Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Solomon's Oak

3.72 of 5 stars 3.72 · rating details · 996 ratings · 249 reviews

"Solomon's Oak" is the story of three people who have suffered losses that changed their lives forever.

Glory Solomon, a young widow, holds tight to her memories while she struggles to hold on to her Central California farm. She makes ends meet by hosting weddings in the chapel her husband had built under their two-hundred-year-old white oak tree, known locally as Solomon's...more

ebook, 384 pages

Published October 19th 2010 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (first published January 1st 2010)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 2,066)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Mar 25, 2011 Kay rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: literary-fiction

The characters were wonderful--almost too good to be true. And the plot was compelling, though there were probably too many coincidences, such as the fact that the heroine becomes the foster mother to the sister of a missing person whose dog lives at Solomon's Oak. And how did she become a foster mother without going through months of red tape, especially in California?
I have enjoyed other books by this author, but somehow the writing wasn't quite good enough to rate 4 stars. It had a thrown-tog...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 19, 2013 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Glory Solomon has lost her husband Dan after and unexpected illness and she is unsure what the future will hold and how she will live through the grief.

Joseph Vigil has to learn to live with a debilitating injury that has changed his way of life and his future.

Juniper McGuire just wants a forever home. One that finally makes her feel safe, secure and loved.

On Glory's farm where the only known White Oak in California has stood for over 200 years these three lost souls are brought together and thr...more

like · see review

Jun 05, 2012 Denise Cuenin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really found Jo-Ann Mapson's book Solomon's Oak to be a great read. The characters are wonderfully developed and the struggles rang true. Glory is struggling through her first year as a widow and adjusting to her new realities and trying to start a new business. She becomes a sole foster mother, a role she has extensive experience in while she was married but this time the child is a girl and she is going it alone. Juniper, the foster child has a voice that rings true for children who have see...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 08, 2011 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-fun

I won a free copy of this novel through a Goodreads Give-Away. This novel is not my typical genre. I guess I'd have to classify it as middle-aged chic lit. The characters are real and full of emotion, but there is one of the major plotlines is definetly the romance between Glory, a widow, and the new mysterious photographer that come to town.

The main plotline, which revolves around Glory taking in a foster-daughter with a huge chip on her shoulder, was my favorite part of the story. The girl, J...more

like · see review

Nov 09, 2011 Regina Spiker rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: grief, foster-children, teens, oak-trees, tragedy, forensics

Solomon's Oak - the words alone invoke strength and character...photographers come from miles away to capture the beauty of the lovely, huge White oak that sits on Solomon's farm in California, where White Oaks should never grow. Glory Solomon, now a widow, owns the farm where once her and her beloved husband took in foster boys and taught them to be kind, responsible men. Now alone with only her horses and dogs, Glory is faced with the dilemma of possibly losing the farm. On top of all this wor...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 23, 2011 Petunia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mapson is an author I turn to like comfort food when I get tired of rich fare. Her chaaracters are real people with flaws, ones you can love and appreciate.

In Solomon's Oak, Glory is a grieving widow whose's part-time job at Target might provide just enough money to get by--if she didn't take in strays. Glory and her husband of ten years had fostered teenaged boys, whome they loved and sent on their way better prepared for life. She also fosters dogs, that she loves and trains for a permanent h...more

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 02, 2010 Laurel-Rain rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Against the backdrop of a gorgeous Central California Coastal town, this story begins with an historic moment in the past: a man, his wife, and his daughter are set to partake of the golden riches of the new land when tragedy strikes in the form of a swollen Nacimiento River.

From there we open on another world, in another century, and a woman named Glory Solomon, whose life and joy have centered on this land and near this huge white oak tree named Solomon's Oak. Here she had shared a wonderful t...more Against the backdrop of a gorgeous Central California Coastal town, this story begins with an historic moment in the past: a man, his wife, and his daughter are set to partake of the golden riches of the new land when tragedy strikes in the form of a swollen Nacimiento River.

