The Language of Sycamores

After reading Lisa Wingate's, Before We Were Yours and loving every word of it, I highly anticipated my read of The Language of Sycamores; unfortunately, it fell flat for me.

I say this a lot in my reviews, "there is nothing wrong with the book." It is beautifully written, using wonderfully visual, flowery words and phrasing, the characters are believable, likable, and endearing, and the story is good - and that's where it fell apart for me; the story was too good. Maybe it's just me, perhaps the older I get, the more cynical I become, or maybe, just maybe, my life is a unicorn, and all the pieces don't fall into a lovely, complete picture at the end of the day and I can't relate to such stories.

The Language of Sycamores is a story of show more two sisters, one who partly chose and partly did not choose a career over family, the other who chose family. Through life circumstances (one sister loses her job and has a second cancer scare), the girls come back together, join up to help care for a neighbor girl who lives in what we can guess is a bad situation, and reunite their long-lost distant family. The jobless sister becomes involved in a summer children's program and gains a job with the organization. She doesn't have cancer, the neighbor girl presumably has a good rest of her life with the two sisters and their families, and everyone lives happily ever after. Throw in a preachy undercurrent that doesn't entirely develop until the last few pages, and all boxes get checked.

Again, a nice story, nothing wrong with it, just so unrealistic to my understanding of the world it was difficult for me to lose myself in its pages. Perhaps I'm just jealous.

I would, however, recommend this book - it is a very well-written and crafted novel, and for the right reader, one not quite as seemingly jaded as this one, it would be a delightful read. As for me, perhaps I need to look for my language in the sycamores. show less

Another great book by Lisa Wingate! Side note: you should read the series in order, it will make more sense that way. As I borrowed them from the library, I read them out of order but they're so well written I could easily figure out the storyline. This book has many themes: finding a sense of purpose, that you can open your heart to others and that family is important.
Karen is searching for answers to the big questions in her life. She has an impressive job but is struggling in her marriage and a recent bout with cancer. She loses her job and decides to go visit her sister who lives at their Grandma Rose's house. Once there she finds out that her sister leads a less than perfect life and that fact brings them closer to each other. She show more also meets Dell, a child that has an extremely hard life but had found a friend in Grandma Rose before she passed away.
Circumstances bring Karen and Dell closer together and help each of them discover strengths they never knew they had. Karen finds herself directing a children's musical and it brings her joy. "It was , I was sure, a moment I would remember forever. I was filled to overflowing with wonder, as if every empty part of me were suddenly complete, every yearning answered. It was like nothing I had ever experienced- a moment of absolute grace." show less

Very rarely do I give 5 stars to any novel, but I have been in a reading slump of late, so it was a delight to read "The Language of Sycamores" - it restored my faith in books. I needed this novel! The third in the "Tending Roses" series, this was by far my favourite to date. Filled with gentle wisdom and touching moments, "The Language of Sycamores" put a smile on my face, brought me to tears, broke my heart and allowed my soul to soar. A wonderful story.

Ha...it figures this is in a series, and that I read it out of order. I didn’t feel like I was missing something, but now that I know, it makes sense and I would probably merit from reading the others.

This is a different book, not a bad thing! It’s not the normal romance novel, more general women’s fiction about family and faith. Very enjoyable.

Karen Sommerfield's perfect life is coming down around her ears. After eight cancer-free years, abnormal test results might mean the cancer is back. Then, while she's still reeling from that information, she finds that the company to which she's devoted 15 years of her life is laying off her entire department, herself included.

In the midst of this emotional turmoil, her sister Kate from Tending Roses calls, inviting her to come to the farm for the weekend--a cousin, Jenilee from Good Hope Road will be visiting, as will Karen's airline pilot husband, on a layover. Karen hasn't been to the farm since Grandma Rose died, but some impulse prompts her to agree.

It's a trip that will change her life even more than the two events that show more precipitated it have. She's forced to reevaluate her relationships with her family and her husband, and with her self. She faces some painful and sobering facts, and ends up happier with her self, her family, and her marriage than before.

The emotions in The Language of Sycamores run deep, and it's particularly satisfying to watch Karen go from experiencing life superficially, hiding away painful feelings, like her grief over the death of Grandma Rose and her own miscarriage years earlier, to opening herself up. Reconnecting with her childhood, her roots, the things that make her Karen, helps her find that meaning and satisfaction are more fulfilling than money and appearances and advancement.

This is a perfect ending to the story begun in Tending Roses and Good Hope Road, and like them, it's full of intense emotion, yet a feeling of hope. You'll need tissues for this one, but you'll be satisfied at the end, rather than sad. show less

The language of sycamores by Lisa Wingate
Inspriational quotes at the start of the chapters. Karen had heard what her grandmother Rose had said she just never paid attention.
Karen Summerfield has avoided her problems and is driven by work, power and success are the things she needs.
She might have cancer, again. She had lost a child and will never birth a child again. She had to get back to work because the company is announcing the layoffs. She finds piano playing her peace til her sister calls.
Her husband, James will be there-layover from being a pilot, and she will fly out and spend time on the family farm.
They are to meet with cousins they never knew they had.
So many secrets and a lot of mysteries come to light as they try to figure show more it all out. Lots of characters as they are geared to music and meet for camp during the summer months.
Other neighbors that are more like family have entwined their lives with the family at the farm. Medical emergency has led them to change plans. Love hearing of the camp and the production they put on.
Top point for me was when another relative comes to the forefront-priceless!
Love all the mysteries and how they are all linked together.
I received this review book from The Kensington Books and this is my honest opinion. show less

Yeap. Liked it. Read it. All that good stuff.

At the same time... Oh my word! The tokenism! The assumption that women inherently like this stuff! The religion. All of the blacks characters were so blatantly used. Add this to my list of things I read and love to hate.