Crooked Grow the Trees

by Carmel Hanes

TWISTED LIVES, HIDDEN TRUTHS, INESCAPABLE COLLISIONS.

Sophia escapes her own dark past by entering the broken worlds of the young men she mentors. She's a survivor who can show the way. Or is she? Are some beyond redemption...and can she tell them apart?

Sophia's father's sudden death splinters the family tree in shocking ways. The resulting storm pits doubt against certainty, brother against sister, rejection against acceptance, and throws Sophia into a tangle of vague memories and old wounds.

Unbalanced by her personal life and shaken by heartbreaking events at work, Sophia is pulled toward collisions she doesn't see coming.

This insightful, thought-provoking, emotional novel explores themes of trauma, relationships, love, and how much is hidden from others and ourselves. Realistic and raw, it contains occasional sensitive language and brief non-graphic violence.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

319 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 18, 2017

About the author

Carmel Hanes is the curious result of whisking together the DNA of Mr. Spock, Boo Radley, Atticus Finch, and Mr. Rogers, and baking it in a female body.

She hid among the likeable misfit toys she worked with in public schools and detention centers during a thirty year career as a school psychologist. The indelible imprint they left on her insisted on expression in this debut novel, exposing the struggles we all have to overcome early influences.

She avoids crowds, preferring to commune with sand dollars, trees, waterfalls, or the alternative universe of a good book. She avoids meaningless chit-chat, but loves to dive deep into a soulful conversation.

Personal rating matrix: I won't finish a book I'm finding not of interest, and won't rate it. I primarily rate books 3 or 4 if I find them interesting/enjoyable/worthwhile/educational. I rarely give 5's, but will for books that stand out in some way: those with exceptionally interesting stories, those that contain important life qualities, those written in new and intriguing ways. I may give an occasional two, which means it was "OK" but not one I'd likely recommend to others.

Reviews

[Angela M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carmel Hanes has written a moving novel, an eye opener for me in many ways, a story that brought me to a place and with characters that really were not very familiar to me. Dalton Corrections Center is populated with troubled teenage boys and while we never really know why they are there, we do discover a little about the burdens they carry, where they came from and by the end of the book I came away with a different perspective, one that is more sympathetic to those I don’t necessarily understand. I was particularly moved by one of the teenage boys, D’Vrae whose mother died of overdose, has a father in prison, and is a boy who has been shuffled from relative to relative, in unstable situations. No wonder he’s angry and untrusting.

Sophia is a counselor at the Dalton facility and it is through her dedication and caring and real desire to help bring these boys to a better place in their lives, that we come to know that their situations are complex. Through Sophia, we learn that it’s not enough to just think that these individuals are all the same and should be treated the same, punishing them instead of helping them, as some of the people on the staff at the facility believe. I love that she looked for “Signs of humanity beneath inhumane behavior, evidence of vulnerability beneath the uncaring toughness, pliable soil beneath the crust hardened by unmet needs and pain, fertile ground upon which to build.”

The story is tense with gut wrenching scenes of confrontation between the boys, between the staff and the boys and the ominous presence of an unnamed disturbed individual whose presence lurks in chapters dedicated to him. Sophia’s family story is an integral part of the novel as well. We know that there is something in her past that haunts her, and I wondered what in Sophia’s past makes her relate to these boys, care so much about wanting to give them a chance. Her story unfolds as she and her siblings deal with the death of their father. It is through her family history that we get a better sense of her and a better understanding that we never really can know what experiences in one’s past have shaped them into the person they are. I was saddened, heartened, enlightened and ultimately moved by this story.

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having purchased this ebook over two years ago - I was happy to finally dive into it.

“Crooked Grow the Trees”…..is filled with LOVE, WISDOM,
and packs a wallop of realistic narrative.

