This touching book is what happens in a family when the first of the siblings die. Worse, she dies at an early age and of suicide. The remaining brothers gather and have to understand that they are facing a future with a loss that will be there forever. Further there are the practical problems of the youngest brother remaining at home, and of their father slipping deeper into mental illness as he ages.
The family is very well described, not the ideallic loving family that we all would want, but the normal dysfunctional family made up of people with their own problems, agendas, and history.
Ms. Forkin has written a book that shows unusual insight into the way families work. This appears to be her first book, I suspect that it will not be her last. She is likely to be an author of reknown in the coming years.
John Matlock "Gunny" @ Amazon.com
I read "Mel's Tree" last year, and I really enjoyed it. It was an emotional ride, both heartwarming and heartbreaking at times. Marianne Forkin tells the story of a scattered family who comes together through tragedy in a creative, personal way, combining very poignant moments with bits of humor throughout. I laughed and I cried along with the characters she has sculpted so intricately. Ms. Forkin's first published work is an amazing book, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good, character-driven story!
Julie, Illinois, USA @ Amazon.com
What a fantastic piece of literature. Having grown up reading classics is not an every day thing for me to compliment many modern novels, but then Mel's Tree captured me in a way not many 'contemporary' books have done it. There's nothing in this book that I don't like. From the first page the author did an amazing job to introduce us to this not-so-average family that you end up loving as pages go by. Marianne Forkin's characterizations are superb and I think she couldn't have picked up a better way to tell us this story (different voices) since that's one of the reasons why you get to identify so much with the McCloud brothers. A special mention deserve the paragraphs that precede every brother's narration, which later on the novel will come up as an important revelation, and for me are pure poetry.
I highly recommend this story to everyone. You will be touched by this family and their lives but Mel's Tree is way more than a dramatic novel as you will confirm every time you catch yourself laughing with Alex, agreeing or disagreeing with Mark, Steve and David or simply wanting to protect Nick.
Maria "Marina", Peru @ Amazon.com
I absolutely love this book. I am Anita and I'm 18 almost 19 years old and I think this book is excellent. Mare is a great writer and brings out a ton of emotion in this breath taking art of word. Not only is she a great person but a talented writer who can pull the reader into the pages of her story.
When I read this book, I fell in love with all the characters and I was able to easy imagine the scenes in the book. I hope and pray she puts out more of her written works!
E.Babcock "bookworm", NM USA @ Amazon.com
Wow... from the second I began reading, "Mel's Tree" I was immediately drawn in and could not put this incredible book down until I had read the very last page, with which I had tears streaming down my face because it was so beautifully written! "Mel's Tree" is a heart wrenching story of the love between 5 brothers and their sister and it will definitely pull at your heart strings. This story will be something that you won't forget, and you'll be left feeling touched and wanting to make sure that your family knows just how much you love them. I could relate to this story in many ways, especially with the youngest brother Nicky. I instantly fell in love with this character and by the end of the book you are left wishing that he was a part of your own family. I LOVED the fact that you get to follow the journey of each very different brother as they try to deal with the death of their sister, and it's like you are standing right beside each of them as you can feel their pain and grief. The journal entries make this story even more heart felt and reminds you what really matters in life. Words just really can't describe the emotions felt when reading "Mel's Tree", so I HIGHLY recommend this book, you definitely will not be disappointed. Marianne Forkin is an amazing writer, and I really look forward to reading more from her!!!!
Trudy LeBlanc, New Brunswick, Canada @ Amazon.com
I don't read often, but I finished this book in less then a week. I liked the fact that the chapters were short and found myself not wanting to put it down until I found out what happened next. The book is sad and stays with you for a couple of days, but I think everyone will enjoy it. Because no matter who you are or what kind of life you have lead we have all felt like Nicky at one time or another.
Michelle, PA USA @ Amazon.com
The subject matter of Mel's Tree is certainly serious for me-a self proclaimed comedy lover. Marianne Forkin does an amazing job of bringing out all of your deepest emotions. The characters are rich & I love how it is written from each's perspective.
Reading it gave me the inspiration to write a journel for/about my children. Not many books can do that!
C. Hansen, Canada @ Amazon.com
I must say 'Mel's Tree' is one of the most heart-warming and gut-wrenching books I have read in years. Marianne Forkin gracefully allows the readers to become a part of her story as we see the tale play out through the eyes of each grieving McCloud brother. She makes the transitions effortlessly as she goes from Mark a rigid music teacher with a broken heart, Steve with the secrets he holds inside, Alex a cat saving nomad, David with a gentle heart and soul and Nick, a lost little boy. And through precious memories shared between brothers and poetic journal entries Mel comes to life and gives everyone a chance to see what a horrible loss the family has suffered. I highly recommend this amazing story it is truly one of a kind.
Amy @ Amazon.com
For her first book, I thought Marianne Forkin excelled with this family oriented drama fiction. This story centered on the 5 McCloud brothers and how each of them deals with the death of their only sister, who had committed suicide. Each character had their own point of views that brought the readers along the journey of a week in their lives after her death.
Filled with tons of realistic family problems and trauma while balancing it with a good amount of humor, I couldn't help but laugh and cry along with the brothers as they gather again in the very house they grew up in. I couldn't help but fell in love with all the brothers, flawed or not. And I couldn't help but feel the need to give Nick, the youngest McCloud, a huge hug and possibly adopt him.
The best thing about this book is, she used no difficult words or fancy descriptions to send the message home. It's the presence of raw emotions that caught me. I definitely recommend this to anyone in search of a drama fiction and teachers who are looking for a book to discuss for their English class.
Ariana"Mers", Singapore @ Amazon.com
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