The Language of Trees: a Book Review

The Language of Trees is a magical and lyrical novel written by Ilie Ruby. The haunting and gripping tone of the novel is set from the poetic and sensory first sentence, "The silken hair of the three children glows bone white in the moonlight as they paddle the stolen canoe out into the icy waters of Canandaigua Lake." The novel unfolds like a meandering brook, introducing fascinating characters chapter by chapter, luring the reader deeper into the story. This is Ruby's first book, and I can't wait to read what other gems this talented author dreams up for us.



The town of Canandaigua is a little resort town in Upstate New York on the shore of one of the Finger Lakes that is overflowing with secrets. The community of year-round residents are all still deeply affected by the accidental death of a young blond-haired boy named Luke Ellis ten years ago in the lake. Luke's presence is still felt around town, manifesting himself in dreams, in wild explosions of lilac, or mysteriously appearing yellow paper airplanes. In the Language of Trees, nature is an active participant, the trees, the lake, the flowers, and the animals an important set of characters in a story set in a town still affected by its Seneca past.



As each character is introduced, we see how they mourn Luke in their own way, and can appreciate the lasting bond of parental and sibling love. Other than Luke's mother and sisters, Grant Shongo is the character most haunted by Luke, often seeing his footprints on his rug in his cabin. Grant is a desperate young man, broken by the desertion of his ex-wife and the cold upbringing by his father. He hides in his cabin, living as a recluse, shielding his ability to heal from everyone including himself. As the story unfolds and builds to a climax, Grant learns to deal with his pain and open himself to risk and love.





I hadn't read a magical realism novel in a few years, and I was skeptical about picking up the Language of Trees. There have been many times when I read some Latin American novels that the magical realism references go above my head, but in the Language of the Trees, nature's role in the narrative made complete sense. It didn't feel like a literary device, but like a perfectly logical element of a story based in a town with native American history. I actually enjoyed the heavy sensory descriptions in the novel, feeling the cold water around me, smelling the cloying lilac bushes, and hearing the heavy beating of the birds' wings.



I have a feeling that the Language of the Trees is one of those books that will stay with me, snatches returning to me like little waves on the shores. The plot gripped me and I read it quickly, but its powerful scenes will remain etched in my memory. This is a great read. Put this paperback on your reading list.



This review is part of a TLC Book Tour. I received a review copy from TLC to write this post.