BENEATH THE BROKEN OAK

By Lori Altebaumer

Mystery / Romance

Publisher: One Thousand Hills Publishing

Pages: 400

Publication Date: February 22, 2025

Synopsis

Trees don’t heal. They seal.

But Forester Jodee Trevaine isn’t a tree. The wounds of abandonment she’s spent years denying will be ripped open the night she witnesses a child’s abduction.

The hardscrabble West Texas town of El Hueso, where keeping secrets is what keeps you alive, is the last place one would expect to find healing.

Until her job brings her there for a dying tree.

With new friends and the unexpected reacquaintance with the man she loved and left, Jodee has everything to gain—and just as much to lose—as she races against time to rescue the boy.

Could it be that her roots go deeper than she realized into the soil of EL Hueso?

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Review

History is important, especially when searching for the truth.

This book spans a century (or more), but each moment in time is essential for Jodee to discover the truth about her past. Not only Jodee but also Blue Sunday.

The novel alternates chapters between the past and the present. And even in the present, the point of view is from different characters, primarily Jodee and Blue. The author drops morsels of information throughout the chapters, and multiple times, I would gasp at the knowledge because it would change how I viewed the characters and the story. These tidbits also added depth and complexity to the story.

I had mixed feelings about Jodee. She does some things that aren’t wise and puts herself in danger more times than she should have. However, she was doing it for the greater good, but that still didn’t make her decisions wise. I also admired her struggle with faith and realized that perhaps there is more. There are even moments when she has help from a guardian angel; at least, that is how I choose to look at it. You hear stories of people who have help from a stranger who disappears but is there at a critical moment.

There are some humorous moments in this book as well. Blue and Jodee have some witty banter that made me smile. There is one that sticks in my mind, but I don’t want to spoil it for you. I also thought the romance between Blue and Jodee had a steady pace, and it wasn’t rushed for the book’s sake. It allowed them to delve into their feelings for one another and how they could work through past issues to have a steady future.

There are some interesting turns of events for multiple characters that relate to their ancestry. Some good, some not so good, but all vital information needed to move forward.

Each chapter starts with a quote about trees. I found those to be appropriate to the story and noteworthy. I do love the statement that trees don’t heal, they seal. It is a thought-provoking statement.

I enjoyed this novel and the history surrounding this impressive tree and the small town. We give this book 4 paws up.

About the Author

Award-winning novelist and Amazon Top New Release author Lori Altebaumer is a lifelong Texan whose family roots run deep in the Lone Star state.  Her writing bends the rules for modern Christian fiction, telling bold stories of good and evil in a broken world.

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