I read this book in its entirety yesterday. I slept on it before I began to write my review because I just wasn’t sure what I thought of it and am still not. It was both good and bad for me.

I absolutely hate books that begin with a child abduction. That particular subject hits me hard and I find it difficult to move forward. Press forward I did, though, and found a lot of well-written chapters dealing with Ellis’ addiction and recovery.

I also did not enjoy the chapters dealing with Raven and her abductor. This subject also is too closely aligned with true to life situations for me. That Raven was so completely removed from the world, that others knew of it and did nothing is just too much.

This was a gripping novel with a “happy” ending that I found a bit hard to swallow also.

Overall, was it an interesting and attention-grabbing book? Yes, just maybe not for me.

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC.

The Light Through the Leaves by Glendy Vanderah was such a beautifully written book. The descriptions made me feel like I was in the woods and felt so real to me. I loved these characters, flaws and all. The book is a epic tale of redemption and love and I finished it with such a feeling of satisfaction. Highly recommend!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

Interesting read.
Ellis accidentally leaves her infant daughter for a few minutes after being distracted, and that was all the time it took for baby Viola to be abducted. Ellis spirals from there with a broken marriage, pills & alcohol addiction, and a judgmental mother-in-law. She gets a divorce and leaves her husband and two young sons and sets off on a journey alone.

The story switches in sections between Ellis and then to a young girl named Raven. Raven and her mother live a very secluded life in the trees of Washington state. Raven has been sheltered from nearly all aspects of the outside world and is very in tune with nature. Some curious boys in the woods open Raven's eyes to friendship, connections, and everything else that she is potentially missing out on.

The story grows from here as both Ellis and Raven make new discoveries. There are some interesting revelations made throughout the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my electronic ARC in d change for my honest review. This book was published April 1, 2021.

This is my second book by this author and they have both been very enjoyable.

The book begins with Viola’s abduction. The story unfolds from two perspectives: Ellis the mother and Raven, a young girl.

Themes include nature, family, relationships and secrets. I really enjoyed it.

Original review posted on GoodReads.

What a fantastic book! The Light Through the Leaves is a beautiful story about family, healing, and forgiveness following unspeakable tragedy.

A tragic mistake made during a time of crisis breaks apart a family. Ellis blames herself for her daughter’s abduction and leaves her husband and young twin boys before she causes any more damage. She spirals into addiction as she reverts to where she feels best - alone in the wilderness.

In another remote location, a young girl named Raven is raised in near isolation by her mother who is suspicious of everyone and everything. When she finally meets young people her age, she wonders what else she is missing out on. As Raven begins to learn more about the outside world and Ellis struggles with moving on from her mistakes - their paths will converge and test the boundaries of family and relationships.

I love feeling Glendy Vanderah’s love for nature shine through in her books! She also has an affinity for creating unique, special characters - like Raven! Where the Forest Meets the Stars was one of my favorite books I read last year and I was very much anticipating her next novel - so happy that it did not disappoint and I will continue to read everything she writes. Read this one now!

Thanks to #NetGalley, Glendy Vanderah, and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced copy of #TheLightThroughtheLeaves in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Glendy Vanderah for an ARC to review.
Just wow! Enchanted, charming, magical heart wrenching beautiful book!
The writing style is so beautiful and engaging I fell in love.
I am so going to fetch anything else written by the author.

This book started off strong for me; I was quickly drawn into the plot and the characters, and enjoyed the alternating narration. About 2/3 in, I started to feel disappointed as the plot became more and more unbelievable. In addition, I think the author tried to delve into too many topics by the end of the book. It just ended up feeling like excess drama. The story had potential if only it hadn’t taken so many unneeded twists and turns.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, what an incredibly beautiful story. Glendy Vanderah has done it again. I loved Where the Forest Meets the Stars, and The Light Through the Leaves packs the same emotional punch. From heartbreaking tragedy comes a great deal of love and strength, and the power of relationships resonates throughout this novel.

Following immense tragedy, Ellis Abbey leaves behind her family in New York and embarks on a journey to get to grips with grief, trauma, and addiction. Meanwhile, 7 year old Raven Lind lives an isolated existence in Washington with her mother. As she grows up, she needs to reconcile the beliefs she was raised with with those of the outside world. Nature is a prevalent theme for both characters, providing a source of sanctuary and healing, and drawing their stories together.

The alternating storylines kept me engaged, and I found myself quickly immersed in the beautifully written story. The characters are all flawed and complex, with inter-generational trauma coming into play alongside tragic events. The only let down for me was the ending, as I found some things to be a bit too easily resolved for the sake of a happy ending.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book to review.