For starters…the book ‘title’
and ‘cover’ couldn’t be more attractive ….they’re both eye-catching magnetic to all my senses.
Then….
…..immediately….starting with the prologue….I felt the power of what was about to come: words like blend, pretend, hiding, burying, camouflage, please others, painful, covering up, Chameleon, distress, dying by degrees…..were words that began to pierce into my emotions….for all the sadness there is in life — the frustrations— and a reminder of just how hard it is to fit in—while at the same time, be true to oneself.

The writing is clear and direct with astute observations about the way people relate. The psychological prowess takes us below the surface of what shakes, breaks, and drives people.

Sophia Connelly, is in her late forties— a tall woman, 5’9”….she’s an introvert by nature. …and a wonderful heroine-protagonist.
I admired her compassion, knowledgeable understanding, patience, her ability to ‘teach’ adolescents to uncover the pain they were stuffing down and see the trouble it was causing them - teens who were guarded - teens that didn’t trust adults easily.

Sophia’s job — working with youths-at-risk….
must be one of the most
challenging jobs …[to be successful at it]…in the world.

Through Carmel’s storytelling….meeting the kids she worked with….
allowed me to examine the many complexities it takes to
build trust, defining responsible social skills, communicating effectively.

I ached for one of the kids - Aiden - who had a diagnosis of autism. My understanding- directly- grew by observing the ‘way’ Sophia worked with him: her understanding of him.
It was pretty painful to read not only how emotionally fragile Aiden was….often sitting alone, (very bright and gifted in many area), but was less socially skilled…..
as recently…. my own (almost 40 year old daughter), wrote home saying that
she was ‘on the spectrum’….had a mild (undiagnosed her entire life), case of autism. True or not, I’m not sure….
but the hurt from
things I didn’t fully understand about our daughter, (also highly gifted in some areas-but less socially skilled), just made me sooo sad.
I didn’t know if I was hurting for Aiden, or my daughter, Katy…..

Sophia’s sensitivities of imperfections, limitations, and fragile-ness, really moved me.

Sophia’s expertise and experience from
her own painful past…the obstacles she had to overcome - (a creepy father - etc.), allowed me to appreciate the difference a great teacher, mentor, therapist, social worker really is. (brutal work that zaps their energy).
“While others viewed situations, people, or issues as two or three dimensional, Sophia saw decagons, with multiple sides, influences, and possibilities. While useful in her work, it often led to conflict in her personal life; others thought she lacked conviction or did not appreciate when she played devils advocate”.

I was reminded of the lonely thankless price leaders like Sophia must deal with….
the power imbalances that came with her job: making decisions under imperfect conditions, barriers to connect at deep levels—careful to reveal too much personal information. The expectations of her job demanded super-human-quick-resolution solving skills.

The kids-at-risk had pent-up rage, desires for freedom…
….they had been abused, betrayed, neglected, and frightened…
….Angry kids shouted, screamed, clanking handcuffs, swearing, were extremely aggressive, and has trust issues….

Sophia’s non-threatening ways ….(giving them support and structure), allowed them to grow. She helped them look at things differently….helped them understand their own anger…and the barriers to feelings of love.
….Sophia believed in the kids - when other staff members were ready to write them off….and the kids believed in her.
They knew she genuinely cared.

Carmel Hanes painted a realistic view — an inside look —interior and exterior behaviors of troubled and incarcerated boys…. whose trees grew a little crooked.

Beautifully written.
I was teary at the end of this novel…
but thankful for the quiet heroines like Sophia…
who make a huge difference helping others.

