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The Understory
Story Easton knows the first line of every book, but never the last.
She never cries, but she fakes it beautifully.
And at night, she escapes from the failure of her own life by breaking into the homes of others, and feeling, for a short while, like a different, better person.
But one night, as an uninvited guest in someone's empty room, she discovers a story sadder than her own: a boy named Cooper Payne, whose dream of visiting the Amazon rainforest and discovering the moonflower from his favorite book, Once Upon a Moonflower, died alongside his father.
For reasons even she doesn't entirely understand, Story decides that she will help Cooper and his mother. She will make his dream come true.
When the decision is made, the lives of other broken people start to come together: Hans Turner, the door-making magician who can't shut the door on his past; Martin Baxter, the author of Cooper's beloved book, who wrote it with the daughter he misses every day; and Claire Payne, Cooper's mother, struggling to keep her son sheltered from the anger that threatens to consume her.
The Understory is a magical, moving, funny, and poignant story of failure and success; of falling apart and rebuilding; and of coincidences that never really are. Part comedy, part drama, and part fairy tale, Elizabeth Leiknes's second novel is a wonder you won't soon forget.
She never cries, but she fakes it beautifully.
And at night, she escapes from the failure of her own life by breaking into the homes of others, and feeling, for a short while, like a different, better person.
But one night, as an uninvited guest in someone's empty room, she discovers a story sadder than her own: a boy named Cooper Payne, whose dream of visiting the Amazon rainforest and discovering the moonflower from his favorite book, Once Upon a Moonflower, died alongside his father.
For reasons even she doesn't entirely understand, Story decides that she will help Cooper and his mother. She will make his dream come true.
When the decision is made, the lives of other broken people start to come together: Hans Turner, the door-making magician who can't shut the door on his past; Martin Baxter, the author of Cooper's beloved book, who wrote it with the daughter he misses every day; and Claire Payne, Cooper's mother, struggling to keep her son sheltered from the anger that threatens to consume her.
The Understory is a magical, moving, funny, and poignant story of failure and success; of falling apart and rebuilding; and of coincidences that never really are. Part comedy, part drama, and part fairy tale, Elizabeth Leiknes's second novel is a wonder you won't soon forget.
254 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
3 people are currently reading
637 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Leiknes
11 books40 followersElizabeth Leiknes, author and teacher, grew up in rural Iowa and can make thirty-seven different dishes featuring corn. The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns was written somewhere between a third and fourth helping of Captain Crunch in Elizabeth's sixth month of pregnancy with her first child. She now lives and teaches English near Lake Tahoe with her husband, two sons, and mentally ill cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
June 16, 2012
I just finished the book tonight. I could have finished it days ago, but the closer I got to the end the slower I went so it wouldn't be over too soon. What an amazing story (pun intended)! I laughed, I cried, I bit my fingernails... This book had it all! What an enjoyable reading experience.
February 8, 2013
Soooo, it appears the author is a Goodreads author. Well, my sister-in-law tells me that the proper way to participate in a negative discussion is to stick to "I feel" statements.
For most of this book, I felt like I was reading something written by a very clever 14 year old girl.
For most of this book, I felt like I was reading something written by a very clever 14 year old girl.
June 18, 2012
Originally posted here.
This book charmed me immediately, even though I had no expectations for it. I knew nothing about it, and the cover is incredibly lame, but something made me request it and I am so glad I did. This is the bonus of requesting ALL THE THINGS: you find books you might otherwise never have read.
First off, let me talk about the writing in The Understory. Elizabeth Leiknes has a way with words, guys. She is so clever and incredibly hilarious. So many lines in this book made me laugh out loud. Also, she swears, not constantly but to great effect. So if you're offended by swearing, this book will not be for you. If you are amused by it, you'll love it. I also loved that though her writing is quite beautiful, it also feels very natural, in the dialogue as well.
The Understory is, more than anything, about the serendipitous connections between certain people. Told in a fairy tale type manner, characters come together in a way that is either entirely coincidental or fated. Either way, everyone finds the people that they need in their lives. They come together in the perfect way to fix broken hearts, to move on in grief, to realize strength, and to grow up. I loved this. This is what I want life to be like. The subtle magic running through the story, though not actually MAGIC like in a fantasy novel, reminds me strongly of Sarah Addison Allen (who I love). Though there wasn't any legit magic, this book felt hella magical to me.
The characters in this book are amazing. Story Thyme Easton (poor girl) is delightfully and unapologetically bitchy, as well as being really messed up. She lives in the shadow of her incredibly successful mother, burdened by her name, and considers suicide. Her dream is to write honest, sarcastic greeting cards that say things like "Life Sucketh. Sorry." Dudes, I would buy cards like that. Her only comforts in life are greasy hamburgers and breaking into other people's houses to try on their shoes and sleep in their beds (like a modern Goldilocks), because she so desperately wants out of her life. She is obsessed with first lines of novels and quotes them to herself constantly.
The other characters are lovely too. Hans, the carpenter, who totally made me swoon. I don't usually go for the strong silent type but YOWZA. Also, he and Story have insane chemistry. There is some excellent romance in here, for those of you who enjoy that (and why wouldn't you?!?). Story's mother is obnoxious, but in that real mother kind of way. Cooper is one of the most adorable little moppets ever. Plus, I love that he and his mother, Claire, have a parrot that swears constantly. Amusing animal, ftw!
Guys, seriously, this book was super amazing. I loved all of it, except for the book within the book which was kind of lame. Thankfully, those bits were pretty brief. If you like magic, fairy tales, and humor, read this!
This book charmed me immediately, even though I had no expectations for it. I knew nothing about it, and the cover is incredibly lame, but something made me request it and I am so glad I did. This is the bonus of requesting ALL THE THINGS: you find books you might otherwise never have read.
