed in the family home. Shep's death was inconceivable to her, "There was no way she would let her boy die. He was her life, her breath, her son.....A mother does not let her son die." But Shep is gone. Mourning may take many forms. Nate becomes stone, quiet, silent. Irene finds release in alcohol and an ever growing hatred for her son's killer. Bliss is left very much to her own resources. Impervious to the pleas of her sister, Carol, to pull herself together Irene sinks lower until she hits rock bottom. It is years later after a heated confrontation with Bliss that she realizes what she has become, and she tries to help herself by writing a letter to Daniel in which she offers forgiveness. For this reader that is at the heart of Rakha's story - forgiveness. At one point Irene asks Superintendent Mason if he believes in forgiveness. His answer is, "I've heard of it." All of us have and The Crying Tree may cause many of us to redefine forgiveness in our own lives. - Gail Cooke

I'll keep my review brief: It's rare for me to find a book by a new author with characters so real they seem to be whispering their story in my ear. This is one of those books, and one I will not soon forget. Back of book summery: "Irene and Nate Stanley are living a quiet and contented life with their two children, Bliss and Shep, on their family farm in southern Illinois when Nate suddenly announces he's been offered a job as a deputy sheriff in Oregon. Irene fights her husband. She does not want to uproot her family and has deep misgivings about the move. Nevertheless, the family leaves, and they are just settling into their life in Oregon's high desert when the unthinkable happens. Fifteen-year-old Shep is shot and killed during an apparent robbery in their home. The murderer, a young mechanic with a history of assault, robbery, and drug-related offenses, is caught and sentenced to death. Shep's murder sends the Stanley family into a tailspin, with each member attempting to cope with the tragedy in his or her own way. Irene's approach is to live, week after week, waiting for Daniel Robbin's execution and the justice she feels she and her family deserve. Those weeks turn into months and then years. Ultimately, faced with a growing sense that Robbin's death will not stop her pain, Irene takes the extraordinary and clandestine step of reaching out to her son's killer. The two forge an unlikely connection that remains a secret from her family and friends. Years later, Irene receives the notice that she had craved for so long--Daniel Robbin has stopped his appeals and will be executed within a month. This announcement shakes the very core of the Stanley family. Irene, it turns out, isn't the only one with a shocking secret to hide. As the execution date nears, the Stanleys must face difficult truths and find a way to come to terms with the past. Dramatic, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting, The Crying Tree is an unforgettable story of love and redemption, the unbreakable bonds of family, and the transformative power of forgiveness." I felt through much of the book that I couldn't catch my breath. In the beginning, when all the characters were being introduced, I found myself relating to all of them, even some of the more..unsavory characters. I don't want to go into a lot of detail about the plot; to do so might spoil what is an otherwise amazing story with lots of surprises throughout; and even though you know the outcome of the guy on death row before you even crack open the book, I don't think some of the other things within these pages are as easily predicted. This is an utterly engrossing tale, and I think anyone who loves to read should pick it up. I hope this isn't the last time we hear from this author!

Your son is shot and killed. The killer is on death row. How do you feel? The Crying Tree is a story of love, grief, hate and forgiveness. It is a novel with intensity and an exceptional plot line. Crying Tree effectively teaches sacred tenets and values because it relates spiritual growth to life's troubles. Naseem Rakha's book is about the Stanley family: Nate, Irene, Stephen Joseph (called Shep), and Barbara Ann (called Bliss). The Stanley's, who are from southern Illinois, move to Oregon to take a work promotion for Nate. After a year and a half Shep is shot and killed during a robbery. The loss of Shep fractures the family. Rakha's tale is explicit and dynamic. The story chronicles the grief and struggle of family and friends after the slaying of its most gentle and loving member. This tale is very personal for me, as my son was killed 12 years ago. I have often wondered if anyone could adequately describe the horror, emotions, and physical reaction of losing a beloved child. I believe Naseem accomplishes that task. Rakha communicates the feelings, the frustration, and desire for vengeance common in family anguish. Rakha describes the physical symptoms and the illness that results from processing an unspeakable loss. Rakha talks of the depression, the sleeplessness, the fear, and the anger that parents endure after losing their son. Naseem relates the denial and rebellion of a sibling living with the loss of a cherished brother. The emotional path toward healing is a very tough journey that never really ends. Irene, the main character, discovers that a person must fight the inevitable anger and hate that threatens to destroy her soul. Irene admits that the crime is unacceptable and never can be made acceptable, but she must proceed with her life. As she becomes very withdrawn and filled with pain, she learns that she must process her grief and forgive herself and the killer, or die. Following Irene on her journey, we discover some deep spirituality. The Crying Tree is an exceptional novel. The plot is intriguing and the characters alive and real. I recommend this book.

Several years ago I had a conversation with a woman whose sister had been murdered. She told me that her mother was so depressed and angry about her daughater's murder that she felt that she not only lost her sister but also her mother. Is there a way to heal after such a horrible event? Naseem tells the story of a mother whose child is murdered. She absolutely gets the mother's feelings accurately. You find yourself living through the depression and horror and unable to adjust to your loss or find peace. We also learn how differently people react to such tragedy and how it affects the dynamics of a family. There will be some readers who will think that it is not possible for a mother to befriend her child's killer. It is absolutely possible and there are groups of people who have done so. Naseem has carefully researched her novel. She has interviewed such diverse people as Sister Helen Prejean (author of Dead Man Walking), members of Murder Families for Reconciliation and men who have been exonerated and released from death row due to their innocence. Reading this novel is an emotional and moving experience. I highly recommend The Crying Tree. Aba Gayle, mother of a murdered daugher.

I heard Oprah say that one of her criteria for judging a book is whether or not it made you look at the world differently. (not an exact quote). Wow, this book certainly met that criteria for me. Family secrets, unbearable pain, forgiveness, self-reflection--it's all here. The last 3/4 of the book read easier for me than the 1/4. I think that is mostly because i was learning about the characters and issues. I flew through the last 3/4 and couldn't wait to read more. I wish that it had a happy go lucky fairy tale ending--but this ending is much more believable and applicable to real life. The plot was not predictable in any way, which made reading it a true pleasure. Be prepared for thought provoking reading--knowing it is worth it all. The character development is phenomenal and it is easy to understand each character from their distinct and opposing views. Also, this book has so many topics to discuss it would be an awesome book for a book club discussion. I do not like to write reviews that rehash the synopsis of the book as that can be found many places. Nor do I like to write spoilers. Sometimes that limits what I can say, but what I can say is that this is a must read for 2009.