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Harry's Trees
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The first thing you learn when you climb a tree is to hold on. Now it’s time for Harry to learn to let go…
Thirty-four-year-old Harry Crane, lifelong lover of trees, works as an analyst in a treeless US Forest Service office. When his wife dies in a freak accident, devastated, he makes his way to the remote woods of northeastern Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains, intent on l ...more
Thirty-four-year-old Harry Crane, lifelong lover of trees, works as an analyst in a treeless US Forest Service office. When his wife dies in a freak accident, devastated, he makes his way to the remote woods of northeastern Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains, intent on l ...more
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***THIS IS A FANTASTIC BOOK FOR THE NEW YEAR***
Not since Flavia de Luce in the Alan Bradley books have I been as captivated by a young girl in a novel as I am with Oriana in Harry’s Trees. There are those who will licken this book to a fairy tale for adults but it is so much more. If you want to spend some hours with a book that will make you feel good, rescue you for a while from all of the bad news in the world, I direct you to Harry’s Trees.
Harry Crane has suffered the loss of his wife in a v ...more
Not since Flavia de Luce in the Alan Bradley books have I been as captivated by a young girl in a novel as I am with Oriana in Harry’s Trees. There are those who will licken this book to a fairy tale for adults but it is so much more. If you want to spend some hours with a book that will make you feel good, rescue you for a while from all of the bad news in the world, I direct you to Harry’s Trees.
Harry Crane has suffered the loss of his wife in a v ...more
5 Incredible, Magical, Mystical Stars!
“Harry’s Trees” is Most Magical Novel of the Year! It’s a must-read novel and is simply unputdownable!
Harry Crane works for the forestry department. He is miserably unhappy with his job but is happily married to his wife Beth. He plays the lotto every week hoping against hope that he’ll win it big and be able to quit his job. One day while out with Beth, he stops to buy a lotto ticket and the worst thing imaginable happens - Beth gets killed in a freak acci ...more
“Harry’s Trees” is Most Magical Novel of the Year! It’s a must-read novel and is simply unputdownable!
Harry Crane works for the forestry department. He is miserably unhappy with his job but is happily married to his wife Beth. He plays the lotto every week hoping against hope that he’ll win it big and be able to quit his job. One day while out with Beth, he stops to buy a lotto ticket and the worst thing imaginable happens - Beth gets killed in a freak acci ...more
4.5 stars, rounded up
There is magic in our lives if we only open our eyes to see it. It’s the magic of seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary. That’s the only magic there is in Harry’s Trees, an extraordinary book that brings this message home in such a lovely way.
There’s grief and sadness, but there’s also the magic of connection, of opening ourselves up to kindness, love, and hope, of giving and receiving. A book about grief and forgiveness, but also love and joy. It is charming and funny ...more
There is magic in our lives if we only open our eyes to see it. It’s the magic of seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary. That’s the only magic there is in Harry’s Trees, an extraordinary book that brings this message home in such a lovely way.
There’s grief and sadness, but there’s also the magic of connection, of opening ourselves up to kindness, love, and hope, of giving and receiving. A book about grief and forgiveness, but also love and joy. It is charming and funny ...more
4.5 stars magical stars to Harry’s Trees! 🌲 🌲 🌲 🌲.5
Harry Crane is 34 years old and a lover of trees. I can relate! He works as an analyst for the US Forest Service office. Unfortunately, Harry’s wife passes away in a tragic accident for which he feels responsible, and he seeks shelter amongst the trees. He wants to be lost in the forest and never found.
But fate has different plans for Harry when he meets Oriana, a young girl who is also grief-stricken because she lost her father.
Oriana is a ch ...more
Harry Crane is 34 years old and a lover of trees. I can relate! He works as an analyst for the US Forest Service office. Unfortunately, Harry’s wife passes away in a tragic accident for which he feels responsible, and he seeks shelter amongst the trees. He wants to be lost in the forest and never found.
But fate has different plans for Harry when he meets Oriana, a young girl who is also grief-stricken because she lost her father.
Oriana is a ch ...more
4.5 stars rounded up! Oh my! I was totally lost in the beautiful imagery of this fabulously and magically written novel!
