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15th out of 53 books
—
68 voters
Beneath the Night Tree
by
Nicole Baart (Goodreads Author)
Do I have a child? Julia DeSmit knew she would face the question eventually, but she didn’t expect it now. At twenty-four, she is finally content with the way her life has unfolded. A single mother to her son and young brother, she works at the local grocery store while chipping away at a two-year degree. All her free time is spent with her unorthodox family—her boys, her...more
Paperback, 400 pages
Published
2011
by Tyndale
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Single parent Julia DeSmit is defined by the roles she fills: mother, granddaughter, sister, student, worker…. Mothering her five-year-old son and her eleven-year-old brother is the great joy of her life, but also a huge burden. Although she shares the task with her aging grandmother, Julia still feels the weight of her responsibilities. Her long time boyfriend, Michael, seems to hold the promise for a better life – security, love, shared responsibilities – but while he is in school miles away t...more
What a refreshing story found in Beneath the Night Tree by Niclole Baart. It is not only a 'boy meets girl' story, but poses the question about what makes a family.
Julia, in her early 20's, is a single mom to her son and a substitute mom for her younger brother. They all live with her grandmother who is the wise, spiritual leader of the family. As Julia learns and lives the difficulties of single parenting, she dreams of marrying her boyfriend, Michael, a med school student.
One click of her ema...more
Julia, in her early 20's, is a single mom to her son and a substitute mom for her younger brother. They all live with her grandmother who is the wise, spiritual leader of the family. As Julia learns and lives the difficulties of single parenting, she dreams of marrying her boyfriend, Michael, a med school student.
One click of her ema...more
Julia DeSmit never expected to hear from the father of her son Daniel, but when she receives an email from him inquiring after their last meeting over five years before, she opens a door that will change her world completely. Julia hasn't seen Parker since the day he left her sitting in a parking lot in the ruins of the news of her pregnancy. Beneath the Night Tree is a stunning revelation of faith and growing, where one must look past the anger and pain of the past to do what's best for a famil...more
This is another one of those books that deserves an extra half star because it was a good book...it just didn't deserve my four star rating. When I first heard that Nicole Baart was going to wrap up the character of Julia in her 3rd and final book in the series, I was very glad. I looked forward to the book coming out. The only problem was this: It had been so long since I had read the other two, I couldn't remember all the necessary details that would have helped my transition to the 3rd book....more
This is the third and final book in a series. I did not realize this was a series since there was nothing to indicate this on the actual book. Obviously now that I know how the whole thing ends I will not be going to back to read the other two. This book is about a young women with a oddly put together family that she is trying to make decisions for. She realizes that what she wants may not be what is best for hre family.
I had a hard time relating to the main character and a lot of the book is h...more
I had a hard time relating to the main character and a lot of the book is h...more
I read the first book in this trilogy back in February because it was free on the Kindle at that time. I fell in love with Julia DeSmit because I could relate to her so easily. My friend Hannah got me this book off of my Amazon.com wish list for my birthday and I was thrilled to get back into the story. I enjoyed this continuation but was hugely disappointed when I realized I mistakenly skipped the second book, Summer Snow. I am still disappointed that the story is over; there is so much more to...more
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As in the 2nd in this series, this book tugs at your heart strings. While I wasn't sure I wanted to finish the first in the series, I'm glad I did because the 2nd and third are well worth it.
Come...
Feel...
Simon's heart break.
a love found and lost.
hope.
...and Grandma's heart.
***BELOW IS SPOILER MATERIAL***
It's 5 years later and Julia and Grandma are now taking care of 10 year old Simon. Daniel is now 5 and about to enter Kindergarten. Julia and Michael have been seeing each other for 5 years and...more
Come...
Feel...
Simon's heart break.
a love found and lost.
hope.
...and Grandma's heart.
***BELOW IS SPOILER MATERIAL***
It's 5 years later and Julia and Grandma are now taking care of 10 year old Simon. Daniel is now 5 and about to enter Kindergarten. Julia and Michael have been seeing each other for 5 years and...more
The first word that comes to mind when I think of this book is beautiful. The author's writing is almost poetic. She uses words in a unique way.