First off, let me talk about the writing in The Understory. Elizabeth Leiknes has a way with words, guys. She is so clever and incredibly hilarious. So many lines in this book made me laugh out loud. Also, she swears, not constantly but to great effect. So if you're offended by swearing, this book will not be for you. If you are amused by it, you'll love it. I also loved that though her writing is quite beautiful, it also feels very natural, in the dialogue as well.
The Understory is, more than anything, about the serendipitous connections between certain people. Told in a fairy tale type manner, characters come together in a way that is either entirely coincidental or fated. Either way, everyone finds the people that they need in their lives. They come together in the perfect way to fix broken hearts, to move on in grief, to realize strength, and to grow up. I loved this. This is what I want life to be like. The subtle magic running through the story, though not actually MAGIC like in a fantasy novel, reminds me strongly of Sarah Addison Allen (who I love). Though there wasn't any legit magic, this book felt hella magical to me.
The characters in this book are amazing. Story Thyme Easton (poor girl) is delightfully and unapologetically bitchy, as well as being really messed up. She lives in the shadow of her incredibly successful mother, burdened by her name, and considers suicide. Her dream is to write honest, sarcastic greeting cards that say things like "Life Sucketh. Sorry." Dudes, I would buy cards like that. Her only comforts in life are greasy hamburgers and breaking into other people's houses to try on their shoes and sleep in their beds (like a modern Goldilocks), because she so desperately wants out of her life. She is obsessed with first lines of novels and quotes them to herself constantly.
The other characters are lovely too. Hans, the carpenter, who totally made me swoon. I don't usually go for the strong silent type but YOWZA. Also, he and Story have insane chemistry. There is some excellent romance in here, for those of you who enjoy that (and why wouldn't you?!?). Story's mother is obnoxious, but in that real mother kind of way. Cooper is one of the most adorable little moppets ever. Plus, I love that he and his mother, Claire, have a parrot that swears constantly. Amusing animal, ftw!
Guys, seriously, this book was super amazing. I loved all of it, except for the book within the book which was kind of lame. Thankfully, those bits were pretty brief. If you like magic, fairy tales, and humor, read this!
March 30, 2014
Recently, I feel like I have been reading a lot of already well received and well known books, so I was excited to move a way from that with The Understory. To that end, I was already predetermined to like it, which is why I feel like I have to rate it 3 stars, even though it doesn't live up to many of my other 3 starred books.
This book had a lot of potential, the idea itself was interesting and unique. I greatly enjoyed the weaving in of the children's book throughout the story, and how the characters lives are interwoven with the book.The characters seemed like they could be interesting, and weren't just your run of the mill standard characters. Also the picture that is built of the jungle, both in the children's book itself, and in the characters' iterations of it was very beautiful and a part of the world I was happy to be drawn into.
However, the book was incredibly underdeveloped, both in the characters and in the plot. The intertwined story lines of all the main characters were a great idea, but it all felt so unrealistic and forced. The constant fateful coincidence after fateful coincidence made the whole book seem fake, even though the lives and tragedies of the characters could've been made to feel very authentic. The story was very rushed, and that caused both the plot and the actions/reactions of the main characters to seem completely implausible. It also gave it the feeling of having been written by either a young, immature, inexperienced writer, or a romance writer, neither of which seem to be true of this author, so far as I can tell.
The writing style was good; there were a lot of fun lines and messages throughout the story. Additionally, I enjoyed the various aspects of the plot, aside from people falling in love at first sight and developing relationships in a completely unrealistic timeline and fashion, all of the action of the book was great. The ending was particularly well done, and left me feeling satisfied with both the conclusion of the story, and the directions that the characters would take.
Overall, many of the elements were there to make this a good book, and while there were many parts that left me cringing, I also enjoyed reading it. I hope that this author continues to mature, and is able to create a more well rounded and developed narrative in her next book.
2.5 stars.
This book had a lot of potential, the idea itself was interesting and unique. I greatly enjoyed the weaving in of the children's book throughout the story, and how the characters lives are interwoven with the book.The characters seemed like they could be interesting, and weren't just your run of the mill standard characters. Also the picture that is built of the jungle, both in the children's book itself, and in the characters' iterations of it was very beautiful and a part of the world I was happy to be drawn into.
However, the book was incredibly underdeveloped, both in the characters and in the plot. The intertwined story lines of all the main characters were a great idea, but it all felt so unrealistic and forced. The constant fateful coincidence after fateful coincidence made the whole book seem fake, even though the lives and tragedies of the characters could've been made to feel very authentic. The story was very rushed, and that caused both the plot and the actions/reactions of the main characters to seem completely implausible. It also gave it the feeling of having been written by either a young, immature, inexperienced writer, or a romance writer, neither of which seem to be true of this author, so far as I can tell.
The writing style was good; there were a lot of fun lines and messages throughout the story. Additionally, I enjoyed the various aspects of the plot, aside from people falling in love at first sight and developing relationships in a completely unrealistic timeline and fashion, all of the action of the book was great. The ending was particularly well done, and left me feeling satisfied with both the conclusion of the story, and the directions that the characters would take.
Overall, many of the elements were there to make this a good book, and while there were many parts that left me cringing, I also enjoyed reading it. I hope that this author continues to mature, and is able to create a more well rounded and developed narrative in her next book.
2.5 stars.
July 5, 2012
This is a story about the interconnectedness of the human condition and how words can be the catalysts that cause some of the greatest elevations of the human soul.
Story Easton is a woman so eager to shed the tattered rags of her life that she slips stealthily into the lives of others in the dead of night by way of unlocked windows, untended doors, and empty rooms.
The stories that she reads on the faces, in the voices, and in the houses of all the lives that she enters serve as a call to action for Story.
Her key...
Once Upon a Moonflower
The story of the magic of the Amazon rainforest and a girl who was once the magic of her father's life.
Just as the shrubs and plants that grow beneath the canopy of a forest are its understory; the pain, loss , and regret shared by Cooper, Claire, Martin, Hans, and Story serve as the floor from which the seeds of love, forgiveness, understanding, determination and hope sprout and flourish.