HARRY’S TREES by JON COHEN is an engaging, fascinating, and an emotionally moving tale that definitely tugged at my heartstrings but in an uplifting and heartwarming way. Even though there was some sadness to this story it was the love, kindness, and hope that magically flowed through from the pages of this book to my very being that absolutely touched my heart.
JON COHEN deli ...more
HARRY’S TREES by JON COHEN is an engaging, fascinating, and an emotionally moving tale that definitely tugged at my heartstrings but in an uplifting and heartwarming way. Even though there was some sadness to this story it was the love, kindness, and hope that magically flowed through from the pages of this book to my very being that absolutely touched my heart.
JON COHEN deli ...more
3.5 Loneliness and grief are explored in this sometimes humorous and sometimes magical, novel. Of course there is plenty of sadness, but these characters are so different, touching that there is much to applaud within. A young girl Orians, who believes in magic, was my star here. A fairy tale for adults, in fact an actual book called The Grums Ledger plays an inportsnt part. Oh yes, and I loved the librarian who without payment for her services, keeps the library open. From the symbolim, Oriana
...more
4.5 magical mystical stars
There are times in all our lives when what we truly need is a little bit of magic. In the book, Harry's Trees, Harry is due for some and so is Amanda and Oriana. For you see these three people have just experienced the very worst tragedy. Harry has lost his beloved wife, while Amanda has lost her husband and Oriana a father. “There are no guarantees, except that every morning, the sun will rise. No matter what happens, good or bad, each day will be followed by a new da ...more
There are times in all our lives when what we truly need is a little bit of magic. In the book, Harry's Trees, Harry is due for some and so is Amanda and Oriana. For you see these three people have just experienced the very worst tragedy. Harry has lost his beloved wife, while Amanda has lost her husband and Oriana a father. “There are no guarantees, except that every morning, the sun will rise. No matter what happens, good or bad, each day will be followed by a new da ...more
You're walking into a forest of trees....and you get lost in this novel.
Jon Cohen beautifully intertwines trauma and grief with human connection. I think what I loved most about this is the powerful message that Jon conveys through Harry's Trees. Harry Crane suffers a loss with the death of his wife in a tragic accident and lives the next year in somewhat of a daze. Amanda and her daughter Oriana are also suffering from a loss and push through their tragedy the best they both know how.
These thr ...more
Audiobook...library overdrive
Read by Josh Bloomberg
DNF
I couldn’t figure out what was the worst for me:
....the voice-narrator
or
....the narrative of the novel.
I ‘equally’ didn’t like either.
Read by Josh Bloomberg
DNF
I couldn’t figure out what was the worst for me:
....the voice-narrator
or
....the narrative of the novel.
I ‘equally’ didn’t like either.
Enthusiastic reviews from GR friends persuaded me to try this novel, although I was prepared to bail early. Magic and fairytales are not a good combo for me (unless Murakami is the writer). Surprisingly, I found Harry’s Trees quite charming. At least for a couple hundred pages. Unfortunately, once Oriana and Harry hatched their childish scheme, it devolved into a silly Hallmark movie and I ended up skimming to the end.
I saw another review that said if you like Hallmark movies... Yeah, I can kind of see that. But regardless, if you're looking for a sweet, heartwarming story with a touch of magic, definitely give this one a try.
It's about three people who are working through their grief after the loss of a loved one. We have Harry, who feels responsible for his wife's death in a freakish construction site accident. Inconsolable and always feeling most at home among trees, Harry up and leaves his desk job, endi ...more
It's about three people who are working through their grief after the loss of a loved one. We have Harry, who feels responsible for his wife's death in a freakish construction site accident. Inconsolable and always feeling most at home among trees, Harry up and leaves his desk job, endi ...more
🌳 m a g i c a l 🌳
What a special book! Harry’s Trees was recommended by Anne Bogel on her podcast What Should I Read Next numerous times, but my library didn’t have it so I waited. And waited. And magically, one day it appeared on the new books shelf and I brought it home and I read it slowly over the past week. It’s so quirky and lovely and slow and special. I adored it. It’s magical but doesn’t actually have magic in it. It’s a fairy tale but not. It’s about grief and hope. And trees.
