"This is a powerful inspirational character study that takes the audience inside the souls of several residents of a small town Texas in the late 1970s, but especially the beleaguered heroine whose lament and subsequent “redemption” will touch the hearts of the audience." Harriet KlaussnerIn this coming of age novel, nine-year-old Mara Weatherall from the pain of General's daily attacks--attacks he warns her to keep secret, or else. In the small world of 1979 Burl, Texas, all Mara really has are the tree limbs, a lumbering Aunt Elma, her boyfriend Officer Gus, the bully General, and her new best friend Camilla who rhymes maddening snatches of truth. Mara needs to escape General's advances and find out who her real parents are before those who would want to destroy her succeed. Will she recognize redemption through Zady the Jesus-loving housekeeper, Denim the clandestine town prophet, or Mr. Winningham her new guardian whose quiet rage masks even deeper secrets?Publisher's Weekly Review of Watching the Tree Limbs Mary E. DeMuth. (416p) "In this debut faith-based novel, DeMuth writes with poignancy and grace, transporting readers to the hot East Texas town that is nine-year-old Mara's home. Amid the red dirt and pecan trees, Mara struggles to find her way through a painful and mysterious family situation. Who were her parents? Is her aunt Elma really her aunt—and does Elma really have a tumor? What will happen to her if her aunt dies? The pain inMara's life multiplies unimaginably when she meets General, the teenage neighbor who repeatedly rapes her, threatening her life if she tells anyone.DeMuth captures the horrific situation—from Mara's inability to keep her body from shaking to her determination to watch the tree limbs to keep her mind off of what is going on—while providing hope of redemption and healing. Her characters are expertly drawn, and encompass meanness, evil, great kindness,and the confusion and quirks of generally good people who don't know how to handle what life has given them. Christian themes are woven throughout as a natural expression of the characters and situation. Readers may be surprised at the dark subject matter (which the cover only hints at), but this book will appeal to many readers both as a thoughtful, powerful reflection on a difficult topic and as a compelling story."
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