Book Review: Lightning Tree by Sarah Dunster

Backliner: After surviving the tragic deaths of her parents and her baby sister and a harrowing trek across the plains to Utah, it s no surprise that Maggie's nights are plagued by nightmares. But after years of harsh treatment by her foster family and memories that seem to hint at an unthinkable crime, Maggie is forced to strike out on her own to separate the facts from the lies.


Lightning Tree is a historical fiction novel set against the early history of Utah, but it's so much more - the characters have real personalities that leap off the page, and Maggie, the main character, is a strong voice for courage. Her circumstances are anything but pleasant - her parents were killed and she and her sister were sent to live with a foster family, separated from her brother. As she moves past the grief of the separation, she begins to have dreams and memories that tell her she's been lied to about her past, and she wonders if everything she's ever known has been a lie. 


Mystery, introspection, history, and internal character growth are on each page of this novel. I did feel that it moved a little slowly at times, but the story is rich and deep, and I feel that lovers of history and lovers of good storytelling will enjoy it.


This book was published in 2012 by Bonneville Books. I received a copy free for my review. 


You can order Lightning Tree by clicking here.