[Neale · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the opening chapter we are introduced to an unnamed character who is obviously very troubled, and damaged. He hides away from the crowds at a music festival and seems painfully introverted. Disturbingly, his thoughts turn to violence, rage and killing, and the reader is left with no doubt that he is capable of all these things.
The second chapter introduces the protagonist of the novel. Sofia is a social worker at the Dalton Correction Centre working with troubled boys. Paradoxically Sofia is an introvert, working in a job where communication is the most important tool that she has at her disposal. Sofia, however, is excellent at her job and has forged a tenuous bond and rapport with the boys, slowly earning their respect in the process. When we are introduced to Sofia’s father, who is on his deathbed, we are given an insight as to why Sofia feels so strongly and is so passionate about her job and helping these troubled boys. The novel flows along with the family working out what to do after their father’s death. The dividing of the estate becomes an issue when an unknown daughter comes into the picture. Sophia starts having strange fits, which she often had during her childhood. The narrative jumps back and forth between Sophie and her family, and Sophie at work. With all of this unfolding the enigmatic character keeps popping up in chapters, lurking in the background, on the fringes of the narrative, adding an element of suspense, curiosity, and tension. This novel brings the nature vs nurture debate back into the spotlight. This debate has interested me for years. Did a troubled young offender of crimes such as violence, rape, theft, become the way he or she is, developing these traits because of the environment they were brought up in, the parents who brought them up, the social circle they were a part of? Or are these character traits embedded within a person’s DNA, their genes? Would they have turned out the way they did no matter what nurturing they received? It also touches on memory, how we recall memories and how accurate this process of memory recovery is. It reminded me of The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes in this respect. This is a wonderful novel, which builds to an explosive ending. I feel to say anymore may spoil the overall experience of the novel. It contains some lovely, skilful writing. I love the metaphorical style that Haynes uses, including the title. A great read which make the reader think of issues from all sides.4 Stars.

[Sam (Rescue Dog Mom, Writer, Hugger) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the title unique, the cover intriguing, and the story emotional and realistic. At times I found it painful and difficult to read because it is so well-written. Her realistic portrayal of family drama is vividly descriptive.

Bad things happen in life everywhere. Some incidents are merely upsetting while others are truly tragic. This story deals with a woman whose career was to try and help confused, lost, and damaged souls find their way in this murky world. Being a good citizen and doing the right thing is difficult for those who have never been shown how and have only experienced anger and violence.

This woman, Sophia, didn't have an easy life, herself. She had more than her fair share of emotional pain and horrific memories. I admired her confidence in and desire to help others. Her generous heart gave everyone a fair chance, even a second chance. She's someone I would want to have as a friend. Because of her, I developed an understanding for Eliza, a character I initially despised.

I was not prepared for the end of the story and fell to tears. Hours later, I'm still feeling sickeningly sad. That being said, I don't regret reading it. It's a good, solid story I would recommend to others.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend Crooked Grow The Trees by Carmel Hanes!
🌿
Please read Elyse's wonderful review.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crooked Grow the Trees is an intriguing title, one I imagine refers to the impact traumatic events have on the growth and development of young minds, some children are unable metaphorically to grow as straight and tall as they ought to, depending on their influences and experiences during childhood.

The brilliant cover art depicts the main protagonist Sophia and her brother Marcus, whose way of being in the world has been significantly affected by memories and perspectives of childhood, in particular in relation to their father, the dark element seen in the base of the trunk. Nevertheless, they are survivors, they have used their experience to forge their way ahead, each attempting consciously or subconsciously to eradicate or use to good effect, that which affected.

Navigating the complex relationship with her father had been like walking through an emotional minefield.  Explosion after explosion had blown so many parts off the relationship there was nothing recognizable left but a spongy mass of raw nerves and charred intentions.

Unfortunately that resulted in them maintaining opposite views in many areas of life, a source of friction that keeps them apart.

They had little in common other than shared ancestry. Marcus held strong opinions that bordered on bigotry, while Sophia was inclined to see people as complex and multi-dimensional, not categorizing as quickly as her brother. They were on different sides of the political divide and rarely agreed on how to solve the social and financial issues the country faced.

What seems like an irredeemable divide proves challenging when it comes to dealing with their father's affairs, Marcus is inconsolable and Sophia wants to understand why he acted the way he did. Hanes cleverly puts the siblings in a room where unknown elements of their parents lives are revealed, they are able to talk about, clarify and recalibrate events from the past, in a way that helps them understand each other better, healing some of the latent trauma.

