Not Far From the Tree 3: Weak points and conclusion

The weak points of Not Far From the Tree are few and may be dealt with quickly.

Slow opening. It took me a while to get into the story, partly because of the switching between past and present and partly because (for me at least) there were supporting characters tossed in a little too frequently and rapidly. This mostly passed off after a few chapters, though near the end the reunion got a bit confusing again.

Cliché ending. The ending is a bit of an old joke in one sense, though I can't explain without spoiling it. This is largely due to the well-meaning relatives who have evidently been reading the wrong magazine articles and watching way too much TV. It veers a bit into generic spirituality--the kind that may reasonably be labeled merely "inspirational."

Too close to home? There were places where people or situations were a little too familiar--I've run into some of this myself, and the memories weren't always good. Some people may be more bothered than I was. That can't be predicted; it will vary widely from reader to reader and is one of the dangers of an emotionally involving story.

Conclusion. On the whole, Not Far From the Tree is an engaging story with some good life-lessons attached. It may also serve a pre-evangelistic function, because the Christian element, though clear, probably won't seem threatening to most unsaved readers.

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Not Far From the Tree 2: Good points

The good points of Not Far From the Tree mostly involve the nebulous expression "family values." However, it is clear that those values don't stand by themselves, suspended magically in midair.

Prayer is a key factor. In a sense there's not much obvious Christianity: no altar calls, no church scenes, and so on. I would of course have been pleased with a little more overt faith. However, there is a lot of prayer, and it's not the "To Whom it May Concern" variety. While Rina's husband David doesn't seem particularly religious--his parents evidently weren't the sort--Rina and her parents clearly are, and David does recognize this as a good thing.

Perseverance I mentioned this last time. The story could reasonably be called The Trials and Tribulations of Rina. She spends a lot of time adapting to other people's problems: Her mother-in-law needs something cast out of her by a competent exorcist, her husband keeps changing jobs in hopes of finally grabbing some prosperity, and the kids have the usual misadventures.

Family ties. Family loyalty is a big issue here, even when the family member is a jerk. There is no question of abandonment. For example, when David has a long-term health problem, Rina doesn't decide to cut her losses as a lot of modern people would. She doesn't even mope around a lot feeling sorry for herself. "Divorce is not an option"--Who knew? The idea of operating sacrificially for years without a lot of sniveling may seem incredible to people today, but it is possible. As a related issue, the kids don't rebel appreciably against their upbringing. They're independent, yes, and they sometimes do things Rina doesn't like, but they do seem to remain on good terms with parents and sibs alike.

Next we'll look at some problem areas.

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Not Far From the Tree 1: Intro

Ruth Smith Meyer's Not Far From the Tree looks back at ninety-nine-year-old Rina Litz's life, beginning with some girlhood memories but mostly concentrating on her life as a young adult--courtship, marriage, and family life. Set in Canada primarily in the first half of the last century, these reminiscences involve an astonishing number of offspring and the changes of job and address that Rina's husband David makes as he tries to stay ahead of the bills and the Depression. Rina, meanwhile, gets to adapt as best she can. It's a tale of perseverance, faith, and doing the right thing even when it's exasperating.

It's worth noting that Rina is based on a real woman, so many of the twists and turns are not simply the product of an author's imagination. Also, most readers will not notice that this is in fact a sequel; the earlier novel was Not Easily Broken.

Rina's modern-day life forms the backdrop for her history as she prepares for a major family reunion, reflecting on the changes that the decades have wrought and the lessons she's learned.

Tomorrow I'll comment further on some of the lessons to be learned here--the good points, in other words.

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