The Light Through the Leaves, Glendy Vanderah

You did see me review Glendy’s newest book last week. So I am skipping around a bit, but this book is so beautiful, I wanted to share this review with you all.

I feel confident that as of today, I can declare this my most favorite read of the year. The book had ups and downs, but I was most drawn to Ellis’s running. I was drawn to her desire to sleep outside, to make herself one with the earth. Just when I thought my heart would explode from her chapters, we get those of Raven. My heart broke for Raven repeatedly. I wanted so much more for her, and my heart soared when that started to happen. We weaved back and forth between these two women until Vanderah brought them together.

There were a few situations that felt flat. I knew I was supposed to be torn apart with emotion, but it just didn’t happen. However, those few situations did not stop me from loving this book. I loved the heartache, the devastation, the running, the finding, and the healing. It’s an absolutely beautiful read, and I cannot recommend it enough.

The Light Through the Leaves is available on Amazon, Bookshop, and B&N.

About the Book:

Go on a powerful journey of forgiveness and healing with The Light Through the Leaves, a transcendent novel of love, loss, and self-discovery by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Where the Forest Meets the Stars.

One unbearable mistake at the edge of the forest.

In a moment of crisis, Ellis Abbey leaves her daughter, Viola, unattended—for just a few minutes. But when she returns, Viola is gone. A breaking point in an already fractured marriage, Viola’s abduction causes Ellis to disappear as well—into grief, guilt, and addiction. Convinced she can only do more harm to her family, Ellis leaves her husband and young sons, burying her desperate ache for her children deeper with every step into the mountain wildernesses she treks alone.

In a remote area of Washington, a young girl named Raven keeps secrets inside, too. She must never speak to outsiders about how her mother makes miracles spring from the earth, or about her father, whose mysterious presence sometimes frightens her. Raven spends her days learning how to use her rare gifts—and more important, how to hide them. With each lesson comes a warning of what dangers lie in the world beyond her isolated haven. But despite her mother’s cautions, Raven finds herself longing for something more.

As Ellis and Raven each confront their powerful longings, their journeys will converge in unexpected and hopeful ways, pulled together by the forces of nature, love, and family.

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