Wisdom Tree ~ Review

Wisdom Tree
By Mary Manners

I have to admit I'd never heard of Mary Manners before this book was offered by BookFun.org.  The chat and information about the book intrigued me so I couldn't resist requesting a copy to review.  I was not disappointed in this delightful story or the devotional that follows.

Though I didn't read it in one sitting, I did read it in one day (family dinner waits for no one, nothing, and no book!).  It was an enjoyable week-end read, the devotional portion took a little longer as it is for 31 days.

The Wisdom Tree is a journey to find wisdom, specifically God's wisdom for our lives.  In the story portion of the book Pastor Jake Samuels is caring for his teenage brother Corey.  When an accident took the lives of their parents they were all the family they had left, but the unexpected loss combined with a shift in the dynamics of their relationship has put a strain on their brotherly bond.

But when Corey's grades and attention span begins to take a nose dive English teacher Carin O'Malley decides to intervene.  After a humorous first meeting between Carin and Jake, Corey gets some much needed help.

As Corey, Jake, and Carin all deal with the losses in their lives, they discover that God has a plan even if we don't always know what it is.  I think one thing to come away from this book is that we are never alone and God is always there for us and often when we feel the most isolated in our pain there is someone else who is in the same boat (a figure of speech - a little something from the book) and we can heal and help one another.

Wisdom Tree is the perfect book to give as a gift or to add to your own home library, the only problem is whether to add it to your fiction shelf or devotional shelf.  Wisdom Tree is a sweet story, not like those over-the-top sappy cards, but rather a story that touches on the difficult and painful issues of trust and hope in a thoughtful caring way.

I was provided a copy of this book by author Mary Manners, the Pelican Book Group, and Book Fun in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Book description:
Sometimes the last thing we think we need is exactly what God has planned

After the death of his parents, Jake Samuels has enough on his plate—including a fledgling church to lead and a mischievous younger brother to raise. The last thing he needs is a rambunctious woman to contend with.

Carin O'Malley is dealing with the death of her brother and a new job as an English teacher at East Ridge Middle School where Corey Samuels reigns as King of Chaos. The last thing she needs is to fall in love...especially with a handsome and complicated preacher like Corey’s brother Jake.

But when Corey's antics toss Carin and Jake together, the two must draw from God’s wisdom to find refuge in His perfect plan.


About Mary Manners

Mary Manners is an award-winning author of inspirational romance who lives in the beautiful foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee with her husband and teen-aged daughter. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and Smoky Mountain Romance Writers.

During the school year, she teaches middle-schoolers reading and Algebra. In her free time, she likes to garden, take long walks with her husband, and read romance novels in a hammock beneath century-old shade trees.

Visit Mary at  www.marymannersromance.com