Book Review: The Language of Trees

The Language of Trees by Ilie Ruby.

Echo O'Connell knows that the summer holds its secrets. They are whispered in the rustling trees, in the lush scent of the lilacs, in the flurry of the mayflies batting against the screen door, and in the restless spirits that seem to clamor in the scant breezes on hot evenings. It is in summer that she returns home to Canandaigua, to confront these spirits, both living and not, and to share a secret with her first love, Grant Shongo—a secret that will forever change the lives of many people in the town and put to rest the mysterious disappearance of a little boy more than a decade earlier. 

Grant, a descendant of the Seneca Indians who call this place "The Chosen Spot," has also come back to face his past. After a broken marriage, he has moved into his childhood home, a lake house that has withstood happiness and tragedy. He knows the spirits of the past must be dealt with—that of the little boy who disappeared all those years ago; the boy's sister, who never overcame the loss; and the love Grant still has for Echo. But before the healing must come the forgiveness. . . .


A town drowning in guilty secrets and the hopes of the living while haunted by the spirits of the dead.  The residents of Canandaigua Lake have all experienced tragedy before but some families seem especially cursed.  A melancholy tale of loss and redemption, The Language of Trees is a story of how the lives of these families are intertwined like the branches of trees grown close together and how their inseparable destinies hold sorrow and hope.  Ilie Ruby blends Seneca myth and tradition with a tragic modern tale in a way that is at once haunting and beautiful.  The Language of Trees is filled with vivid imagery and lyrical prose that will remain with the reader long after turning the last page.


I recommend The Language of Trees to readers of paranormal fiction, mysteries, psychological suspense, romance, ghost stories and especially to fans of paranormal suspense.

Source: This book was provided by the author or publisher for honest review.


The Language of Trees on Amazon.
The Language of Trees on Goodreads.

Visit From the Shadows August 2nd as E.J. interviews guest author Ilie Ruby!