She also tells the story of a broken family - in more ways than one. She shows you all the little pieces and how sharp and painful the edges are - how they rub up against the characters and cut them just when all seemed to be peaceful and "safe" again. For a while they've been in the business of ignoring those broken pieces. Like a bunch of broken glass...more
She also tells the story of a broken family - in more ways than one. She shows you all the little pieces and how sharp and painful the edges are - how they rub up against the characters and cut them just when all seemed to be peaceful and "safe" again. For a while they've been in the business of ignoring those broken pieces. Like a bunch of broken glass...more
At age 24 Julia loves taking pictures capturing the world through the lens of her camera. She and her brother Simon 10, and her son Daniel 5 live with Grandma Nellie on the DeSmit farm. Her boyfriend Michael speaks of future plans and asking her to leave all she knows behind but Julia realizes that Simon and Daniel have a stake in this too. After all what would her life be like without the 3 of them? When she was on her computer going through her email she came across a message which causes her...more
Baart tells a gripping story. As I was reading there were moments when I felt fearful, anxious, happy, and even points where I wanted to cry with the main character Julia. Through using everyday examples, Baart tells a life-like story. She is a gifted and talented writer.
One critique of the book has to do with how Christianity is portrayed. At one point when a character is asked if he is a Christian, Parker responds "I've never been a big fan of religion...I've never been a big fan of labels, e...more
One critique of the book has to do with how Christianity is portrayed. At one point when a character is asked if he is a Christian, Parker responds "I've never been a big fan of religion...I've never been a big fan of labels, e...more
I stumbled across the first book in this series, After the Leaves Fall, while looking for a new read at Barnes and Noble. Although I'm a Christian, I tend to stay away from Christian fiction because much of it is cliche or poorly written. But I skimmed through the book and decided to give it a try. I was very pleasantly surprised! Baart is a very good writer who tackles touchy subjects like premarital sex in a very real, honest way. I quickly ran out to get the second book.
This book, the third a...more
This book, the third a...more
Baart draws the reader into her story with its captivating language immediately. “Beneath a Night Tree” is rather like a beautiful piece of music in the way it ebbs and flows, crescendos, changes keys, and has some beautiful lyrics. When I finished reading the last sentence, I sighed, just as I do when the last note lingers and then is gone following a particularly moving piece of music. Julia’s life is so not comparable to many of our lives, and yet we ARE ALL like Julia in our search to belong...more
Out of all three this book really related to me. I have a 5 year old. I see the dirt and worms in my bathtub when she describes it. My kids are my world and Daniel is hers. This was my favorite of all the books. Of course you'll have to read to see what happens, but I was very happy with the ending all of her choices. You see Julia really grow up and mature through these books. It is a more Christianity book this time around as she decides it is time to find God so if that offends you, you won't...more
I believe this is the first book I've read by Nicole Baart and it will not be my last. Beneath the Night Tree examines family dynamics and what constitutes a family. Julie DeSmit is a single mother raising her son and younger brother with the help of her aging grandmother. Between her job at the grocery store, college classes, long distance relationship with her boyfriend of 5 years, the reappearance of her son's father, worries about her grandmother's health and raising the boys, Julie must exa...more
This was probably my favorite book out of the trilogy. I thought it was better paced than the second one and I loved that there was closure to all the things that were going on in Julia's life.