The true magic of this story lies in the fact that the one tangible thing that connects all of these lives is just that...a story. The one thing that offers hope, release, and redemption is the written word.
This book stands as its own testament to the alchemical power of literature to transform thought into action and action into transformation of the force that is life.
Story Easton is a woman so eager to shed the tattered rags of her life that she slips stealthily into the lives of others in the dead of night by way of unlocked windows, untended doors, and empty rooms.
The stories that she reads on the faces, in the voices, and in the houses of all the lives that she enters serve as a call to action for Story.
Her key...
Once Upon a Moonflower
The story of the magic of the Amazon rainforest and a girl who was once the magic of her father's life.
Just as the shrubs and plants that grow beneath the canopy of a forest are its understory; the pain, loss , and regret shared by Cooper, Claire, Martin, Hans, and Story serve as the floor from which the seeds of love, forgiveness, understanding, determination and hope sprout and flourish.
The true magic of this story lies in the fact that the one tangible thing that connects all of these lives is just that...a story. The one thing that offers hope, release, and redemption is the written word.
This book stands as its own testament to the alchemical power of literature to transform thought into action and action into transformation of the force that is life.
June 19, 2012
The Understory Contest & Interview with Elizabeth Leiknes
Posted on June 1, 2012 | Leave a comment | Edit
I am honored to have Elizabeth Leikness author of The Understory here with us today at edensbookshelf.com. The Understory drops June 1, 2012 and Elizabeth has graciously offered us an e-copy of her book to give away to one lucky reader (see end of article for more details).
Elizabeth has been kind enough to allow me to interview her. Her answers are open and honest – at times strikingly so. The interview is touching and insightful. Welcome, Elizabeth!
EDB: Story Easton is one of the most intriguing characters I’ve ever read. Her dissatisfaction with her own life manifests in the most unique way. Story roams the streets of Phoenix at night in her pajamas and breaks into people’s homes. Not only does she break in even if people are in the house, she looks for a spare bed where she will pass the night. To top it off – she tries to find a pair of shoes belonging to someone in the house to wear while she sleeps in an effort to truly convince herself that she is someone else. And never at any point in the novel does Story express any fear for her personal safety. How in the world did you come up with this idea and why was it so important in defining the character of Story?
EL: This may sound strange, but I didn’t find Story’s actions all that crazy. I’m fascinated by what people’s homes say about them, so I often think about what types of people live in certain types of homes, what they do there—create, cook, parent, read, dream—and that’s what I think about when I drive past different neighborhoods. Also, I’m intrigued by the lengths people will go to in order to forget who they are. Story feels like such a failure that she will do anything to avoid confronting that fact. Truly, she has nothing to lose, and it is just then, at rock bottom, where characters start to get interesting for me.
EBS: The Understory is a combination of tragic instances that interweave and most of your characters have experienced feelings of grief or inadequacy. Is The Understory a novel about redemption?
EL: I honestly think all stories are redemption stories. My first novel (The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns) ended up being a story of salvation and redemption, and now The Understory seems to be as well. I identify with stories that have elements of hope amidst seemingly insurmountable darkness; if there is no hope, after all, what’s the point? Every night when I put my two boys down to sleep, we go through a series of questions that I ask and they answer. (What do we never do? Give up, Mama. What does Mark Twain say? When in doubt, tell the truth, Mama. But the third and last question and answer in our nighttime ritual comes from an interview I watched a few years back with J.K. Rowling. She was asked why Harry Potter’s story resonated with so many readers, and what it was all about. I loved her answer so much that it’s the last thing my children say every single night. What does J.K. Rowling say? Love always wins, Mama. That’s the kind of hope I want them to know is possible in this world.
EBS: One of the minor characters, Sarah a young girl with Tourette’s Syndrome, has really stayed in my mind. Why Sarah? What role does Sarah play in this novel?
EL: Sarah’s presence in this novel is crucial to Hans’s character arc. I don’t want to spoil any big reveals, but we need her for Hans’s story to become complete. Sarah’s character highlights the tricky nature of words: they can beautiful and powerful, but also empty at times, leaving a person’s actions, not what they say, to be the real hero. Also, she is yet another character who moves through pain and comes out the other side.
EBS: Magic is a theme in this novel. Whether it is believing in Santa or physically performing a magic act, the manifestation of magic plays a strong role in this book. What was your intention when you included magic in the novel? Do your characters ultimately believe in magic?
EL: The real magic is that there is no magic, I think. Ultimately, the characters understand this and realize that the true magic lies in everyday people in everyday life.
EBS: I am dying to know – who is the actor that Hans is supposed to resemble?
EL: Hans’s character is a blend of my husband, a young Brad Pitt, and the character Sawyer from Lost. Needless to say, I am quite fond of him as are most female readers!
EBS: Rituals are a huge part of this novel. One character has woken up to the same song for over 20 years. Another character must read the same story every night in the same way or he cannot go to sleep. Story’s mother has actually turned her Socratic rituals into a multi-million dollar business. But as the story progresses – each character breaks free of their ritual in an almost startling manner. What do you want the reader to take away from this?
EL: This is such a great observation. In fact, I’ve never thought about it, but you are so right. Ritual is paramount in this novel, and when I think back, also in my first novel. I really value ritual in my own life, especially with my children, but those are the good rituals, the ones that create childhoods; the negative rituals are the ones we need to break in order to move forward and go from stasis to liberation.
EBS: How does one classify The Understory? The story is complex and doesn’t easily fall into one category. How would you describe your novel?
EL: Although this book sort of defies genre—part fairy tale, part magical realism– I feel that it’s literary fiction.
EBS: Of the male characters in this novel, which one is closest to your heart and why?
EL: I love both fathers in this book, so I have a soft spot for both of them, but since Hans reminds of my husband, he is closest to my heart.
EBS: Is Story’s mother a “good” mother?