If this bo ...more
What a special book! Harry’s Trees was recommended by Anne Bogel on her podcast What Should I Read Next numerous times, but my library didn’t have it so I waited. And waited. And magically, one day it appeared on the new books shelf and I brought it home and I read it slowly over the past week. It’s so quirky and lovely and slow and special. I adored it. It’s magical but doesn’t actually have magic in it. It’s a fairy tale but not. It’s about grief and hope. And trees.
If this bo ...more
Loved this book! Starts off sad but it is really up uplifting book! This is definitely in my top 10 this year!
My kind of novel!! And EXACTLY what I needed to read right now. It's only January; the bar is set high for my Best Read of the Year.
...more
As a librarian, I'm partial to any book that features a spunky librarian character and Harry's Trees features one of the most feisty librarians I can remember. Olive, the novel's librarian, is just one of a series of memorable characters living in a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania's Endless Woods. The titular character, a dispirited employee of the US Forest Service, finds his way to this small town after an unspeakable tragedy. There, he encounters Amanda and her daughter Oriana, still
...more
“Because it’s worth it. Worth the risk and the pain. Of all the glorious enchantments of this world- spring, snow, laughter, red roses, dogs, books- love is by far the best.”
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This big hearted story was such a delight. Vivid characters that come together under circumstances beyond their control. A series of serendipitous and magical events lead them exactly where and to who they need.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It was charming, heartbreaking, hopeful and just so lovely. Fabulous writing, unforgettable chara ...more
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This big hearted story was such a delight. Vivid characters that come together under circumstances beyond their control. A series of serendipitous and magical events lead them exactly where and to who they need.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It was charming, heartbreaking, hopeful and just so lovely. Fabulous writing, unforgettable chara ...more
Harry’s Trees is not an easy book to categorize. My local bookstore checked its inventory listing and informed me that the book was designated as “a book about trees.” Harry’s Trees is no more “a book about trees” than The Maltese Falcon is “a book about falcons”. The computer’s one-word description confuses the backdrop with the story. Harry’s Trees is about the half-dozen loving relationships among a small group of well-drawn, genuinely decent people living in a small Pennsylvania town. Many o
...more
I have always loved treehouses and spent many hours in them growing up. They were my escape from responsibility for my 3 younger siblings who thankfully never seemed that interested in them. ‘Harry’s Trees’ holds a very special treehouse, complete with a cast iron wood stove, primed sink and stained glass windows, lovingly hand-built by Dean Jeffers for his daughter Oriana and wrapped around and between the branches of a majestic beech tree in Wilderness Tract A803, New Milford, Pennsylvania. Th
...more
So sweet! This book is a fairy tale for grown ups. Allow yourself to be caught of in this beautiful story with some wonderful characters.
“To every story we bring the story of ourselves.”
Harry Crane loves trees. He works for the U.S. Forestry department but behind a computer screen. Beth, his wife, always encouraged him to quit and find "Harry's trees", his real passion. When she unexpectedly dies though, Harry finds himself adrift for the only thing he loved more than trees was Beth. Oriana is a young girl struggling with the sudden death of her father. She finds solace in trees. When Oriana and Harry meet in the forest, their sa ...more
Harry Crane loves trees. He works for the U.S. Forestry department but behind a computer screen. Beth, his wife, always encouraged him to quit and find "Harry's trees", his real passion. When she unexpectedly dies though, Harry finds himself adrift for the only thing he loved more than trees was Beth. Oriana is a young girl struggling with the sudden death of her father. She finds solace in trees. When Oriana and Harry meet in the forest, their sa ...more
Rating: a fair read.
Main characters are Harry, his lovely but early on, deceased wife, Beth, after a freak accident, Amanda (a new found friend of Harry), Oriana (Amanda’s daughter) and Olive, the town librarian. There are a host of others who participate in the story in one way or another, but these people pretty much are what runs it. My favorite character was young Oriana, hands down.
This is a story of realism and also fairy tale/magical. It’s a do good story, pay it forward type, intersper ...more
Main characters are Harry, his lovely but early on, deceased wife, Beth, after a freak accident, Amanda (a new found friend of Harry), Oriana (Amanda’s daughter) and Olive, the town librarian. There are a host of others who participate in the story in one way or another, but these people pretty much are what runs it. My favorite character was young Oriana, hands down.