From there we open on another world, in another century, and a woman named Glory Solomon, whose life and joy have centered on this land and near this huge white oak tree named Solomon's Oak. Here she had shared a wonderful time with her husband Dan—until he abruptly and unexpectedly died.

Putting her life and her finances back together in the year afterwards comes to be her biggest challenge yet. But near the old oak tree is a small chapel her husband built. And an unconventional couple pleads with Glory to allow them to have their "pirates wedding" there. From this beginning, a new business of hosting weddings for unconventional couples is born.

And on that first day, she meets two other damaged souls: Juniper McGuire, a broken teen, abandoned by her family and the plight that took them under; and ex-cop Joseph Vigil, wounded and still in critical pain, who drops onto the scene unexpectedly to photograph the oak tree.

Juniper is Glory's latest foster child (and first girl), and even though they almost immediately connect, there is so much trouble on the horizon. Will Glory be able to improve this girl's life without taking herself down too? And what will the newly developing bond between her and Joseph bring into their lives? And how will Glory's rescue dogs and horses add or subtract from the scene?

Watching Glory's struggles with Juniper was the most enjoyable part of the story to me. And while the somewhat predictable romance brewing between Glory and Joseph felt like something that could and even should happen, I didn't really "feel" any chemistry between them. To me, it just seemed like one of those plot points that was tossed in there to give Glory something to help her move on. Which is why I deducted one star.

What I loved most about "Solomon's Oak: A Novel" was the descriptive language that brought the oak tree alive until I could almost see it bending over the people in its wake, as if it were some kind of warm, embracing, and spiritual presence.

A four star read that is sure to captivate many, "Solomon's Oak: A Novel" was definitely an unforgettable read. (less)

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 21, 2010 Denise rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another beautiful book from Jo-Ann Mapson! Solomon's Oak is an ancient white oak, growing in California, where no white oak should be able to grow. When Glory Solomon is widowed at an early age she unwittingly becomes its caretaker. Her new foster daughter, Juniper, arrives just as Glory is hosting her first wedding in the chapel her husband built under its branches. Close on Juniper's heels comes Joesph, an injured cop who is there to photograph the famous tree. Together, the three of them will...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 30, 2011 Gwen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-read, no-brunswick-lib-book-club

I really enjoyed Solomon's Oak. Jo-Ann Mapson's writing style flowed as she told the story in the perspective of three main characters. In the beginning of the story I was concerned that it would be preaching (with the references to praying, church, holidays, etc.) but it wasn't. Solomon's Oak is a wonderfully moving heartfelt story.

In California, there is a great white oak over 200 years old, that shouldn't be there, let alone thriving. It sits on Solomon's farm and is a destination for many p...more

like · see review

Mar 23, 2011 Grace rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Liked the characters - a new widow, a foster child, a retired policeman - great relationships.

Glory Solomon, a young widow, holds tight to her memories while she struggles to hold on to her Central California farm. Fourteen-year-old Juniper McGuire is the lone survivor of a family decimated by her sister's disappearance. She arrives on Glory's doorstep, pierced, tattooed, angry, and homeless. When Glory's husband Dan was alive, they took in foster children, but Juniper may be more than she can...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 11, 2013 Fiona rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An absolute gem of a book. Three "lost" souls who once get together get on with the business of helping each other come to terms with their losses. Glory Solomon a widow runs a farm on which an old white Oak tree resides, she has lost her husband and best friend and with life not getting much worse than this she attempts to find ways to make the farm and chapel her husband built work for her. The day she hosts a pirate style wedding in order to make some money is the day Juniper and Joseph are i...more

like · see review

Sep 11, 2012 Kassy Hall rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Glory Solomon's husband is dead, and while it seems like that cataclysmic event should have ended everything, she has to go on feeding her horses, dogs, chickens, and goats, figuring out how to pay her bills, and dealing with the photographers and sight-seers who show up on her ranch to photograph Solomon's Oak, the 200-year-old white oak on her property. Glory has decided to host weddings in the chapel her husband built to earn a little extra money, and on the morning of her first wedding, whic...more