EL: Yikes. This is tricky. Yes and no. She is not the kind of mother I aspire to be, but that doesn’t mean she is one-hundred percent bad. On one hand, she is responsible for Story being such a hot mess; clearly, she was not emotionally of physically present to build a healthy self-esteem in her daughter, Yet, by being hard on her only daughter, she ultimately leads by example and pushes her to be a success rather than a failure.
The Understory (SYNOPSES)
Story Easton knows the first line of every book, but never the last.
She never cries, but she fakes it beautifully.
And at night, she escapes from the failure of her own life by breaking into the homes of others, and feeling, for a short while, like a different, better person.
But one night, as an uninvited guest in someone’s empty room, she discovers a story sadder than her own: a boy named Cooper Payne, whose dream of visiting the Amazon rainforest and discovering the moonflower from his favorite book, Once Upon a Moonflower, died alongside his father.
For reasons even she doesn’t entirely understand, Story decides that she will help Cooper and his mother. She will make his dream come true.
When the decision is made, the lives of other broken people start to come together: Hans Turner, the door-making magician who can’t shut the door on his past; Martin Baxter, the author of Cooper’s beloved book, who wrote it with the daughter he misses every day; and Claire Payne, Cooper’s mother, struggling to keep her son sheltered from the anger that threatens to consume her.
The Understory is a magical, moving, funny, and poignant story of failure and success; of falling apart and rebuilding; and of coincidences that never really are. Part comedy, part drama, and part fairy tale, Elizabeth Leiknes’s second novel is a wonder you won’t soon forget.
Elizabeth Leiknes grew up in rural Iowa and can make thirty-seven different dishes featuring corn. She attended The University of Iowa as an undergrad, and The University of Nevada, Reno for her Masters. Her previous published novel is The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns. Black-Eyed Susan, Future Perfect, and Let Them Eat Corn are works in progress. The inspiration for The Understory came one night while reading her sons a bedtime story about the rainforest. Elizabeth has a love/hate relationship with great white sharks, and a slight penchant for speaking in hyperbole, which she says she never does. She now lives near Lake Tahoe, Nevada, with her husband, and two sons, Hardy and Hatcher. She also teaches English there.
Elizabeth can be reached via Twitter or Goodreads. https://twitter.com/#!/eleiknes http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
* This contest is also open to international readers.
Posted on June 1, 2012 | Leave a comment | Edit
I am honored to have Elizabeth Leikness author of The Understory here with us today at edensbookshelf.com. The Understory drops June 1, 2012 and Elizabeth has graciously offered us an e-copy of her book to give away to one lucky reader (see end of article for more details).
Elizabeth has been kind enough to allow me to interview her. Her answers are open and honest – at times strikingly so. The interview is touching and insightful. Welcome, Elizabeth!
EDB: Story Easton is one of the most intriguing characters I’ve ever read. Her dissatisfaction with her own life manifests in the most unique way. Story roams the streets of Phoenix at night in her pajamas and breaks into people’s homes. Not only does she break in even if people are in the house, she looks for a spare bed where she will pass the night. To top it off – she tries to find a pair of shoes belonging to someone in the house to wear while she sleeps in an effort to truly convince herself that she is someone else. And never at any point in the novel does Story express any fear for her personal safety. How in the world did you come up with this idea and why was it so important in defining the character of Story?
EL: This may sound strange, but I didn’t find Story’s actions all that crazy. I’m fascinated by what people’s homes say about them, so I often think about what types of people live in certain types of homes, what they do there—create, cook, parent, read, dream—and that’s what I think about when I drive past different neighborhoods. Also, I’m intrigued by the lengths people will go to in order to forget who they are. Story feels like such a failure that she will do anything to avoid confronting that fact. Truly, she has nothing to lose, and it is just then, at rock bottom, where characters start to get interesting for me.
EBS: The Understory is a combination of tragic instances that interweave and most of your characters have experienced feelings of grief or inadequacy. Is The Understory a novel about redemption?
EL: I honestly think all stories are redemption stories. My first novel (The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns) ended up being a story of salvation and redemption, and now The Understory seems to be as well. I identify with stories that have elements of hope amidst seemingly insurmountable darkness; if there is no hope, after all, what’s the point? Every night when I put my two boys down to sleep, we go through a series of questions that I ask and they answer. (What do we never do? Give up, Mama. What does Mark Twain say? When in doubt, tell the truth, Mama. But the third and last question and answer in our nighttime ritual comes from an interview I watched a few years back with J.K. Rowling. She was asked why Harry Potter’s story resonated with so many readers, and what it was all about. I loved her answer so much that it’s the last thing my children say every single night. What does J.K. Rowling say? Love always wins, Mama. That’s the kind of hope I want them to know is possible in this world.
EBS: One of the minor characters, Sarah a young girl with Tourette’s Syndrome, has really stayed in my mind. Why Sarah? What role does Sarah play in this novel?
EL: Sarah’s presence in this novel is crucial to Hans’s character arc. I don’t want to spoil any big reveals, but we need her for Hans’s story to become complete. Sarah’s character highlights the tricky nature of words: they can beautiful and powerful, but also empty at times, leaving a person’s actions, not what they say, to be the real hero. Also, she is yet another character who moves through pain and comes out the other side.
EBS: Magic is a theme in this novel. Whether it is believing in Santa or physically performing a magic act, the manifestation of magic plays a strong role in this book. What was your intention when you included magic in the novel? Do your characters ultimately believe in magic?
EL: The real magic is that there is no magic, I think. Ultimately, the characters understand this and realize that the true magic lies in everyday people in everyday life.
EBS: I am dying to know – who is the actor that Hans is supposed to resemble?
EL: Hans’s character is a blend of my husband, a young Brad Pitt, and the character Sawyer from Lost. Needless to say, I am quite fond of him as are most female readers!