A foundational brick in her self-view had been flawed. Years of experience wrapped around this inner core, tendrils of assumptions and beliefs, unraveled as the core foundered. How do you reframe a lifetime of feelings? How do you rewrite decades of misunderstanding? What gap do you find to insert an essential puzzle piece when the finished product has been shellacked by certainty and neglected for years? How do you recognise the pattern of who you are when the centre portion falls away?

Similarly in the workplace, when there is disruption, she comes into conflict with the perspective of some of the other staff, who take a more punitive approach to dealing with the young, particularly Eliza, a woman who will discover also has a past that affects her decisions. Eliza isn't interested in investigating what happened, or any extenuating circumstances; she advocated for severe punishment.

I don't care what the excuses might be; they simply have to follow the rules regardless of what is happening. WE are in charge not them. The more they get away with these take-it-in-my-own-hands decisions the more at risk we are, not to mention their families and the community when they finally do make it out of here.

Sophia and another colleague want to take a different approach:

"I think it's important to understand what led to their decisions and reactions in order to best support them and teach them," countered Dr Blain. "One cannot separate their actions from their histories, and change only happens when we understand what drives them so we can help them understand that as well. That is our mission, not simply to punish them for wrong actions. We can only gain that understanding through investigating all angles and hear what each person has to say."

It's a captivating read, clearly informed by experience that succeeds in presenting multiple viewpoints, forcing the reader to indulge and reflect on all perspectives and attitudes in the various conflicts, to witness that some respond to treatment while others don't, that some are capable of transformation while others are far from being able to embrace it.

[Bruce A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this incredible novel. It has been a very long time since I have read such a moving book. At times, I felt as though I was reading about my own life experiences. We all have a story and memories that have caused our tree to grow a little crooked but somehow managed to continue to grow. You can buy this book on Amazon and I highly recommend it!

[Donna Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

One in a million

This is one of the most thought provoking novels I’ve ever read. From the prologue on I was relating to the characters and circumstances. So much of it resonates through to my own life.

It’s not easy to read, there are no warm and fuzzy moments, just a phenomenal understanding and interpretation of human nature.
Thank you, Carmel Hanes, for telling us this story. For helping me to understand so much about my own life that has been incomprehensible until now.

The ending leaves you contemplating life, and death. Hoping for a sequel!

[Joshua Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carmel Hanes takes us on a powerful emotional journey in Crooked Grow the Trees. Sophia has survived a rough childhood. Now she works with troubled youth trying to help others overcome difficult things, but when her father passes away she struggles with the trauma of her own youth and family secrets all being dredged up. This novel doesn’t pull its punches, but that’s what makes it great. Crooked Grow the Trees is rich with emotion and depth making it the perfect read for anyone looking to do a bit of soul searching!

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging from the start, this book pulled me into Sophia's work with "throw away" kids. Ms Hanes clearly knows her subject! The book is filled with relatable characters, likeable and unlikeable, but each with a story behind their actions. I really liked Crooked Grow the Trees.

[WeLoveBigBooksAndWeCannotLie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you sooo much @carmelhanesauthor for gifting us a copy of your book!!!
Crooked Grow the Trees by Carmel Hanes is a very well written and extremely thought provoking book. After I finished reading it, I pondered the story for a very long time. Essentially, it’s a story about the reasons behind the way people act and behave. Can people change their behavior if given the right tools or are they forever altered as a result of their upbringing? The main character, Sophia, is a counselor at a youth detention center. She strongly believes in second chances and hopes deep down that she can help these kids overcome their multiple challenges. Her love and support for these troubled teens is refreshing and admiring. While fully involved in helping teach coping skills to her patients, she is dealt a blow in her personal life that brings up deeply buried fears and secrets. Carmel Hanes writes a very cohesive story that intertwines Sophia’s personal and professional life. This book is not a lighthearted and fun read. It deals with a serious subject matter that invokes a little bit of soul searching on the reader’s part.
That being said, I had a hard time putting this book down and I very much look forward to reading more from this author!

[Rylie's Moving Castle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this for my forensic psych class an I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was incredibly impressed with out it was written and saddened by some of the story. Those boys...