However, I think that there were three important conversations missing from the novel. The first one, and probably the most important one was between Parker and Julia. I thought that Julia should have confronted him about what happened five years ago and at least been a little bit angry. I felt like she j...more
However, I think that there were three important conversations missing from the novel. The first one, and probably the most important one was between Parker and Julia. I thought that Julia should have confronted him about what happened five years ago and at least been a little bit angry. I felt like she j...more
Julia not only readily admits to being a part of a patchwork family but finds comfort in it. Julia, her grandmother, son and younger brother all live on a farm in Mason, Iowa. But she can feel her world slowly starting to crumble. Her ten-year-old brother is quickly becoming a teenager, still grieving his mother walking out on him over five years ago. Her grandmother isn’t getting younger and the fact that she will one day be gone scares Julia. She loves her five-year-old son but wonders if she’...more
Julia’s world is thrown off center when she opens her email to find a letter from the past. Unprepared for its effect on her future, the short note “I have thought about you every day for the past five years”, the apology “I’m sorry” and the question “Do I have a child?” are crippling to Julia as she is finally content with the way her life has turned out. Her heart torn by the email from her son’s father, Julia prepares to deal with Parker and his effect on their lives. Regardless of the outcom...more
This is the third book in a series. I got the first book, "After the Leaves Fall" contradicting. I hated it, LOVED IT, then LOATHED IT ENTIRELY. Then I read the second book. I found myself skim reading a lot, but it had a great message about forgiveness, which I really liked. This third book made everything turn out okay for me. I almost wanted to go back and read a few parts from the first book again, not something I usually do. So I gave it 4 stars.
First, I have to say that the prose in this novel is almost poetic and beautiful. And it really wasn't a bad story. It was just too painfully boring. I found myself skimming more and more as I read through this; if this hadn't been part of a challenge, I would have abandoned it altogether. I really liked Grandma, Daniel, Simon and Parker, but can't say I ever formed an attachment to Julia.
I learned more than halfway into the story that this was the final installment in a trilogy and I'm sorry to...more
I learned more than halfway into the story that this was the final installment in a trilogy and I'm sorry to...more
I almost stopped reading this book by the fourth page because it was filled with so many metaphors that I would loose track of what the real subject matter was. Luckily, I pushed past that and the analogies died down some throughtout the rest of the book. At the end, I learned though, that this is the last book in a three part series.
Now I am not exactly sure if I should give it a 3 or a 4. For being Christian fiction, it was pretty well written, but it really still falls into the predictable Christian romantic fiction group and there fore it only gets a 3. If you enjoy reading the Christian fiction, then I recommend it as a good story, but start with the first in the series.
Julia is a single Mother, lives with her Grandmother and her young Brother. She gets engaged, and calls it off when she realizes her Fiance isn't very interested in the boys. She ends up falling for Parker, who is her Son Daniel's Father. Her Grandmother was a stable factor in her life and in the story.
I loved this book. I believe it is the first inspirational fiction by Nicole Baart that I've read. She is a very talented writer. I was drawn into the story from the very beginning. I wanted to sit down and visit with Julia and Grandma. They were such real people. Wonderful the way God's will was threaded throughout the book.
This was a fun airport read. I like Nicole's writing because the characters seem real and things aren't neat and tidy like there are in many romances or Christian fiction. It's fun to read about places and characters from NW Iowa by an author whom I went to college with.
This book was awesome. I stumbled upon the first book in a used bookstore and decided to give it a shot. It is a Christian book that actually focuses on the story more than being cheesy by overspiritualizing everything, as many Christian books have a tendency to do. Read it!
An average, too predictable story by a woman who has apparent writing talent. It was just too easy to see what was coming and by the time the episode revealing the book's title came along, it was flat.
I look forward to more stories by Baart but with more...something.
I look forward to more stories by Baart but with more...something.
Enjoyable and fast read. I plan to request her other two books, After the Leaves Fall and Summer Snow from the library. I realized part way through the setting was a small town in Iowa and the author was and raised in Iowas where she currently resides.
This is the last in the trilogy, After the Leaves Fall. Again, I rate it 4 stars for this genre, Christian fiction. It is well written, though predictable, not too sappy or "preachy". It is a nice book to unwind to, a quick read, better than a tv movie.
This was the 3'rd book in the series. I so enjoyed these characters... This book ended in away, I 'think' I know what happens next, but I wish there were a 4th book. Someday maybe? :) As I read the last word, I thought I will miss these characters.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Be still and know . . . | 2 | 10 | Apr 26, 2011 12:35pm |
Nicole Baart lives in a small town in Iowa and is the mother of three young sons. After the adoption of her second son from Ethiopia, Nicole discovered a deep passion for global issues and co-founded a non-profit organization, One Body One Hope, that works alongside a church and orphanage in Monrovia, Liberia. An accomplished novelist, she was a 2009 Christy Award finalist for fiction. Visit her w...more
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