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The Witness Tree
A powerful and devastating novel of long-buried family secrets and their far-reaching impact on the present. A haunting story of loss and empowerment.
Paperback
Published November 18, 2020
About the author
Terri Morrison Kaiser
4 books15 followersTerri Morrison Kaiser was raised in the north woods of Wisconsin, running barefoot along forest paths, splashing in the lakes, and camping under the stars. Small-town life and its characters have provided much fodder for storytelling. Her novels revolve around family, the ups and downs, secrets, lies, love, and most importantly, laughter. She now lives in Minnesota with her heart straddling the state line.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 28, 2021
Review of eBook
This discovery of bones inside a hollow tree on the old Foley farm in Peeksville brings Helen Foley face to face with her past. Helen’s mother, Esther, led a difficult life and, after making a desperate decision, re-discovered her courage while Helen must face the secrets of her own past.
Told in two time periods, Esther’s life in the 1940s and Helen’s life in the present, the unfolding story is both captivating and immersive. Well-developed characters, a distinct and effective setting, and a formidable plot all combine to create an intriguing narrative that pulls the reader into the telling of the tale.
Unexpected events keep the story moving, sometimes in unexpected directions, as this can’t-put-it-down book weaves an unforgettable tale of family, love, and sacrifice.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program
This discovery of bones inside a hollow tree on the old Foley farm in Peeksville brings Helen Foley face to face with her past. Helen’s mother, Esther, led a difficult life and, after making a desperate decision, re-discovered her courage while Helen must face the secrets of her own past.
Told in two time periods, Esther’s life in the 1940s and Helen’s life in the present, the unfolding story is both captivating and immersive. Well-developed characters, a distinct and effective setting, and a formidable plot all combine to create an intriguing narrative that pulls the reader into the telling of the tale.
Unexpected events keep the story moving, sometimes in unexpected directions, as this can’t-put-it-down book weaves an unforgettable tale of family, love, and sacrifice.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program
December 29, 2023
I purchased this book at a local gallery in Boulder Junction Wisconsin. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was quickly impressed. The characters were rich and interesting and I fell in love with all the drama and the pain and love in the story. While parts of it were predictable and it wrapped up nicely, it was still incredibly enjoyable.
December 13, 2020
The magical Northwoods
I have always admired authors who can paint amazing word pictures. I stopped to reread sections often because the portrayals were magical. I was kept guessing to the final resolution. Great job Terri.
I have always admired authors who can paint amazing word pictures. I stopped to reread sections often because the portrayals were magical. I was kept guessing to the final resolution. Great job Terri.
January 31, 2025
It’s giving Holding by Graham Norton but set in Wisconsin so fun
I loved it and when I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about it
Some inconsistencies with the narrative it was mostly first person but some random words would be third person and also some random punctuation but I chalked it up to a fun writing style
I loved it and when I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about it
Some inconsistencies with the narrative it was mostly first person but some random words would be third person and also some random punctuation but I chalked it up to a fun writing style
January 25, 2022
Great story,
This was have definitely been 5 stars if it hadn’t been for the horrible editing. It’s a shame to have to trudge through misspelled words and sentences that you had to try and comprehend what the author meant.
This was have definitely been 5 stars if it hadn’t been for the horrible editing. It’s a shame to have to trudge through misspelled words and sentences that you had to try and comprehend what the author meant.
February 7, 2024
This was a wonderful read. It was hard to put down. A family story about hardships, abuse, guilt, romance and mystery. I think this was her first book and she did an excellent job. Hopefully she writes more.
July 21, 2024
There were so many editing errors that I could not finish this book. At one point the wrong character was named in a sentence and I had to reread the paragraph several times to make sure I comprehended it correctly. At that point I had to stop reading the book.
August 25, 2025
This book kept me spell bound as I tried to find out with the turning of each page how the lives of the characters would unfold. The author did a wonderful job of developing such true to life, interesting characters. I could not put the book down.
January 3, 2022
A "Can't put down" book! Hated for it to end.
April 19, 2022
Good storyline but slow moving at times. Editor could have reduced the length by at least 15%.
June 29, 2022
Great character development, poor editing.
September 9, 2022
Very good read
Story about the tragedy of human nature, hard to put down once you got into it. I recommend this book highly.
