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The Book of Trees Leanne Lieberman Books

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The Book of Trees Leanne Lieberman Books

I would have given this book four stars, but thought it was a bit disjointed as a whole. So, though I think it well worth reading and thought provoking, I think three stars might be best.

The author won a contest via her first effort (Gravity) concerning a Canadian teenager trying to find her role in Judaism, not finding the Orthodox style of her parents quite her comfort level. She also had to face up to her sexuality. The book was not cited as such but it had a feel of a memoir, covering ground that took place in the 1980s (it was written a few years ago). The main character found God in nature, having a biological bent, and the book had autobiographical overtones (the author's brother is gay).

This one also appears to be partially autobiographical though again some things are changed. The author notes she too (if while taking graduate classes, not at seventeen) struggled over being a Jew and understanding the experiences of the Palestinians. She too wanted some middle ground, rejecting the sentiments (perhaps simplistically addressed) of some in the book that took a more zero sum game approach. This soul searching and attempt for a middle ground is shared by many, including many Jews here and in Israel. In fact, at times, it seems there is more self-criticism accepted there than in some places in America.

The protagonist here also is trying to find her way in Judaism, this time seemingly more religious than her parents. More than one person in the book found Judaism as a place to find community and savior from troubled backgrounds. Such is the path for many who seek answers, including in religion. Mia also finds a presence of God in nature, including trees and the desert. But, though she respects various aspects of Orthodox practice, including the special public expressions of love (noted in the first book too), she basically has a more liberal view of things overall. At 17, she still is finding her way, though someone who goes on a free summer trip (it isn't made totally clear who is paying ... the author lived in Israel but to my understanding, only when she was older than Mia) to Israel really should know a bit more about certain basic biblical texts.

The trip turns out to be quite different from what she expected, a time of self-discovery and love. Some readers, expecting a religious book, might be turned off by some "R" rated portions involving sex and later drugs. But, teenagers having sex and using pot is not exactly unrealistic. Along with her undeveloped, some might say a bit naive (but many much older are as naive, with less justification than when one is seventeen), religious and political views, this added realism to the book. These are powerful subjects and it is important for young adult fiction to cover it in such a mature, but still realistic, fashion.

As noted, I think the book felt a bit disjointed, but to be fair, perhaps that is intentional -- life, especially as you are young and going by the flow of things, can be that way. Still, I didn't think the first was quite such and from a first reading, it threw me off. I still like the voice of this author and felt reading about the main character, through her own eyes, worthwhile. Maybe, 3.5*

[edit: A basic problem I had, upon reflection, is that Mia has a garbled idea of the background to the conflict. Bad things happened to the Palestinians. Okay. So, do a bit of research to get a sense of what happened, other than reading a single pro-Palestinian account. There are libraries, bookstores etc. in Israel. For instance, the basic fact that the 1948 Arab-Israeli War involved Arabs invading Israel first (the justification is part of the mess here, obviously) makes it different than if Israel merely expelled the people there. And, part of it was that people fled in the face of war. But, the book doesn't tell us much at all on the subject. Mia just suddenly sees things are all complicated! Yes, when she talks to Andrew she does sound childish on the point. It's understandable up to a point, but it did annoy me.]


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The Book of Trees Leanne Lieberman Books Reviews

Mia is a Jewish teenager from Toronto searching for her life to make sense. She decides at the last minute to spend the summer studying at a girl's yeshiva in Jerusalem. It is there she expects to bond with the land, the Israeli people and her religion. Mia believes that becoming more religious will put her life at peace. Only things don't go as she expects and she learns more about the land of Israel from the Palestinian perspective and becomes angry at Israel. This is a story that touches upon some of the truths and non-truths of the Palestinian/ Israeli conflict. But things change when Mia meets Andrew, who isn't Jewish. Andrew talks to her about the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian land and Mia starts to question it. She is not only disturbed by Israel's decisions to kick out the Palestinians but also realizes that maybe becoming a peace activist is much more important than becoming a religious Jew. The author uses trees as a major symbol in the story. Mia learns from Andrew that the Israel's pine trees replace the Palestinians olive trees. The symbol of these trees mean settling down new roots, but whose roots are they?

The Book of Trees is written more from the perspective of a non-Israeli and is also a great coming of age story that really speaks to the teenager. This is recommended reading for grades 7th and up. The author includes a glossary of terms in the back of the book with an authors note explaining why she wrote the story and her personal thoughts on the Palestinian/Israeli conflict.
Gold Star Award Winner!

Mia goes to Israel with her friend, Aviva, to learn about the Jewish faith. At once Mia is enthralled by this foreign place and all of its beautiful landmarks, but she quickly learns that everything in Israel isn't as beautiful as it seems.

The Palestinians are fighting for a land that was once theirs but that now the Jews claim belongs to them. Mia learns that the Jewish religion can be quite bloody and ignorant at times, and she starts to question whether she can be a part of this faith - or any faith at all.

Along this journey she meets Andrew, a handsome guitar player who seems to know more about Israel's politics than she does. So with the help of Andrew, she tries to figure out whether she can continue in this faith, and what she plans to do about the turmoil in Israel.

Lieberman writes a truly wonderful book about a girl trying to figure out who she is and what she stands for while also trying to come to grips with the Jewish religion and the politics in Israel. Not only is this book touching on a personal level, but it is educational, too. It really brings to light the politics and turmoil in Israel; it helps the reader better understand what is going on in such a faraway place.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about a brave girls' journey to find love, her beliefs, and ultimately herself. It is truly inspiring and might give you the courage to find out who you are, as well.

Reviewed by Steph
I would have given this book four stars, but thought it was a bit disjointed as a whole. So, though I think it well worth reading and thought provoking, I think three stars might be best.

The author won a contest via her first effort (Gravity) concerning a Canadian teenager trying to find her role in Judaism, not finding the Orthodox style of her parents quite her comfort level. She also had to face up to her sexuality. The book was not cited as such but it had a feel of a memoir, covering ground that took place in the 1980s (it was written a few years ago). The main character found God in nature, having a biological bent, and the book had autobiographical overtones (the author's brother is gay).

This one also appears to be partially autobiographical though again some things are changed. The author notes she too (if while taking graduate classes, not at seventeen) struggled over being a Jew and understanding the experiences of the Palestinians. She too wanted some middle ground, rejecting the sentiments (perhaps simplistically addressed) of some in the book that took a more zero sum game approach. This soul searching and attempt for a middle ground is shared by many, including many Jews here and in Israel. In fact, at times, it seems there is more self-criticism accepted there than in some places in America.

The protagonist here also is trying to find her way in Judaism, this time seemingly more religious than her parents. More than one person in the book found Judaism as a place to find community and savior from troubled backgrounds. Such is the path for many who seek answers, including in religion. Mia also finds a presence of God in nature, including trees and the desert. But, though she respects various aspects of Orthodox practice, including the special public expressions of love (noted in the first book too), she basically has a more liberal view of things overall. At 17, she still is finding her way, though someone who goes on a free summer trip (it isn't made totally clear who is paying ... the author lived in Israel but to my understanding, only when she was older than Mia) to Israel really should know a bit more about certain basic biblical texts.

The trip turns out to be quite different from what she expected, a time of self-discovery and love. Some readers, expecting a religious book, might be turned off by some "R" rated portions involving sex and later drugs. But, teenagers having sex and using pot is not exactly unrealistic. Along with her undeveloped, some might say a bit naive (but many much older are as naive, with less justification than when one is seventeen), religious and political views, this added realism to the book. These are powerful subjects and it is important for young adult fiction to cover it in such a mature, but still realistic, fashion.

As noted, I think the book felt a bit disjointed, but to be fair, perhaps that is intentional -- life, especially as you are young and going by the flow of things, can be that way. Still, I didn't think the first was quite such and from a first reading, it threw me off. I still like the voice of this author and felt reading about the main character, through her own eyes, worthwhile. Maybe, 3.5*

[edit A basic problem I had, upon reflection, is that Mia has a garbled idea of the background to the conflict. Bad things happened to the Palestinians. Okay. So, do a bit of research to get a sense of what happened, other than reading a single pro-Palestinian account. There are libraries, bookstores etc. in Israel. For instance, the basic fact that the 1948 Arab-Israeli War involved Arabs invading Israel first (the justification is part of the mess here, obviously) makes it different than if Israel merely expelled the people there. And, part of it was that people fled in the face of war. But, the book doesn't tell us much at all on the subject. Mia just suddenly sees things are all complicated! Yes, when she talks to Andrew she does sound childish on the point. It's understandable up to a point, but it did annoy me.]