like · see review

May 01, 2012 Alicia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a deal of the day on Kindle, so I got it cheap. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. There were only a couple of typos that seem so common in Kindle books. It was well written. I wanted to sit under that oak drinking lemonade on a breezy afternoon chatting with Glory, Juniper, and Joseph.
"'Happiness,'" Glory read from a card she'd tucked inside her pocket, "'is as a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly,...more

like · see review

May 03, 2012 Diane rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed this story but may have enjoyed it more if I had not just read another of what I call "goody, goody" stories just prior to this one. Solomon's Oak is a good read, but it's predictable. On the other hand, as usual, I really want the good to win out so I don't know why I complain. : /

The writing is fine but there were few punchy sentences. To me punchy sentences are big - you know the kind after reading you think "that was very well expressed."

Still the tale did a half-way decent job of...more I enjoyed this story but may have enjoyed it more if I had not just read another of what I call "goody, goody" stories just prior to this one. Solomon's Oak is a good read, but it's predictable. On the other hand, as usual, I really want the good to win out so I don't know why I complain. : /

The writing is fine but there were few punchy sentences. To me punchy sentences are big - you know the kind after reading you think "that was very well expressed."

Still the tale did a half-way decent job of reminding the reader of how it might feel, the outlook one might have, to have survived a horrible family tragedy only to end up in the foster care system. Unless one has participated in foster care systems, or is very close to someone who has, most of us rarely give that particular life experience a thought. This book explores those social workers who place kids, the counselors who listen to kids and the openhearted people (some really good; others not so much) who give these throw away children and teens homes. Those of us who have not participated in this rat race should probably be required to read a true or almost-true rendering of foster care workers and kids once a year just so we won't forget. To be grateful and supportive if we're not familiar, to be encouraged that some people are telling our tale, positively or negatively, if we are. The worst thing, it seems to me, might be the feeling of being forgotten.

Along with foster parenting, Glory, the book's heroine, was a last-chance dog rescuer. She seemed to have more confidence in her canine understanding and communicating ability than in dealing with Juniper, her first foster child since her husband's death, and her only foster daughter. Actually, I thought she was pretty good at both knowing, though I have a child and have had many pets (some rescues) I would certainly not have had her insight and empathy.

And then there's the love story part of the book. Even Prince Charming, thought likable, has issues.

So Solomon's Oak is not bad for a second-in-a-row "goody, goody" story! And if you need good-guys-win-in-the-end story, this is your book.

Now on to my usual thrillers and other bloody and guts stories.

(less)

like · see review

Oct 18, 2010 Melanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: print-books, realistic-contemporary-or-literary

Solomon's Oak tells the story of three grieving people, Glory, Juniper, and Joseph. Glory has been mourning the unexpected loss of her husband and gets a phone call from a social worker asking if she would be willing to take a teenage girl, Juniper, in to live with her. When her husband, Dan was alive they frequently took in teenage boys to raise. She is hesitant about taking the responsibility all on her own, but she agrees to let Juniper move in with her. Juniper has her own problems she has b...more

like · see review

Jan 19, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Solomon's Oak" is a pleasant story of love, loss, and the lesson that life goes on. Glory Solomon is a young widow trying to make ends meet after the untimely death of her husband. She surrounds herself with animals (dogs, horses, goats, chickens) to fill the void and keep a barrier between herself and other humans. Until two strangers enter her life on the same day, altering her path completely. Juniper McGuire is Glory's foster daughter. At the age of 14, she has survived the abduction and pr...more

