Solomon's Oak is the story of three people who have suffered losses that changed their lives forever.
Glory Solomon, a young widow, holds tight to her memories while she struggles to hold on to her Central California farm. She makes ends meet by hosting weddings in the chapel her husband had built under their two-hundred-year-old white oak tree, known locally as Solomon's Oak. Fourteen-year-old Juniper McGuire is the lone survivor of a family decimated by her sister's disappearance. She arrives on Glory's doorstep, pierced, tattooed, angry, and homeless. When Glory's husband Dan was alive, they took in foster children, but Juniper may be more than she can handle alone. Joseph Vigil is a former Albuquerque police officer and crime lab photographer who was shot during a meth lab bust that took the life of his best friend. Now disabled and in constant pain, he arrives in California to fulfill his dream of photographing the state's giant trees, including Solomon's Oak.
In Jo-Ann Mapson's deeply felt, wise, and gritty novel, these three broken souls will find in each other an unexpected comfort, the bond of friendship, and a second chance to see the miracles of everyday life.
About the Author :
Jo-Ann Mapson is the author of nine previous novels, including the beloved Hank & Chloe, Blue Rodeo (CBS TV movie), and the Los Angeles Times bestsellers The Wilder Sisters and Bad Girl Creek, a book club favorite. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with her husband and their five dogs. Visit her website at www.joannmapson.com.
Review :
"Three people aching with loss piece together new lives in Mapson's gorgeous new novel. Dazzlingly written, indelibly moving and deeply profound, Solomon's Oak is filled with grace, heart, and wisdom, and a rich cast of indelibly real characters, right down to the dogs. It's sometimes a cliché to call a book the author's absolute best, but this one is truly a gem." --Caroline Leavitt, author of Girls in Trouble and Pictures of You
"In Solomon's Oak, we see how some things--like massive oaks, and unshakeable love--can stand the test of time. I love the way Jo-Ann Mapson writes about family--how the roots we put down are the ones that ultimately hold us together. Actually, let me correct myself: I just love the way Jo-Ann Mapson writes, period." --Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of House Rules
"How does Jo-Ann Mapson do it? She makes us look at people we'd rather not see--the abandoned, the broken, the lost--and then makes us cry for them and care for them, rejoice and hope for them. One chapter into Solomon's Oak, I surrendered to Glory Solomon's hope and her collection of restless hearts, and my world simply disappeared." --Jacquelyn Mitchard