EBS: Rituals are a huge part of this novel. One character has woken up to the same song for over 20 years. Another character must read the same story every night in the same way or he cannot go to sleep. Story’s mother has actually turned her Socratic rituals into a multi-million dollar business. But as the story progresses – each character breaks free of their ritual in an almost startling manner. What do you want the reader to take away from this?
EL: This is such a great observation. In fact, I’ve never thought about it, but you are so right. Ritual is paramount in this novel, and when I think back, also in my first novel. I really value ritual in my own life, especially with my children, but those are the good rituals, the ones that create childhoods; the negative rituals are the ones we need to break in order to move forward and go from stasis to liberation.
EBS: How does one classify The Understory? The story is complex and doesn’t easily fall into one category. How would you describe your novel?
EL: Although this book sort of defies genre—part fairy tale, part magical realism– I feel that it’s literary fiction.
EBS: Of the male characters in this novel, which one is closest to your heart and why?
EL: I love both fathers in this book, so I have a soft spot for both of them, but since Hans reminds of my husband, he is closest to my heart.
EBS: Is Story’s mother a “good” mother?
EL: Yikes. This is tricky. Yes and no. She is not the kind of mother I aspire to be, but that doesn’t mean she is one-hundred percent bad. On one hand, she is responsible for Story being such a hot mess; clearly, she was not emotionally of physically present to build a healthy self-esteem in her daughter, Yet, by being hard on her only daughter, she ultimately leads by example and pushes her to be a success rather than a failure.
The Understory (SYNOPSES)
Story Easton knows the first line of every book, but never the last.
She never cries, but she fakes it beautifully.
And at night, she escapes from the failure of her own life by breaking into the homes of others, and feeling, for a short while, like a different, better person.
But one night, as an uninvited guest in someone’s empty room, she discovers a story sadder than her own: a boy named Cooper Payne, whose dream of visiting the Amazon rainforest and discovering the moonflower from his favorite book, Once Upon a Moonflower, died alongside his father.
For reasons even she doesn’t entirely understand, Story decides that she will help Cooper and his mother. She will make his dream come true.
When the decision is made, the lives of other broken people start to come together: Hans Turner, the door-making magician who can’t shut the door on his past; Martin Baxter, the author of Cooper’s beloved book, who wrote it with the daughter he misses every day; and Claire Payne, Cooper’s mother, struggling to keep her son sheltered from the anger that threatens to consume her.
The Understory is a magical, moving, funny, and poignant story of failure and success; of falling apart and rebuilding; and of coincidences that never really are. Part comedy, part drama, and part fairy tale, Elizabeth Leiknes’s second novel is a wonder you won’t soon forget.
Elizabeth Leiknes grew up in rural Iowa and can make thirty-seven different dishes featuring corn. She attended The University of Iowa as an undergrad, and The University of Nevada, Reno for her Masters. Her previous published novel is The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns. Black-Eyed Susan, Future Perfect, and Let Them Eat Corn are works in progress. The inspiration for The Understory came one night while reading her sons a bedtime story about the rainforest. Elizabeth has a love/hate relationship with great white sharks, and a slight penchant for speaking in hyperbole, which she says she never does. She now lives near Lake Tahoe, Nevada, with her husband, and two sons, Hardy and Hatcher. She also teaches English there.
Elizabeth can be reached via Twitter or Goodreads. https://twitter.com/#!/eleiknes http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
* This contest is also open to international readers.
May 20, 2012
Elizabeth Leiknes’s second novel is a memorable tale of failure and self-discovery, weaving the lives of seemingly disconnected people into a story of hope.
Story Easton is a twenty-nine-year-old woman without a story. She knows the beginning, but in seeking the plot of her life, she only finds failure. Failing to live up to her mother’s standards while missing the father who left her too soon, she bitterly longs to fill someone else’s shoes; any stranger will do.
Writing happy but false greeting cards by day, and breaking into strangers’ homes by night, her escape from her own life leads her to become almost an omniscient presence in the lives of others who have lost someone loved. Failure, her life’s existence, is no longer an option.
Cooper, an eight-year-old boy, who has nearly lost his faith in magic and destiny, needs to believe that Story will complete the promised birthday adventure that his father can no longer fulfill. There is a treasure box hidden in the Amazon that holds inside it something magical that will help a grieving boy heal.
Martin Baxter wrote a book for his daughter, Hope, about the Amazon, called, “Once upon a Moonflower,” that told of a treasure box and a very special plant. He mourns the death of her and his wife now as he seeks closure, planning his trip to the Amazon to seek out the flower that his own mother once searched for long ago.
Cooper’s mother, Claire, is left alone to care for her son, so tired of reading him Martin Baxter’s book every night that she must seek solace in swearing at her parrot.
Story cannot fix these people, but maybe she can help them − If only she weren’t such a failure.
Hans, the handyman magician, can fix Story, so he thinks. But his destiny lies in something far more connected to his childhood tragedy of the drowning princess.
When Martin’s book can’t save them and the treasure cannot be sought in the Amazon, the best rainforest of all comes to life. Imagination conjures something better than reality ever could.
Magical and heartfelt, The Understory is filled with humorous moments and a plot intertwined with hope and faith. Fairytale and reality combine to show that the coincidences in life have purpose and meaning. You are never too old to read a story that makes you believe again.
39.311162 -76.616039
Story Easton is a twenty-nine-year-old woman without a story. She knows the beginning, but in seeking the plot of her life, she only finds failure. Failing to live up to her mother’s standards while missing the father who left her too soon, she bitterly longs to fill someone else’s shoes; any stranger will do.
Writing happy but false greeting cards by day, and breaking into strangers’ homes by night, her escape from her own life leads her to become almost an omniscient presence in the lives of others who have lost someone loved. Failure, her life’s existence, is no longer an option.
Cooper, an eight-year-old boy, who has nearly lost his faith in magic and destiny, needs to believe that Story will complete the promised birthday adventure that his father can no longer fulfill. There is a treasure box hidden in the Amazon that holds inside it something magical that will help a grieving boy heal.