Wow. Just wow. The Light Through the Leaves is a beautiful story about life, love, loss, grief, and acceptance. When tragedy happens, Ellis loses herself and sets off on her own to suffer and to heal in nature. Meanwhile, Raven grows up knowing she is different but doesn’t truly understand. Slowly, she makes her way into the world with help from new friends. Together each experience drastic changes that ultimately lead to their lives intersecting and learning their truths.

Vanderah does it again. The Light Through the Leaves is a well written story that will leave you hugging your loved ones tighter. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

Rating 4.5 stars

*special thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars
I thought this was very well written!
It encompasses a lot of complicated issues such as addiction, mental illness, trauma, etc.
But even with these issues, it still invoked beauty and magic through the writing. Gotta love some classic personification.
It felt real and if I was with the characters and I was sucked into the story.

My main criticism is with the end. I think it wrapped nicely (maybe too nicely), but there was a lot packed in. Lots of characters and lots of issues. I also saw others mention how it was “cheesy” and I agree. Maybe “cheesy” isn’t the exact right word, but these characters were traumatized and the end didn’t reflect that well.

WoW! Amazing! This is a very well written and the story is very detailed and original.
A very compelling story with deep character development. I became totally engrossed in the story and couldn't put it down. I wanted more!
This was a feel good book! Loved every minute of it!

This was so beautifully written I could hardly put it down. I didn't realize this was the same author who wrote [book:Where the Forest Meets the Stars|40545956] which was another amazing read. I am definitely following this author and can't wait to read more of her novels!

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

True to GV style, this story is an ode to nature. It's an appreciation for our environment and how the comfort it lends can lead us to the most insightful and human of moments. I really enjoyed this.

I will say that one major component of the story is very predictable. When it got to the moment of the reveal, I was not at all shocked - I saw it coming ever since I read the synopsis. However, that did not affect my reading experience. In fact, it probably enhanced it, knowing how the lives of these two characters were connected and how their parallel lives so closely mirrored each other.

One thing is for sure - this is no sophomore slump of a novel for GV.

The Light Through the Leaves is the new book from Glendy Vanderah.
“Ellis takes her kids to the forest to think about a big decision. While leaving she makes a terrible mistake - she forgets her infant daughter in her car seat next to the van. When she rushes back her daughter is gone and no one can find her. Ellis falls into grief, despair and addiction and she abandons her husband and young sons thinking she fan only harm them.
A young girl named Raven grows up in a remote area of Washington. Her mother makes her promise not to let anyone know about her special gifts. But Raven wants more. And the families are on a collision course.”

This book and these characters will grab you by the heart and not let go. The first part of this book made me angry. (I know they’re fictional characters but stay with me) Ellis abandons her family. I had a hard time feeling any sympathy for her because she walked away 😡 No excuse to walk away - ever. And then we get to Raven. You figure out quickly who she is. The “Mother Earth Spirit Woo-woo” stuff made me ask “What is going on?” You find out later what it is. But this character, Raven. I loved this character. GV makes you want to take a hike in the woods with Raven and just watch her connection to the woodlands.
This book is about despair, depression, grief, addiction, redemption, forgiveness and love.
I loved Vanderah’s first book - Where the Forest Meets the Stars. It was an Amazon First Reads pick. This is a book you should definitely add to your list. All the stars. 🌟

Before I dive into the review, let me say before you start this book, the first few chapters are a little different, but hang tight on this one and you will be glad you did! This was a book I almost quit, but so glad I kept going and finished it very quickly!

Ellis Abbey is having a hard time and is distracted by her twin boys enough to leave her newborn daughter at a park and when she shortly returns she is gone. This one moment sends Ellis' life down a completely different path and the reader follows her as she tries to figure out how to create the life that she is willing to lead.

Raven is a young girl living in remote Washington state and her mom keeps her secluded from everything as she is dealing with her own demons. Raven slowly realizes there is a life beyond her mom and their property and wants to know more about this world.

This was an epic novel where the reader is just waiting for it to all come together! I couldn't wait to see how these two stories would intersect and I appreciated that the author allowed for some story to happen after the two stories converge.

Even though these characters were SO far from my own experience, I could still enjoy dipping into their lives and watching it unfold. I am not the outdoorsy girl, so I definitely couldn't have camped like Ellis did or be so connected to my environment, but I could appreciate how both of these characters found peace in the outdoors.

This is the second novel by this author and I will be adding her other title to my TBR and hope to read it very soon. I will also be waiting what comes next from her!

What an absolutely beautiful story! This is my first book by Glendy Vanderah, and now I need to go read Where The Forest Meets the Stars by her!