like · see review

Dec 30, 2011 Jillian rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Usually, I don’t jump right into my reviews, but Solomon’s Oak by Jo-Ann Mapson was so compelling that I feel like I need to get right down to it today. I was lucky enough to snag a copy of this from an early review program, which is odd because this book actually came out in hardback in 2010 and is available on Amazon.com for a bargain price right now! Frankly, I’m shocked that the price was lowered because this was one of my favorite reads this year.
Solomon’s Oak introduces us to Glory, a newl...more Usually, I don’t jump right into my reviews, but Solomon’s Oak by Jo-Ann Mapson was so compelling that I feel like I need to get right down to it today. I was lucky enough to snag a copy of this from an early review program, which is odd because this book actually came out in hardback in 2010 and is available on Amazon.com for a bargain price right now! Frankly, I’m shocked that the price was lowered because this was one of my favorite reads this year.
Solomon’s Oak introduces us to Glory, a newly widowed woman who is still grieving for her husband and desperately trying to make ends meet. When the local social worker comes calling and asks her to take on a new foster child, something Glory and her late husband had frequently done with open arms, Glory isn’t sure that she has it in her to help Juniper through her adolescent issues. With the help of Joseph, an out-of-towner who has some issues of his own, Glory and Juniper discover that family is often who you make it.

This book has a lot of backstory for each character and that makes it a fascinating read. Almost all of the characters have some sort of dynamic movement throughout the novel, including the minor characters. Sometimes when an author goes that route the book because a busy mish-mash of too many spoons in the soup. However, Solomon’s Oak is written with a perfect, delicate balance that left me bouncing between the characters and while I was on one part of the story I found myself longing to know what another character was doing. Jo-Ann Mapson did a lovely job tying these characters together and really weaving a beautiful picture of what life is like for them.

None of the stories are easy to read. The characters in this book are struggling to deal with issues that are real world issues. However, the empathy that Mapson allows the reader to feel is more than adequate to allow for a bonding between reader and character without making the book overly sappy or the characters overly pitiful or pathetic in their griefs.

I think this is a lovely book that is worth a read. It may not be your favorite of the year, but you won’t forget it. You may find yourself wondering where the characters are heading and if they realize what they’ve gained in the process. It’s a nice journey.

Edit: I received a free copy of this book in order to review it. Thank you for allowing me to share my opinions on it!(less)

like · see review

May 20, 2011 LAURA KAY A Novel Review rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The novel begins with three people who are lost and alone—who want to stay alone. Glory Solomon is a widow who is doing her best to take care of her farm with little money and no help. Using the church her husband built, she begins hosting weddings on her property. While hosting a pirate wedding (the first wedding she is hosting at her little chapel), her old friend and social worker begs her take Juniper a young 14-year old girl into her home for the night. Juniper abandoned by her father, orph...more The novel begins with three people who are lost and alone—who want to stay alone. Glory Solomon is a widow who is doing her best to take care of her farm with little money and no help. Using the church her husband built, she begins hosting weddings on her property. While hosting a pirate wedding (the first wedding she is hosting at her little chapel), her old friend and social worker begs her take Juniper a young 14-year old girl into her home for the night. Juniper abandoned by her father, orphaned by her mother…she was a casualty of her older sister’s disappearance. She is alone and wants to keep everyone at a distance, trusting no one. Glory reluctantly agrees to let the girl stay for one night only. But during this one night, Glory feels a sense of responsibility to the girl once she finds out her own connection in Juniper’s sister’s disappearance. As the wedding continues, swords are drawn and a stranger suddenly appears to ‘save the day’ with a gun in hand and a camera around his neck. The knight in shining armor so to say is, Joseph Vigil, a former Albuquerque police officer who was injured on the job and was is only staying for a few months at his grandmother’s old cabin.
The three lives are suddenly thrust together. Slowly over time, the three befriend each other. They all hold each other at an arm’s length until Juniper’s MIA father shows up, just as Juniper seems to be moving forward. His arrival causes a series of events to occur, which breaks down the walls they have all put up around themselves and open themselves up to what they were really feeling. As they finally admit to themselves how they feel about each other, it just might be too late.
Solomon’s Oak is a long story, and I don’t mean that in a negative way. There is so much beautiful descriptions and back story, while you are reading along it slows down events. I would say it adds much to the fullness of the story itself. For most of the book the chapters are really long. I’m personally not a fan of a long chapter. Near the end of the book there seems to be more breaks and I believe it read more quickly because of the breaks.
The back stories really help you catch up to whom the characters really are and what brought them to this point in time. The back story of Joseph lingers more slowly than either Glory or Juniper’s, which I didn’t feel as connected to him as a character, but I did really like him. At first the story really centers on Glory, but then moves separately on all three, so you see them more in depth. I love this approach. Glory really has her hands full with Juniper and yet she keeps on with her. Glory never sees her inner beauty, strength or how she seems to be a rescuer of people and not just her animals. At first I didn’t know how Glory could deal with everything she was dealing with on top of all that dealing with an ungrateful teenage girl, but because of the way Mapson centers on one character at a time, it really allows you to gain a greater appreciation for the young girl and truthfully I fell in love with Juniper. I couldn’t help but be angry how she doesn’t get a voice when her father comes back to town. You realize how she is like Glory, wanting to take care of those around her.
This was really a good book. I think what I enjoyed the best is the story was so down-to-earth, real. It had grittiness to it. This is a story with heart and soul in it. If you are looking for something to really warm your heart, this is the book.
(less)