Martin Baxter wrote a book for his daughter, Hope, about the Amazon, called, “Once upon a Moonflower,” that told of a treasure box and a very special plant. He mourns the death of her and his wife now as he seeks closure, planning his trip to the Amazon to seek out the flower that his own mother once searched for long ago.
Cooper’s mother, Claire, is left alone to care for her son, so tired of reading him Martin Baxter’s book every night that she must seek solace in swearing at her parrot.
Story cannot fix these people, but maybe she can help them − If only she weren’t such a failure.
Hans, the handyman magician, can fix Story, so he thinks. But his destiny lies in something far more connected to his childhood tragedy of the drowning princess.
When Martin’s book can’t save them and the treasure cannot be sought in the Amazon, the best rainforest of all comes to life. Imagination conjures something better than reality ever could.
Magical and heartfelt, The Understory is filled with humorous moments and a plot intertwined with hope and faith. Fairytale and reality combine to show that the coincidences in life have purpose and meaning. You are never too old to read a story that makes you believe again.
39.311162 -76.616039
July 16, 2012
BOOK REVIEW: THE UNDERSTORY
By Elizabeth Leiknes
254 pages; Bancroft Press, Published June 1, 2012
The Understory by Elizabeth Leiknes is an ultimately uplifting tale that shows the power of endurance of the human soul, even under the most tragic circumstances. The lives of Story Easton and a handful of other residents of Phoenix, Arizona unwind before our eyes; revealing intertwinings and connections of a complex nature between those we would otherwise consider strangers—much as the plants and animals of the rain forest are all interconnected to form a dense and complex, living, breathing ecosystem. The rain forest does, indeed, feature prominently in this story.
Our heroine, Story Easton is a bit down and out and views herself as a failure at pretty much everything. A domineering mother has quashed any self confidence ever mustered up by Story. Through a series of seemingly unrelated circumstances, she meets some people who are about to change all that. These people, although never having met each other, are very much interconnected with each other; and now with Story is about to become a part of their lives, too. They include a little boy, who has been crushed by a devastating loss and only Story has the key to set his life back on track.
It’s heartening to watch as Story realizes that for the first time, she just may succeed at something! Not only that—she MUST succeed. And in the process, she may just have found Mr. Right, as well. Her path to a better perception of herself and those around her, is a heartwarming one for us to follow. Story finds herself both a tool and a recipient of the power of healing.
This novel was a very enjoyable read and I found myself getting hooked on the story early on. I heartily recommend The Understory to anyone looking for a good read and some motivation to carry forth!
Note: I would like to thank both the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of The Understory to me for review purposes.
By Elizabeth Leiknes
254 pages; Bancroft Press, Published June 1, 2012
The Understory by Elizabeth Leiknes is an ultimately uplifting tale that shows the power of endurance of the human soul, even under the most tragic circumstances. The lives of Story Easton and a handful of other residents of Phoenix, Arizona unwind before our eyes; revealing intertwinings and connections of a complex nature between those we would otherwise consider strangers—much as the plants and animals of the rain forest are all interconnected to form a dense and complex, living, breathing ecosystem. The rain forest does, indeed, feature prominently in this story.
Our heroine, Story Easton is a bit down and out and views herself as a failure at pretty much everything. A domineering mother has quashed any self confidence ever mustered up by Story. Through a series of seemingly unrelated circumstances, she meets some people who are about to change all that. These people, although never having met each other, are very much interconnected with each other; and now with Story is about to become a part of their lives, too. They include a little boy, who has been crushed by a devastating loss and only Story has the key to set his life back on track.
It’s heartening to watch as Story realizes that for the first time, she just may succeed at something! Not only that—she MUST succeed. And in the process, she may just have found Mr. Right, as well. Her path to a better perception of herself and those around her, is a heartwarming one for us to follow. Story finds herself both a tool and a recipient of the power of healing.
This novel was a very enjoyable read and I found myself getting hooked on the story early on. I heartily recommend The Understory to anyone looking for a good read and some motivation to carry forth!
Note: I would like to thank both the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of The Understory to me for review purposes.
June 1, 2012
Rating: 4½ Stars
THE UNDERSTORY is one of those books that will stay in my thoughts for a long time. It’s an enchanting modern fairy tale full of silliness and sadness, humor, heartbreak and hope. The story is about, well, a young woman named “Story” whose odd quirk brings together a group of people all suffering from the loss of a loved one.
Story Easton is so strange that I couldn’t help but like her. She feels like such a failure in her own life that at night, she breaks into other people’s houses to sleep in their beds (or guest beds). But, why? It’s Story’s way of escaping her own dismal existence to become someone else for the night.
It’s on two of her uninvited sleepovers that she meets a small group of people whose lives and pain are interconnected, though they have no idea. One of them is Cooper Payne. His father promised to take him to the rainforest to find the magical box written about in his favorite book on his ninth birthday. Cooper’s dad was killed before he could fulfill his promise. When Story hears about this, she takes it upon herself to see that Cooper’s wish is granted. This is her chance to finally succeed at something, and she’s determined not to let the boy’s belief in magic die.
This was such a sweet and touching story. There were many funny moments and a few very sad ones, too. The author did a flawless job weaving together the lives of her complicated characters; just when you think a group of strangers can’t get any closer, they do! Now, there were one or two instances in the book that were not realistic at all, but if readers can suspend disbelief just for a bit, they’ll really enjoy Elizabeth Leiknes’ quirky and uplifting story.
Source: Review copy from NetGalley
THE UNDERSTORY is one of those books that will stay in my thoughts for a long time. It’s an enchanting modern fairy tale full of silliness and sadness, humor, heartbreak and hope. The story is about, well, a young woman named “Story” whose odd quirk brings together a group of people all suffering from the loss of a loved one.
Story Easton is so strange that I couldn’t help but like her. She feels like such a failure in her own life that at night, she breaks into other people’s houses to sleep in their beds (or guest beds). But, why? It’s Story’s way of escaping her own dismal existence to become someone else for the night.