I think that anyone even slightly interested should give this a go. Even removing my experience from a classroom setting I enjoyed this book. Plus it is a local author. How could I not support a fellow author? #supportlocalauthors

[Anita Dickason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible Depth and Compassion! Crooked Grow the Trees is a compelling read. The well-developed characters and plot portray the realism of the dysfunctional lives of troubled boys in a detention center, and within Sophie and her family. I felt as if I might have met one of the boys in my days as a police officer. The cover and title are a haunting reflection of today’s society. And, the storyline is more real than most people would know.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely poignant and revelatory regarding young men brought up in dire circumstances pretty much left on their own and ending up incarceration where the violence does not end. Sophia tries valiantly to help them make better decision while dealing with her own demons.

[Linda Sorden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating

Such a compelling story . The web of lives twisting and turning circling into a spiral Well worth reading !! You won’t be sorry you took the time .

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my. Now this is my kind of book. And to think it was languishing on my Kindle for 4 years before I finally rescued it from amongst the masses of other books shouting my name. This book had everything for me—a wonderfully well-drawn protagonist, learning ops, reasons to think, and feels. Lots of feels. Of every kind. Furthermore, it involves psychotherapy, a subject I’ve had great interest in reading about lately.

There are two main threads to this story, both involving Sophia. Sophia is a counselor at a corrections center for troubled boys. She works with them with the goal of getting them back into the world with new coping skills in hopes they can turn their lives around. It’s a tough job. We meet several of the boys, including Quinn, Aiden, Derrick, and my favorite D’Vrae. I loved sitting in on Sophia’s counseling sessions with these young men. Unfortunately, rehabilitation is difficult, and the staff is split on how to handle the inevitable crises that occur at the center. There are a lot of tense moments.

The second thread revolves around Sophia’s remaining family, including the death of Sophia’s estranged father and the accompanying repercussions with her brother and half siblings. Furthermore, Sophia has troubling vague memories from her young childhood that she cannot put into words, but her body reacts to them in frightening ways. What had she done or experienced in the past that causes these reactions? Sophia is not close to any of her sibs. Could her father’s death bring her closer to her remaining family members? It’s complicated, very complicated.

This book has real depth and time and again presents issues that are quite thought provoking. There is a lot of emotion. There is tension, sadness, anger, frustration, fright, along with misunderstandings and differences of opinion. There are also rays of joy. I found myself wondering how this was all going to end. The final chapter actually surprised the hell out of me. I sat there for several minutes trying to process it all. Then I cried. I have never had a delayed reaction like that to any other book.

Props go to the artist who came up with the wonderful cover for this book. I especially want to acknowledge Ms. Hanes’ outstanding writing. Of note, in real life she worked in public schools and detention centers as a school psychologist for thirty years. She writes what she knows.

Crooked Grow the Trees. I interpret the title to represent the change in shape of a person’s comportment and personality as a result of trauma in their life. This book is different and gave me all I search for in a great read. I highly recommend Crooked Grow the Trees for all, with the caveat that some scenes may be overly tense for some readers.

[queenofgotham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sophia is a guidance counselor at a local youth detention and rehabilitation center. The work she does with the abused and mistreated boys at the center is challenging and proves not always to be as rewarding as she would like to believe. On top of this, the death of her father opens old wounds and brings to the surface repressed memories and traumas that she must face.

This book can be emotionally difficult at times. It examines the preconceived perceptions that are typical in society and what exactly it is that drives people to believe and behave as they do. All throughout the book, even through to the end, the narrative never pretends that humans are anything less than complex shades of gray with no shortcuts or easy answers into understanding how we function.

[Nightraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boring and slow most of the time. Disappointing ending.

[Bonnye Reed]

TheFussyLibrarian

[Josie]

Read for class so not gonna give it a rating.

[Raquel Toby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully written book. I loved the characters and the storyline. However the ending was very disappointing and for that I knocked off 2 stars.