like · see review

Aug 07, 2012 Cyndy Aleo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: literary-fiction, women-s-fiction

Jo-Ann Mapson's Solomon's Oak is one of those books that doesn't shock and amaze you, doesn't have a giant twist or huge climax, but steals your heart with its story.

Glory is struggling to keep herself afloat after she was unexpectedly widowed. She and her late husband had frequently fostered boys, but when a girl in need of a foster home turns up, the social worker she considers a friend asks a last-minute favor of Glory, who's attempting to get a wedding business started on her property, fea...more

like · see review

May 09, 2012 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was a nice change of pace from the usual murder and mayhem. No one in this story is trying to kill anyone or exact revenge, or cheat on anyone, or hurt anyone intentionally. Though violence has touched the lives of the three main characters. They are grieving, and simply want to be left to themselves. They never counted on encountering one another, let alone merging their lives, forging a new life they might share.

It is the story of Glory Solomon, a woman in her late thirties who was r...more This book was a nice change of pace from the usual murder and mayhem. No one in this story is trying to kill anyone or exact revenge, or cheat on anyone, or hurt anyone intentionally. Though violence has touched the lives of the three main characters. They are grieving, and simply want to be left to themselves. They never counted on encountering one another, let alone merging their lives, forging a new life they might share.

It is the story of Glory Solomon, a woman in her late thirties who was recently widowed from a husband she loved dearly. She takes in stray dogs and abused horses, and when her husband was alive, foster boys. Now strapped for cash, she decides to offer the private chapel on her farm for public use as a wedding chapel for those who have special needs such as the pirates who approached her. Yes, pirates! On her property is a historic oak that attracts a number of people wanting to view it, including Joe Vigil who at one time was a police detective, working mainly in the lab after a short time on the streets because he could not tolerate the violence he was exposed to. Even so, he was injured on the job, shot in the back, and suffers unbearable pain, but manages not to pity himself. In this phase in his life, he wants to document majestic trees by photographing them, instead of snapping pictures of the crime scenes he used to frame. And on his list of trees is the old oak tree on Glory's farm. The same day he arrives to see it, Glory is asked to take in a teenage girl, Juniper, abandoned by her family. Juniper's sister disappeared years ago, presumably kidnapped or murdered, and it destroyed her family--her father abandoned them and her mother committed suicide.

The story moves slowly, but evenly, as these three people find themselves entangled in each other's lives. Glory, Vigil, and Juniper aren't looking for love, but it is a possibility they might find it with one another, despite themselves. I was impressed that the author respected the characters, in other words, she was true to them, not pushing them into any relationships too quickly just to pick up the pace and create excitement within the story. I felt that the characters acted as real people would under these circumstances, executing caution. Still, I appreciated that there was a little excitement toward the end that I did not expect. And little by little, things are revealed that were hinted at along the way, making the story more interesting than everything being revealed up front.

