Julia Desmit has not walked an easy road. But she has taken each step with purpose. I love her character. Julia's family is not your traditional idea of family, but family couldn't mean anymore to Julia. She is a happy soul, but like any mother, she longs for those quiet moments alone where peace washes over her. She seems to make joy appear when all others are down. She has her hands full, but she lives with intent to make each day its own. Julia is a single mother to her son, Daniel. She too is raising her little brother, Simeon. Her life is rich as her grandmother also lives with her. These four make up a family that is determined to stick together through thick and thin. Julia is going to college as she works at the town grocery store. Michael Vermeer has been dating Julia for five years. As he is going to medical school and is determined to make their long distance relationship work. Julia has hopes that Michael will propose. But is she really ready for change? She better be, because she has received an email from, Parker, Daniel's father. He has been out of her life for five years now and here he is once again making an entrance, complicating life. We see Julia grow as she makes decisions and tries to do the right thing. It't not always easy to know what the right thing is, but her grandmother is filled with wisdom and her sweet spirit helps Julia find her way. Raising her little brother brings its challenges as he is missing their mother. As Julia is in love with Michael, the boys become attached to Parker. The road is bumpy in spots, but the Lord is molding Julia for greatness. I loved this book. To find out how it ended, well, you are just going to have to read it my friends. There are a few surprises along the way. This is the first book of Nicole Baart I have read. This is the third in a series, beginning with, After The Leaves Fall, and Summer Snow. Although I plan to read the first two, you do not have to read them to embrace Beneath The Night Tree. This book will be released in February 2011. This book was a gift from Tyndale for its review.
Nicole Baart was born and raised in a small town in Iowa, where she and husband now live with their three young sons. After the adoption of their second son, Nicole discovered a deep passion for global issues and is a founding member of a nonprofit organization that works with a church and orphanage in Liberia. Nicole is the critically acclaimed author of three novels. After the Leaves Fall was published in 2007 and was followed by a sequel, Summer Snow, which was a Christy Award finalist. That was followed by The Moment Between, Nicole's first stand-alone novel.
Visit her Web site at http://www.nicolebaart.com/