This is a story that you just get lost in. Vanderah has a wonderful way with her words! The amazing descriptions of nature place you right into the scenes with the characters. It made me want to go reconnect with the earth, go for a hike, and feel the healing powers!

The characters were easy to connect to. Ellis is a mother who has had her child go missing. I cried for Ellis, I cried with Ellis, and my heart broke over and over. But through all the heartbreak, there is also a healing element that makes you feel so good. It’s an amazing read, and I highly recommend it!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Favorite Quotes:

“How did you get like this?” “Like what?” “Like here but not here. Like this snow I can’t touch without it melting in my hand.”

What Audrey Lind did forced our family skeletons out of the closet and turned them into flesh-eating zombies.

She never would trust fate. It always did what it wanted. Fate didn’t give a damn how good a person was, or how innocent a baby, before it swept them away.

“Can I hug you while you’re out of character?” “Okay. But hurry before the real me comes back.”


My Review:

This absorbing book was tragic, emotive, brilliant, shrewdly paced, heartrending, and crafted with exceptionally deft and thoughtfully insightful writing. I fell right into this divinely conjured tale while implanted and entrenched with her struggling characters throughout every well-crafted scene. I could hear the water flowing, smell the plants, and feel the bitter cold of winter and the blazing sun of a tropical summer. Glendy Vanderah has magic in her words. She spun me upside down and sideways, and I loved every minute of it.

Picture this: Scene 1: Ellis watches distractedly as her twin sons are catching tadpoles from the river that runs through Wild Wood - a forested area close to the trailer park she had grown up in. Her newborn daughter, Viola, lies tranquilly in her child carrier. This forest had always soothed Ellis's aching spirit and had been her only refuge during her often brutal childhood.
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But for once, her idyllic surroundings could do nothing to assuage Ellis's roiling thoughts and anguished feelings of betrayal. She had just discovered that Jonah, her husband, was cheating on her with another woman - his tennis instructor, no less! How excruciatingly cliche.

The visit to the woods is destined to be a tragic disaster. Ellis's twin boys act up, the incessant call of a raven, and Ellis's own wrought emotions cause her to forget that she had put her baby daughter's car seat carrier onto the ground next to the van before dealing with one of her son's tantrums. Ellis is horrified when, a mile into the return trip home, she realizes she had left the baby behind. Her worst fears are realized when she speeds back to the river, only to find that the carrier, and her baby, are gone.
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Ellis's world implodes. Sedatives, then alcohol, then a heavy mix of both, help at first. Ellis spends entire days in bed. Her boys are neglected, her husband is angry with her and her hateful mother-in-law (what a viper!) undermines Ellis at every turn. Ellis reaches a breaking point when she realizes that she is turning into her own neglectful, drug addicted mother. The media has judged Ellis harshly for her role in baby Viola's disappearance. At the end of her mental and physical endurance, Ellis makes the only decision she believes is best for her boys. She must leave them before she causes them any more damage.

I was totally riveted! The storytelling is told from two separate points of view, alternating between the two main characters of this story: Ellis and Daughter of Raven. (Ten points and a lollipop for guessing that Raven is baby Viola!) We watch Ellis spiral into a drug and alcohol induced hell after she severs all ties with her old life and crisscrosses America, camping out in the wilds, trying to outrun her soul-destroying grief and her crushing feelings of guilt and self-blame.
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Then we cut away to scenes of young Raven's life with "Mama." Raven has learned to adjust her behavior and her responses to avoid Mama's dark or angry looks. Sometimes Mama falls into a fugue state and retreats into the Spirit World, so Raven has learned to be self-reliant and to fend for herself. Life is not all roses for sweet Raven, but we are comforted by the fact that Raven is allowed to wander at will through the forest surrounding their enormous rural Washington homestead. She is taught to nurture her raven spirit and heed the signs of nature.
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The tension in this story builds like Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, until everything unravels: chaos ensues and triggers a shattering crescendo. No more spoilers - and don't worry, the action is even more fraught and intense after the devastating reveal.

Is this just another abduction story? Far from it!

The ending is spectacular, folks! I sighed with total satisfaction when I finished this one. I had a feeling things were going to end as they did: it was only fitting. Ellis was such a strong woman: I don't think I could have born half of her sorrows. And Keith!!!! I want a park ranger like him for my very own! This book delivered on every level and touched every emotion, and yes, you will find yourself laughing out loud at River's very provoking behavior!

Glendy Vanderah, you did it again: you wrote another beautiful, unforgettable story that left me happy and hopeful. Applause, Applause! Go on: get up and take a bow! Your earned it: 10 out of 5 stars for this precious gem! Highly, highly recommended! (My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.)
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