My one gripe is that the book is divided into three sections for each main character, even though only the first section is devoted to the character it is named for. Vigil and Juniper's sections are not exclusively from their individual viewpoints, nor do those sections concentrate on them. It would have been better to divide the book differently without names or forgo dividing it at all.

My gripe aside, it was nice spending time with these characters. By the end of the book, I was wishing them the best. But for now, I guess it is back to murder and mayhem until I find another comfort read of this caliber. So many good books to choose from!(less)

like · see review

Nov 21, 2011 Margaret rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3.5
I liked this book, but not enough to give 4 stars.
Glory Solomon, widowed and hard up, starts a wedding catering business with the small chapel on her property. As she's about to stage her first wedding there, she gets a call from Social Services asking if she can take a foster daughter. She wants to say no, but ends up taking Juniper who is 14 and mouthy.

Juniper has had lots of tragedy in her life and can't stay out of trouble. Glory Solomon has her hands full with Juniper, animal training,...more

like · see review

Oct 17, 2010 Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews added it · review of another edition

"The chapel had been Dan's final project. One summer morning over his oatmeal he'd said, "I've got a bug to build myself a chapel. Nothing fancy, just a place to worship out of the rain." Page 9

Thanksgiving day, the oldest white oak tree on the Solomon property, a chapel built by Dan Solomon, a wedding, and now a foster child dealing with grief just like Glory Solomon.

Glory had to do something since Dan died...her savings was gone, and her part-time job didn't really pay the bills.

One day she wa...more "The chapel had been Dan's final project. One summer morning over his oatmeal he'd said, "I've got a bug to build myself a chapel. Nothing fancy, just a place to worship out of the rain." Page 9

Thanksgiving day, the oldest white oak tree on the Solomon property, a chapel built by Dan Solomon, a wedding, and now a foster child dealing with grief just like Glory Solomon.

Glory had to do something since Dan died...her savings was gone, and her part-time job didn't really pay the bills.

One day she was asked/begged if a wedding and a reception could be held in the chapel that Dan had built. Glory hesitated and then decided the $3,000 she would get would definitely help pay the bills that were mounting. The wedding party wanted a Thanksgiving dinner and also a reception with a pirate theme and a sword fight.

The wedding was a huge success and brought a few surprises as well.....a former policeman who happened to be photographing the oak tree and a new foster child that unknown to Glory had some connection to her family dog. The connection was too close to home, and Juniper wasn't going to be too bad to have around or so she thought, so Glory told Caroline she would keep the new foster child.

Joseph the policeman was also pretty interesting...his grandmother had lived a few miles down the road from Glory when Joseph was a child, and he remembered the oak trees of California and especially the one on the Solomon property.

Solomon's Oak told the life stories of the three main characters who definitely fit and worked well together even though the connection was through their misfortunes. The book was a cozy read for me...family life, real-life situations, talents we all have hiding inside and waiting to emerge, and just plain heartfelt warmth in the book.

You will fall in love with Glory, Juniper will drive you crazy, and Joseph's patience will amaze you.

Enjoy the book....I definitely did. Solomon’s Oak was very touching….it will make you smile, it will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will restore your faith in mankind’s goodness.
5/5(less)

like · see review

Nov 02, 2010 Sandra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Being a great fan of Jo-Ann Mapson and having read all of her previous books, I was so glad to receive this new one from Goodreads. The story revolves around Glory who just recently lost her husband, Juniper the foster girl she takes in, and Joseph the retired policeman and they all meet at a pirate's wedding held on Glory's farm where the majestic Solomon Oak is located. This tree must have healing powers because it brings these three lost souls who are grieving in their own way, together and h...more

like · see review

May 13, 2011 Kathy Hiester rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Solomon’s Oak by Jo-Ann Mapson is a conventional story told through the voices of three core characters. Gloria, a widow, is learning how to steer through life without her spouse. The second is Juniper, a teenage girl who due to family problems, has been thrown into foster care and comes to live with Gloria. Lastly there is Joseph, is a former cop who is recovering both physically and mentally from a work-related injury and tragic occurrence that killed his friend and co-worker. All of these cha...more

