Solomon's Oak was an escape read that I got to enjoy during the hectic time of the holidays. Sometimes, I need a book that allows me to escape and do nothing more than fall in love with the characters in a book. I find myself, in the midst of these books, becoming so involved with the characters that they become an extension of my "real life". I realized the other day, it is kind-of like playing make-believe, as a grown up.
This is the first book I have read by this author but Jo-Ann Mapson does a wonderful job of making the characters come to life and allowing us to see the authenticity of the hurts and pain of life, while keeping the aspect of hope as an ongoing theme throughout the story.
We are introduced to Glory Solomon, Jiniper McGruire, and Joseph Vigil. Each character brings the "baggage" of life into new relationships. One of my favorite quotes was by Glory at the end of the book, "I'll survive Glory said and that was the problem. Survivial was being stuck in the same place for months without a shred of comfort." I've thought a lot about that statement and the times I have heard it used in life. We often refer to people as "survivors". When asking a friend, going through a traumatic time how they are doing, the answer is often, "surviving". I, myself, have used this phrase in response to that simple question. It makes me think about what the counter response should be. Don't we want to live life as much more that "surviving"?
Glory, Juniper, and Joseph all learn this through facing the reality of "surviving" life and loss. They learn , as Juniper so eloquently states, that "people make mistakes. They want immediate answers to life's many mysteries. If you want a few generations, you learn bigger truths than you would have if you found answers right away"
Solomon's Oak reminds each of us that we need to "put down roots, stand up the weather and hold fast". Those lessons make us much more than survivors!