It’s on two of her uninvited sleepovers that she meets a small group of people whose lives and pain are interconnected, though they have no idea. One of them is Cooper Payne. His father promised to take him to the rainforest to find the magical box written about in his favorite book on his ninth birthday. Cooper’s dad was killed before he could fulfill his promise. When Story hears about this, she takes it upon herself to see that Cooper’s wish is granted. This is her chance to finally succeed at something, and she’s determined not to let the boy’s belief in magic die.
This was such a sweet and touching story. There were many funny moments and a few very sad ones, too. The author did a flawless job weaving together the lives of her complicated characters; just when you think a group of strangers can’t get any closer, they do! Now, there were one or two instances in the book that were not realistic at all, but if readers can suspend disbelief just for a bit, they’ll really enjoy Elizabeth Leiknes’ quirky and uplifting story.
Source: Review copy from NetGalley
February 3, 2013
A very pleasant book to listen to. I have been reading historical biographies and welcomed the light-hearted, fun story. Finished it in less than 24 hours. There were several times I caught myself thinking 'that would never happen'. Then the story would remind me that things won't happen if we don't at least believe they can. Great true stories are the result of things you wouldn't normally believe could happen. Makes sense then, that great fiction can have the same premise.
Initially I was undecided about purchasing the audiobook; reading an interview with the author convinced me to do so. She sounded like a fun person to hang out with as well as someone with a positive, inviting outlook on life. I figured her book and it's characters would be the same. I was not let down.
Initially I was undecided about purchasing the audiobook; reading an interview with the author convinced me to do so. She sounded like a fun person to hang out with as well as someone with a positive, inviting outlook on life. I figured her book and it's characters would be the same. I was not let down.
July 22, 2015
Well, what can I say about this audiobook? It's a very unique book within a book - I love how it weaves the story of a children's book into the main story - but I almost gave up on the book at the very beginning as the main character, Story Easton, was rather creepy and unbelievable. She likes to sneak into other people's houses and find an empty room and sleep there, and if there are shoes in the room, she'll try them on and pretend she is someone else. Something made me keep reading though, and I ended up wanting to find out how everything was going to end up. I listened to the Audible version of this book, and the narrator, Karyn O'Bryant, was very good.
I was given a free copy of this audiobook for an honest review.
I was given a free copy of this audiobook for an honest review.
March 18, 2013
The Understory was unexpectedly magnificent. Leiknes exposes many of life's usual harms; alcoholism, bad jobs, miserable bosses, insomnia, the death of a family member, and the inability to have meaningful relationships. Leiknes also shows us that magic is real, fairytales come true, love is possible, and starting over is a reality. The fonts and tiny pictures were an art of their own which makes this book a true treasure, and I love the voice of Story.
I look forward to reading Leiknes other published novel and her future publications as well.
Simply delightful; an enchanting adult read that I highly recommend.
I look forward to reading Leiknes other published novel and her future publications as well.
Simply delightful; an enchanting adult read that I highly recommend.
May 28, 2012
Agh. If I liked this book any less, I'd give it three points off for having a butt-ugly cover. Whatever Bancroft Press excels at (and there must be something, since The Understory is pretty darn good and they were good enough to recognize that and publish it) it's NOT cover design. I'm getting queasy just looking at it.
Luckily for you, reader, this is pretty much the only problem with the book. It is literary, hilarious, romantic and clever all at the same time. I loved it.
Full review coming soon.
Luckily for you, reader, this is pretty much the only problem with the book. It is literary, hilarious, romantic and clever all at the same time. I loved it.
Full review coming soon.
March 28, 2012
Sweet and charming story. Very high quirk factor which really speaks to me. Can't wait to read the author's previous novel.
June 11, 2012
This was a fun story with great character development with a good fairytale plot. Enjoyed every page!
March 13, 2014
Somehow this book felt like a little too much and a little too little, all at the same time.....
February 12, 2013
Amazing book! Loved the fairy tale elements, the unexpected "hobby" Story has, and even the happily ever after nature of it. Eager to read another book by the author.
May 20, 2013
I felt this book was quirky and really well written. The story ended up to be very beautiful and inspired growth and imagination.
April 15, 2013
I loved how creative this story was.
May 23, 2023
Story Easton overcomes her feelings of failure by breaking into other people’s houses at night and feels better just relaxing there for a while. It all works until she finds a young boy with a story that is even sadder than her own. She then decides to do whatever she can to make his dreams come true. Early on, Story mentions that she knows the first line of every book she has read but never the last. I am sad to say I read the first line of this book but never got to read the last one, so poor are my powers of perseverance. I spent a lot of time wondering how I could explain why this book didn’t work for me. I guess it felt a little immature and had that young teenager feel that didn’t vibe with this old man. I’m sure there is an audience for this, but it’s not me.
July 19, 2024
I don't get it! Beautiful stories and characters you grow to care about and thin fzzzzzz. Like a dud fireworks display. Nothing comes together in the end. I loved it till.... It..... Just..., ended.
Sorry no connection really. I get it, the meaning is supposed to be deeper but unless this writer died before finishing I see no point. It left me bummed that it got so many awards. I'm talking with everyone I know who reD it 1 of the 5 liked it because it is written well. I agree but there is no ending.
Sorry no connection really. I get it, the meaning is supposed to be deeper but unless this writer died before finishing I see no point. It left me bummed that it got so many awards. I'm talking with everyone I know who reD it 1 of the 5 liked it because it is written well. I agree but there is no ending.
November 26, 2018
Beautiful
Quirky and weird, hopeful and sentimental. Just like I like ‘em. A kids story for the kid in all of us.
Quirky and weird, hopeful and sentimental. Just like I like ‘em. A kids story for the kid in all of us.
October 28, 2020
A bunch of great short stories about trees that connect into a great novel ending. One of my all time favorites.
