Trees: First Book in Awakening Land Trilogy

The Trees is a novel that really brings out the imagination of it's readers. This book is full of action and never has a dull moment. The Luckett family fights the wilderness in order to survive. The focus of the book is on Sayward Luckett, a young woman who goes through many tough situations and grows up throughout the book. A great book that I would definitely recommend to anyone.

I saw the miniseries years ago and loved it instantly. This seems like the real way it must have been for our ancestors (not that far back!). It's always fascinating to get a glimpse of how people lived many, many years ago. I read the Trilogy, and found this book, as the first in the series, probably my favorite. It will capture your imagination from the beginning.

The first part in "The Awakening Land" trilogy, "The Trees" chronicles the settling of the Ohio wilderness in the early days of the Republic. With an ear toward authenticity, Conrad Richter has seamlessly mixed history with fiction by introducing realistic characters who tamed Ohio when it was the "West." The story is simple, but beautifully told as Richter introduces the Luckett family, especially eldest daughter Sayward. The Lucketts claim the land and eke out a living among a howling wilderness as Sayward becomes the true head of the family. Richter is to be congratulated for introducing a realisitically strong character who, representing nameless and countless pioneer women, is a true hero. Read it for history or read it for fiction, it will touch you and teach you.

I read the trilogy back in the '70s and was enthralled. I re-read the books every few years now, and find them richer and more beautiful every time. Richter's way with the language of the people and times is rare and valuable to anyone who is interested in how our country grew. This trilogy is one of the jewels of my book collection and one that I love to share.

What a wonderful book. The tale of Sayward Luckett and her family struggling in the frontier days of Ohio. Highly reccomended reading. It also was made into a great mini-series shown from time to time on TNT.