This is a story of realism and also fairy tale/magical. It’s a do good story, pay it forward type, intersper ...more
Harry's Trees is one of, if not, the best fiction work I read in 2017. Jon Cohen beautifully intertwines trauma and grief with the necessity of human connection. Harry Crane suffers a jarring loss and spends the next year of his life in a sort of mindless limbo, while Amanda and her daughter, Oriana, push on the only ways they know how after their tragedy. The three characters stumble upon each other, by coincidence... but more likely by fate. They fulfill deeply human needs in one another, and
...more
Jun 28, 2018
KC
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
girl-power,
literary-fiction,
family,
imagination,
problem-solving,
mother-daughter,
emotions,
death,
love-story,
parenting
Harry Crane lost his wife in a freak accident leaving him crippled with guilt. After Amanda Jeffers husband dies of a sudden medical condition, she and daughter Oriana plow through life trying to pick up the pieces. And when the town library falls into disrepair, librarian Olive Perkins fights to keep its doors open. This fairy tale like saga is truly stunning and remarkable, weaving all three stories together and effortlessly gliding towards a heartwarming and utterly brilliant conclusion. This
...more
Harry’s Trees is magical and romantic and quirky and weird. In the best freaking way possible I just didn’t want it to end!!! The way that Jon Cohen writes his characters (even the less than desirable ones) makes you fall in love with them. I was totally lost in his whimsical world.
Dec 24, 2019
Paltia
added it
A fairy tale meets the magical light of day in a once upon a time forest. This is an enchanting story where those lost along the way become found. It brought a warm smile to my face and left me feeling oh so good.
For the first time in a long time I read a book I couldn’t put down. This book! How to describe it? No book compares. It’s a story of loss, deliverance, and how lives intertwine amidst it all. Cohen’s writing is exquisite! His transitions throughout the story were amazing. Part fairytale part magical realism all shrouded by a feeling of grief and loss experienced by most all of the characters. And what character development! This oddly reminded me of the movie Seven Pounds. Have you read other C
...more
I am giving up on this one at 34%. The story is interesting but I am not sure it's taking it as far as it could. It seems to be delving into a magical realism setting, but it doesn't seem fully committed. And, while the writing is solid, I just wasn't engaging in the character's dialogue. Something was just missing the mark for me. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
...more
A captive journey into a magical forest of mystery, discovery, wonderment, and fulfillment.
FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW SOON
FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW SOON
I’m sitting in awe that I’ve rated a mystical, magical, often predictable fairytale novel by an unknown (to me) author with 5 stars. If my friend hadn’t recommended this book, it would have never been on my radar. Thank heavens I didn’t miss it because I just loved entering into this magical world of trees, friendship and love. There are several unlikely coincidences that allow characters’ paths to cross. I chose to suspend my disbelief and just enjoy the adventure without my usual expectations
...more
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| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper & Glam Book...: September 2020 | Harry's Trees | 10 | 68 | Sep 24, 2020 02:19PM | |
| Kindle Book Club ...: December 2019, SPOILER ALERT, Harry's Trees, Reading Completed | 3 | 14 | Dec 30, 2019 07:52AM | |
| Kindle Book Club ...: December 2019 Discussion, Harry's Trees, Reading In Progress | 16 | 13 | Dec 11, 2019 10:02PM | |
| Play Book Tag: Harry's Trees by Jon Cohen - 3 stars | 1 | 29 | Nov 22, 2018 07:36AM |
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A former critical care nurse, Jon Cohen is the author of "The Man in the Window" and "Max Lakeman and the Beautiful Stranger." Jon is the recipient of a creative writing grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and is the co-writer of the film "Minority Report," directed by Steven Spielberg. His latest novel is "Harry's Trees."
Jon lives with his wife outside of Philadelphia. ...more
Jon lives with his wife outside of Philadelphia. ...more
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“What else is a library, but a temple of truth? What other function do books have, the great ones, but to change the reader? Books to comfort. But most of all, books to disturb you forward.”
—
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“Because it’s worth it. Worth the risk and the pain. Of all the glorious enchantments of this world—spring, snow, laughter, red roses, dogs, books—love is by far the best.”
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