September 11, 2015
I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher, and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast.com
I can’t say I was transported to another world while listening to this book. I can’t say it moved me as it apparently has others (see the 5 star reviews). What I can say is that it is a unique combination of events put together in such a way as to be on the edge of enthralling. I simply couldn’t stop listening.
Story Easton certainly grows and changes for the better. This is something that current writers are seeming to forget: that protagonists aren’t supposed to be the same at the end of the book as they are at the beginning. We read to escape, yes, of course. We read to peek into the lives of others. (BTW, Story takes that idea to the extreme by sneaking into the homes of others. We should understand that desire even if we never follow through.) Yet, ultimately, when we read, we should see that it is possible to learn, to grow, to change as a person. (OK, so the villains only seem to grow more villainous most times. That doesn’t always apply to the protagonist saturated in the well of goodness.)
But Story isn’t the only one who grows and changes. It’s as though the mere ghost of her presence affects those around her and vice versa.
I can say that this is one story fit for all ages. I can say that what the blurb teases, the book follows through without disappointment. I can also say, this book is worth more than the simply enjoyment a novel usually brings and there are depths there to explore.
It is possible that I will read/listen to this book again and find something I’ve missed which will enthrall me just a bit more.
I can’t say I was transported to another world while listening to this book. I can’t say it moved me as it apparently has others (see the 5 star reviews). What I can say is that it is a unique combination of events put together in such a way as to be on the edge of enthralling. I simply couldn’t stop listening.
Story Easton certainly grows and changes for the better. This is something that current writers are seeming to forget: that protagonists aren’t supposed to be the same at the end of the book as they are at the beginning. We read to escape, yes, of course. We read to peek into the lives of others. (BTW, Story takes that idea to the extreme by sneaking into the homes of others. We should understand that desire even if we never follow through.) Yet, ultimately, when we read, we should see that it is possible to learn, to grow, to change as a person. (OK, so the villains only seem to grow more villainous most times. That doesn’t always apply to the protagonist saturated in the well of goodness.)
But Story isn’t the only one who grows and changes. It’s as though the mere ghost of her presence affects those around her and vice versa.
I can say that this is one story fit for all ages. I can say that what the blurb teases, the book follows through without disappointment. I can also say, this book is worth more than the simply enjoyment a novel usually brings and there are depths there to explore.
It is possible that I will read/listen to this book again and find something I’ve missed which will enthrall me just a bit more.
December 23, 2015
Disclosure: I received a free audible copy of this via Audiobookblast.com for an unbiased review.
This was an entertaining book - a light and pleasant read. Good for the summer. I quickly found myself rooting for all of the characters - they were all very likable. I also enjoyed the way the story was told - like a fairy tale. That was clever as were the various insertions of quotes from other books and the way the children's book story was woven into the main story.
I have given this 3-stars mainly because there weren't really any challenges for me here. Everything at the end was wrapped up nicely and tied with a bow. Like I said, a pleasant read, but a bit lighter than my usual tastes.
This was an entertaining book - a light and pleasant read. Good for the summer. I quickly found myself rooting for all of the characters - they were all very likable. I also enjoyed the way the story was told - like a fairy tale. That was clever as were the various insertions of quotes from other books and the way the children's book story was woven into the main story.
I have given this 3-stars mainly because there weren't really any challenges for me here. Everything at the end was wrapped up nicely and tied with a bow. Like I said, a pleasant read, but a bit lighter than my usual tastes.
June 30, 2015
I must admit I had no idea where the plot was going to go in the beginning but I was pleasantly surprised by how it unfolded to reveal a meaningful, funny, and authentic story. Journeying alongside Story Easton's failure of a life, she discovers that just when one thinks they’re at the end and nothing more can be done, all they have to do is let go and see what happens. Elizabeth Leikness masterly weaves the stories of all the characters to a magical end, leaving you feeling nostalgic and ready for new adventure at the same time.
I truly enjoyed Karyn O'Bryant's narration. She has a abundant range of voices that very with age and depth. I loved listening to her bring the story of Story to life.
I would recommend this book.
This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
I truly enjoyed Karyn O'Bryant's narration. She has a abundant range of voices that very with age and depth. I loved listening to her bring the story of Story to life.
I would recommend this book.
This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
September 23, 2012
3.5 A fairy tale written for adults about the importance of words and stories. The main characters name is even Story, and she is so disenchanted with her own she tries on other people's lives by breaking into their houses and trying their things on for size. She overhears a young boy this way and sets off to try and help him. Love the little girl with Tourette's. which is another character whose words don't come out right. Poignant novel and an interesting and original premise. In some places though it was a bit over the top, maybe a bit too much poignancy. Do look forward to what this author writes next.
August 26, 2015
This was an unusual story about a girl who needs to find something she can complete with success and a man she meets who fixes and usually forgets things.Narrated wonderfully by Karyn O'Bryant,we are taken thru a myriad of emotions and feelings that we all have experienced at some time.Story,our main character ,finds a story that is sadder than what she has lived thru and she wants to make it right for a little boy whose father has died.Sometimes confusing,always interesting,this is a good read!"I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast or MalarHouse dot com"
April 26, 2014
Another 3.5 rating worth rounding up rather than down. The author pitches this as a modern-day fairy tale and it has to be read through that lens or it is otherwise as unbelievable as dwarfs, a talking frog (or more recently - a talking snowman), or pumpkins being turned into carriages. When seen as a modern fairy tale with a very positive message it is a very, very fun story that had me laughing out loud at times and wiping my eyes at other points. Again, it is a very clever/fun book that I recommend if you can accept "once upon a time" and "happily ever after". Language warning.
Want to read
June 30, 2015At first I thought this book would be fun, but I could see where it was going (maybe I am wrong). But here's what I am thinking, the man who she met while breaking into someone's house (he leaned over and spontaneously kissed her within minutes of their meeting because she was so cute and witty---yep happens to me all the time)----is going to help her become "normal". I could be wrong, maybe he will break into houses with her.
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