Story about the tragedy of human nature, hard to put down once you got into it. I recommend this book highly.
October 24, 2022
Predictable and very poorly edited
August 28, 2025
TLDR: I was excited to read this book especially after the prologue, but unfortunately I couldn’t get past the first chapter. The writing style just wasn’t a good fit for me. The narration mixes formal, old-fashioned phrasing with very fragmented sentences which made it hard for me to stay immersed. I think the author was going for a folksy conversational tone, but it came across a little uneven for my taste. Some readers may really enjoy that distinctive voice, but for me it was difficult to settle into the story, so unfortunately it was a DNF.
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I was really intrigued by the prologue and thought this would be a story I could get into, but unfortunately I had to set it aside not far into the first chapter. The main reason is that the writing style just didn’t work for me. The narration mixes very formal, old-fashioned phrasing (“nineteen hundred and forty-four,” “hotter than a pistol”) with extremely casual, colloquial language (“me, I was curled in a ball,” “didn’t want to open my eyeballs yet,” “woulda,” “weren’t”). While I think the author is going for a folksy, conversational voice, it often felt uneven and distracting. At times the sentences are very clipped and choppy, which gave the prose a stilted rhythm that pulled me out of the story instead of drawing me in. The pacing also felt slow, with long stretches of description and introspection (mosquito bites, ants, the churchgoers in town, property boundaries) but not much action or dialogue to keep momentum going. For some readers, this will feel immersive and atmospheric, but for me it dragged and was difficult to stay engaged. I can see how this style might appeal to readers who enjoy rustic, dialect-heavy storytelling and slower character-driven narratives. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t a good match for my reading preferences, and that’s why it ended up on my DNF list.
Excerpt from first page:
"It was July, nineteen hundred and forty-four, and the summer day promised to be hotter than a pistol. These tiny farms tucked into the north woods of Wisconsin had enjoyed a bountiful growing season. The measure of a good corn crop, ‘knee high by the fourth of July,’ held true and then some. The farmers were blessed. Well, most of them.
And me, I was curled in a ball on a bed of fern along the banks of the Redemption River where it cut through our back forty. It’s where I spent a fitful night. Me and my two children
Morning sun warmed my cheek, and I knew it was high time to be moseying on back but I didn’t want to open my eyeballs yet. It was soothing to listen to the river slap the rocky shore and burble through the rapids. Wasn’t a better song in the world."
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I was really intrigued by the prologue and thought this would be a story I could get into, but unfortunately I had to set it aside not far into the first chapter. The main reason is that the writing style just didn’t work for me. The narration mixes very formal, old-fashioned phrasing (“nineteen hundred and forty-four,” “hotter than a pistol”) with extremely casual, colloquial language (“me, I was curled in a ball,” “didn’t want to open my eyeballs yet,” “woulda,” “weren’t”). While I think the author is going for a folksy, conversational voice, it often felt uneven and distracting. At times the sentences are very clipped and choppy, which gave the prose a stilted rhythm that pulled me out of the story instead of drawing me in. The pacing also felt slow, with long stretches of description and introspection (mosquito bites, ants, the churchgoers in town, property boundaries) but not much action or dialogue to keep momentum going. For some readers, this will feel immersive and atmospheric, but for me it dragged and was difficult to stay engaged. I can see how this style might appeal to readers who enjoy rustic, dialect-heavy storytelling and slower character-driven narratives. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t a good match for my reading preferences, and that’s why it ended up on my DNF list.
Excerpt from first page:
"It was July, nineteen hundred and forty-four, and the summer day promised to be hotter than a pistol. These tiny farms tucked into the north woods of Wisconsin had enjoyed a bountiful growing season. The measure of a good corn crop, ‘knee high by the fourth of July,’ held true and then some. The farmers were blessed. Well, most of them.
And me, I was curled in a ball on a bed of fern along the banks of the Redemption River where it cut through our back forty. It’s where I spent a fitful night. Me and my two children
Morning sun warmed my cheek, and I knew it was high time to be moseying on back but I didn’t want to open my eyeballs yet. It was soothing to listen to the river slap the rocky shore and burble through the rapids. Wasn’t a better song in the world."
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews