From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a powerful, emotionally complex story of love, loss, the pain of the past—and the promise of the future.Sometimes the greatest dream starts with the smallest element. A single cell, joining with another. And then dividing. And just like that, the world changes. Annie Harlow knows how lucky she is. The producer of a popular television cooking … is. The producer of a popular television cooking show, she loves her handsome husband and the beautiful Los Angeles home they share. And now, she’s pregnant with their first child. But in an instant, her life is shattered. And when Annie awakes from a yearlong coma, she discovers that time isn’t the only thing she’s lost.
Grieving and wounded, Annie retreats to her old family home in Switchback, Vermont, a maple farm generations old. There, surrounded by her free-spirited brother, their divorced mother, and four young nieces and nephews, Annie slowly emerges into a world she left behind years ago: the town where she grew up, the people she knew before, the high-school boyfriend turned judge. And with the discovery of a cookbook her grandmother wrote in the distant past, Annie unearths an age-old mystery that might prove the salvation of the family farm.
Family Tree is the story of one woman’s triumph over betrayal, and how she eventually comes to terms with her past. It is the story of joys unrealized and opportunities regained. Complex, clear-eyed and big-hearted, funny, sad, and wise, it is a novel to cherish and to remember.
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This is one of my all-time favorites and that is saying a lot. I bought it for my daughter (who has five young children) and that is saying even more as she only reads classics I was reading this when I got the news of my younger sister’s tragic death, and it was a great comfort to me.
The love in this book–for family, for cooking, for home, and mostly for people was so real it swept you up and deposited you somewhere safe.
One of my favorite books of the year!
This book discusses inter-family relationships in a different vain. The characters’
personality are so very varied but form a good family circle, through love, good times and bad.
Every book I have read by this author has been very enjoyable! The characters and situations are real, and not contrived. They are books that are hard to put down.
First read by this author. Annie was a wonderful person and had quite a few things to deal with. Fletcher was awesome also. Her whole family was just wonderful. Dive in and enjoy this incredible journey. Thank you for this great story.
Susan Wiggs is always a sure thing for me and this book was no exception. She knows how to challenge her characters and have the reader rooting for them to the end.
This is a story of a woman’s journey to examine what dreams she still has and whether or not she can reclaim them. I’m not a huge contemporary romance fan, but this was one I could listen to through Libby, so I probably stuck with it longer than if I was actually reading a paper or e-book version.
There are some characters that you simply fall in love with and others you absolutely despise! This book is full of decisions that result in missed opportunities, failed relationships, mistakes, etc. But, if you are lucky after all of these life mistakes, everything comes back around and you find yourself on the road you originally planned to take.
There were many emotional moments in the book. So do not pick this up if you’re looking for a light romance. But there are enough deep moments to make the read worth your while.
Great read. Stumbled upon this author, now one of my favorite.
Never met a Susan Wiggs book I didn’t love.
Good read…if it’s Susan Wiggs you must read!
A true winner….. Set in the hills of Vermont and Maple Syrup country, you will learn things throughout these pages other than the just the character’s identities and personas.
This story is full of promise, of set-backs and heart-ache and…..triumphs; the push and pull of life itself, with characters who are believable. Rich in family and the meaning of “home”, it holds you until the very end. A book I can happily admit, I could not put down. This story does weave between past and present but is done in a way as to not make you impatient. The main character Annie has lost a full year of her life and must strive to move forward in order to claim it once again. Enter, Fletcher. Love walks in and entwined hearts flourish in a way that will touch yours. A delightful story that’s full of hope and promise.
Thank you Susan Wiggs for this story and your
keen sense of narrative ability in telling it so well.
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Great story , ended to guick.
Live all her books.
This is a terrific story of first love, chasing your dream and overcoming obstacles. I love Susan Wiggs and this book is a definite must read.
Susan Wiggs has a real knack for telling a serious story in a captivating manner. I always learn a lot from her books.
Takes a different that tugs at your heart in so many ways! Great characters and wonderful location!
This is the story of Annie Harlow who is in a coma for a year. She awakes grieving and wounded. She decides to retreat to her old family home in Vermont, a maple farm generations old. There, surrounded by her free-spirited brother, their divorced mother, and four young nieces and nephews, Annie slowly emerges into a world she left behind years ago: the town where she grew up, the people she knew before, the high-school boyfriend turned judge. And with the discovery of a cookbook her grandmother wrote in the distant past, Annie unearths an age-old mystery that might prove the salvation of the family farm.
It kept me riveted
Really enjoyed the characters and very easy to read.
Annie Rush seemed to live the life she had always dreamed of, but it literally crashed down on her when a lift collapsed and she was in a coma for a year. At first she remembered little of her past, but gradually her memories returned. Using flashbacks Susan Wiggs shows us the life Annie has lived, her loves, her family, and the betrayals she has suffered. Her return to Switchback, Vermont, from LA, gives her the opportunity to remake herself from scratch and choose what to keep from the past she is remembering.
Susan is a good Author and writes great characters but I didn’t give her 5 stars because her books do have more inappropriate language then I like
Her Lakeside Chronicles series is also worth a read.