The Courage Tree by Diane Chamberlain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a mother-centric plot. Two families with mothers at the helm of two stories that eventually connect.
The first is about two parents colliding when it comes to the medical care of their sick child.
I just want to have a wee grumble at Janine’s parents. I mean come on now, her own parents act as if her ex-hubby is their son and they treat their own daughter like a 15 yr old with the mental capacity of a gnat.
No insult intended towards gnats.
I would have liked to have seen Janine assert herself in some way when it came to her ex and her parents. That did not happen. Annoying and a complete paradox from a personality perspective in relation to her being a veteran helicopter pilot with combat experience. So flying and taking down the enemy is no problem but she cowers at each word uttered by her parents.
Strange that Chamberlain chose to make Janine such a wishy-washy character, despite depicting her as a mother who defies all to try and get her daughter healthy.
Then you have the contradiction of everyone being sidetracked by secondary issues during the search for Sophie. You’re a parent and your child is missing does anything take precedence over that?
Simultaneously we have the story of the middle-aged famous actress Zoe. She is willing to give up everything to protect her child and compensate for past mistakes.
Motherly love and the boundaries that love is willing to cross regardless of the consequences. Of course the story also questions whether those boundaries are crossed because of the egotism of the parent, the welfare of the child or perhaps a combination of the two.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of Harlequin MIRA.
Cheryl M-M's Book Blog 