like · see review

Sep 19, 2012 Dale Harcombe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I finished this a few days ago. I really enjoyed it. I became totally involved with the characters, which included Glory, recently widowed,fourteen year old Juniper who Glory fosters and Joseph - the ex cop and crime lab photographer. Each one of these people carries scars of their own, some visible, some not so visible. Having had a fair bit to do with children in care situations, I thought the character of Juniper was well portrayed and I loved the way she referred to Glory changed according t...more

like · see review

Feb 21, 2013 Lynn Pribus rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Hallmark-ish book with few surprises and unexciting writing. I was tempted to quit, but there was a cattle dog in it and I'm a cattle dog fan. A 15-y-o girl whose sister disappeared (while with said dog) some years ago is placed with a widow (of 8-9 months) who fostered boys while her husband was living.

She herself has an antagonistic relationship with her own sister and I was constantly annoyed that, although she kept the needy girl, she was terribly inept handling her. She never once agreed...more

like · see review

Oct 25, 2010 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review. I am not one to judge a book by the cover, but the cover of this one is as beautiful as the story within. It is the story of three broken people struggling with their own personal grief, each one unsure of what the future may hold. I wasn't sure that this story would hold my interest, but the tthree main characters quietly found a place in my heart. It seems that they come from very different places, but they find that their past...more

like · see review

Sep 25, 2011 Barb rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved many of the characters in this story; and the setting. Glory is a recent widow who is trying to hold on to the farm she shared with her husband and various foster children. There is a huge white oak which is unusual to the area; and it draws a variety of people to see/photograph it. Glory begins doing weddings - zany characters come into her life including Juniper, an angry, troubled 14 year old foster child. Glory trains dogs she has rescued and finds homes for them. Joseph Virgil crash...more

like · see review

Dec 21, 2011 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Solomon's Oak is a beautiful story about three people, each hurting, who find each other. Glory is struggling with the sudden death of her husband. Juniper, a thirteen year-old foster child, had her sister disappear four years ago, her father desert her, and her mother commit suicide. Joseph is a wounded ex-police officer who is in extreme physical pain, and also is mourning the death of his ex-partner, who was shot in the same raid. Glory, very reluctantly, agrees to be Juniper's foster parent....more

like · see review

Apr 11, 2011 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

Solomon's Oak tells the fictional story of three people who have had great losses in their life who come together at the right time and place. All three are going through a major grieving process. Even so, the author does not pull at the emotional heartstrings, choosing instead to bare some details of the grief of each individual without exposing too much.

I was particularly interested in the relationship between foster mother Glory Solomon (who lost her husband suddenly) and foster daughter Jun...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 68 69 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (13)

More editions...

Genres

Romance

8 users

Contemporary

6 users

Womens Fiction > Chick Lit

4 users

Book Club

4 users

Realistic Fiction

4 users

Drama

4 users

Adult

3 users

Womens Fiction

3 users

Adult Fiction

2 users

Literary Fiction

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Jo-Ann Mapson

Jo-Ann Mapson, a third generation Californian, grew up in Fullerton as a middle child with four siblings. She dropped out of college to marry, but later finished a creative writing degree at California State University, Long Beach. Following her son's birth in 1978, Mapson worked an assortment of odd jobs teaching horseback riding, cleaning houses, typing resumes, and working retail. After earning...more

More about Jo-Ann Mapson...

Books by Jo-Ann Mapson

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Solomon's Oak: A ...

20 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from Solomon's Oak: A Novel

“Sleep is just a good idea. I bow to the god caffeine.” — 12 people liked it

“A willingness to lose one's self in a story was the first step to learning compassion, to appreciating other cultures, to realizing what possibilities the world held for people who kept at life despite the odds.” — 7 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Solomon's Oak
avg rating	preview: Solomon's Oak Goodreads rating: 3.72 (996 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9429053-solomon-s-oak?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348108662l/9429053.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9429053-solomon-s-oak?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Solomon's Oak by Jo-Ann Mapson[/url]

Solomon's Oak

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website