This was a compelling read. It covered 3 different generations of women and showed that nothing really changes and how one decision can alter your whole life and the lives of those around you.

Five Oaks is a story following 3 generations of women in different time periods. I enjoyed reading the individual stories of the characters. But, I did think the story was a bit slow for me. I usually really enjoy stories that offer different timelines but I did find this one really hard to follow.

I really enjoyed getting to go on this journey with the three generations of characters. The realism worked well with the characters and was invested in what was happening with the characters. Julie Hensley wrote a strong writing style that had that feel that I was looking for.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy of this book. Five Oaks is the story of three generations of women in one family and is narrated by the youngest granddaughter, with the families’ lake house, Five Oaks, anchoring them all. The author did a great job of describing each woman’s origin story and drawing you in to the actual characters. They are authentic women, each dealing with different challenges of societal expectations, mental health, love and loss. I gave this book a three because at times the story lacked details of some of the more important aspects of the plot that in my opinion really needed to be flushed out.

Trigger warnings: mentions of sexual assault, inappropriate sexual encounter between minors.

A Captivating Multigenerational Story That Stole My Heart!

From the moment I opened "Five Oaks," Julie Hensley transported me to a world that felt both familiar and magical. Her vivid descriptions of the lake house in Arkansas made me feel like I was right there alongside 15-year-old Wren, her sister Sylvie, and the generations of women who came before them.

I found myself fully immersed in the coming-of-age stories of these remarkable women, connected by blood and the time they spent at Five Oaks. The way Hensley weaves together the past and present is truly masterful, revealing secrets, heartaches, and triumphs that echo through time.

Each character's journey of self-discovery resonated with me, as they navigate the challenges and joys of growing up, falling in love, and forging their own paths in life. Their stories intertwine in surprising ways, leading to a powerful conclusion that left me both moved and inspired.

"Five Oaks" is a book I won't soon forget. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who loves stories about strong women, the bonds of family, and the unforgettable summers that shape our lives. Julie Hensley has crafted a true gem that I'll be recommending to all my fellow book lovers!

Five Oaks by Julie Hensley. The characters and their stories in the story Five Oaks are described and well developed.

this was a hard book to get through. It jumped around too much and jumped from character to character so often that it was very hard to keep track of anything. I think the character development was just starting to happen but then the book ended, so that should be worked on a bit.

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

I don’t really have strong feelings about this story one way or another. I did find the writing to be beautiful. The characters I absolutely loved and would have liked to have a little more development but overall I still loved them. I love a timeline that jumps back and forth. However, I found it difficult to keep track of the different characters in each timeline. And I kept waiting for something to happen but it didn’t hit the mark for me. I didnt feel like it fully developed for me.

I love a good coming to age story and while the characters are compelling. It felt like the story would never end it just dragged on. There were some parts where the story picked up but they were few. Also didn't love the random acts of abuse that didn't really add to the story and felt like they were added because they could be.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book

If you like generational stories, you will enjoy Five Oaks. Julie Hensley did a great job in crafting a wonderful book.

Woman’s strength, woman’s survival and woman working together to create a beautiful story. I absolutely adored this book! Loved every page.

this is the story of three women, spanning several decades, set in the Arkansas mountains. enjoyed the all-girl characters..

This book was really just okay. I enjoyed reading the stories of the three generations of women, I just felt there was a little too much description at times. I also felt that I too quickly forgot who was who - maybe I'm the problem there and not the book, I can't decide. However what I really did not like were the depictions of abuse of fish and other animals, and did we really need to read about a trip to a slaughterhouse? That just felt totally unnecessary and added absolutely nothing to the story.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I love a book with a (largely) all-female cast, so I was super excited to be able to download an ARC copy of Five Oaks on Netgalley through Lake Union Publishing.

First, and perhaps most important, I need to give Julie Hensley her flowers for her beautiful prose! This was such a lyrical read; the pages flowed over me so smoothly at times it felt like I was the one rocking in a water-side hammock.

Any sort of sibling bond exploration will always get kudos from me, and this was no exception. I loved the ebb and rise of Sylvie and Wren’s relationship as they tackled growing up female and all the hard things that come along with that.

The only true downside in my opinion was how disjointed the story felt as whole since we are always flipping back and forth between 3 timelines. This could just be a me thing! Maybe I don’t read enough books that are structured this way to fully appreciate it.

Otherwise, I found this to be an engaging, moving read about a family through the warped lens of time.

(This last paragraph may be considered a mild to moderate spoiler. But it involves a trigger warning that I think maybe should be applied to this book before release.)

Lastly, something that ended up bothering me a bit more than i realized until I sat down to write this review, is the sexual assault of an underage character…and the sex act that takes place between two minors that ends with one of them throwing up. While this maybe didn’t come completely out of left field, it was jarring to me. Almost triggering. There was also a r*pe kit being performed. None of these scenes are graphic at all, but the implications and suggestions were enough to turn my stomach a bit.

I would just suggest treading lightly with this one if you know these are themes/situations you struggle with.

I don’t really have strong feelings about this story one way or another. The writing is absolutely beautiful, and the author paints a picture of times very long ago and not so long ago as the story transports the reader across multiple timelines. The characters are compelling as well. However, I found it difficult to keep track of the different characters in each timeline. And I kept waiting for something “big” to happen but it never materialized for me. A lot of potential but not fully developed for me.

This book focused on several generations of a family. The stories felt incomplete at the end. Parts of the story held my interest and other parts were slow.

3 stars
This is a coming of age story, spanning over several generations. Our cast of characters is 11 year old Sylvie, her older sister Wren, their mother Margret and their grandmother Georgia. We learn Georgia and Margaret’s story as well as Wren and Sylvie’s.

This book did drag a bit, sometimes it would pick up the pace and flow well and other times it felt like I was going to be stuck on the same chapter forever.
I thought this book ended wonderfully though, with all four women ( grown up Sylvie and Wren) together at a crucial moment in each of their lives!

This was a good read. I do wish the ending had gone a little deeper into each of the stories and maybe tied the three timelines together a little bit more.

‘In the Arkansas mountains, three generations of fiercely determined young women are poised for self-discovery in a decades-spanning novel about the bonds of family and secrets.
The halcyon days in the Ouachita Mountains are not what they appear. When the truth comes to light—about mothers, daughters, and sisters—no one in the family will ever be the same.’

Five Oaks, told from a singular point of view and alternating timelines, unfurled in such a languorous way in its depiction of generational history.
The words strung together to form sentences, paragraphs, a novel, were intricate and balm-like and purposeful. I sincerely appreciated Hensley’s style of storytelling very much and look forward to reading more of it. My only complaint is I was left a little wanting at the end, still looking for answers to these questions that linger.
No doubt about her talent though. She’s got it in spades.
 
Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this arc in exchange for review.
 
Pub date: 5.27.2025.