I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

This book was a bit hard to read at times as a new mom, but wow it was also really thought provoking because I don't know WHAT I would have done if I were Ellis and the unthinkable had happened. This story of terrible loss, grief, friendship, love, the power of the human spirit to continue on and the healing powers of nature was so powerful, albeit unbelievable at times. I sometimes had to suspense belief in order to believe some of the aspects.

I really loved this story! It also has a great audible version. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I rate this book a 4.5

I adore all of Glendy’s novels! She is a masterful writer who blends nature and heart seamlessly. Can’t wait for more of her work In the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review. This was my first book by this author and I absolutely loved it. I'm not sure what made me request it because there is nothing about the cover that would suggest how good the storyline is and the title alone wouldn't have done it...but I am sure glad I requested it because now I have another author to follow. The story is a tragic one in many ways but there is so much growth for all of the characters that my little heart almost couldn't take it. In fact, I had so many feels all the way through this one...I would definitely suggest that anyone who likes to FEEL should five this book a try.

Beautiful, beautiful story with an incredible writing style that keeps you glued to the pages. I loved it

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

The Light Through the Leaves by Glendy Vanderah may be one of the last books I read in 2021 but it is also one of the best.
Ellis has always loved nature, and it is where she goes to find comfort and solace, something that she desperately needs after seeing her husband embracing another woman. She gathers up her baby girl Viola and twin toddler boys and heads to the woods to try to calm down and think, but in a moment of distraction she leaves Viola unattended and the baby disappears. Despite an exhaustive search no trace of her is found and Ellis sinks into a deep depression that spirals into addiction. Lost in despair and guilt she decides that the best thing she can do for her boys is to leave them behind so she sets off alone into the wilderness , leaving the boys with their father.
Raven lives with her mother in a walled off compound in a remote area of Washington. She lives a very lonely and isolated life, with no company other than her mother, who believes in communing with nature and tells Raven that she is named after the spirit of her Father , who uses the birds to watch over her. The need for secrecy is deeply instilled in her and she is mistrustful of outsiders but one day she meets some other children who are playing in the woods and a friendship starts to blossom that will cause her to question her mother and how she is being raised, starting with wanting to go to school.
Over the course of sixteen years the author unfurls a beautiful and heart breaking story that will completely grip the reader. The writing is exquisite and it is clear that the author has a love for nature that she enjoys conveying to the reader. Both Raven and Ellis are very sympathetic characters in their own way, and while it is not difficult to see how the story would end I really enjoyed seeing it played out. That said , the ending did also feel a little rushed and a little too convenient, which was my only criticism of an excellent and memorable book.
I read an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Ellis has always escaped to the woods when she's troubled, seeking peace and comfort. When she sees her husband cheating on her, she takes her children with her to the woods, promising her 4-year-old twins, Jasper and River, they could catch tadpoles in the stream. In a moment of distraction, she leaves 2-month-old Viola behind. When she returns for her, the baby is gone. Feeling fractured and unfit for motherhood, Ellis leaves her family behind, traveling throughout the country trying to escape her guilt and substance abuse issues.
Meanwhile, Raven is being raised to believe in the magic of nature. Her mother wished really hard to the spirits, and they gave her a baby. Raven is taught to be suspicious of strangers, technology, medicine, even school. But eventually her mother gives in and Raven is thrown into a world totally foreign to her. She must keep her magic a secret and never tell.
This story was heartbreaking, magical, and finally beautiful. I thought it really showed the wonder of nature and the power of family and friends to heal.
I received an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Light Through the Leaves by Glendy Vanderah.

Okay, I have now read two of Vanderah's books, and she's totally extra, but I'll still football tackle the next book she releases right off the shelf.

This is a story of a mother, Ellis, who suffers a huge trauma of having a momentary lapse of memory and ends up leaving her baby daughter behind. And even after an exhaustive search, it does not look like the child will be found. Utterly broken, Ellis decides that her family is better without her, cuts complete contact from the world, and re-enters nature, where she has always felt more at home. But being a nomad in the wild comes with it's own community, and after long Ellis begins life life anew.

But secrets don't always remain hidden, and Ellis may have to confront her past family, as well as what happened to her baby.

Don't let the length of this book scare you, you'll be hooked quick! I was so swept away by the characters, the tragedy, the healing qualities of Ellis' escape into nature, but also frustration at her choices. There are so many turns that this takes, it's so fun.

But like I said, it's a bit over-the-top, and especially towards the end I felt like the author really wanted to wrap it up as quickly and cleanly as possible, which just did not ring true to me. It was a bit too pure and idealistic, but hey, the story was cool as heck, so I forgive.

Interesting read. Ellis makes a huge mistake- huge- and that impacts not only her life but that of her daughter Viola as well. And the lives of her husband and sons. Raven lives with her mysterious and odd father. she has many questions and no answers. These two will come together in a way that might not be a surprise but the novel is well written and suspenseful. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

The Light Through the Leaves was one of my anticipated 2021 reads because I read and adored Where the Forest Meets the Stars by the same author. I'm happy to report that this book had me just as entranced as Forest with her descriptive writing and magical-like characters.

I liked how the book was written with the two different perspectives/character voices. It really helped set up each side of the plot and put the story into perspective for the later years of the story.

My only real issue with this one came at the end. I didn't LOVE where the story went... It got a little much? Far fetched/unrealistic maybe? I can't quite put my finger on it.

Regardless, I'll be thinking of the characters in this one often.

4/5⭐️

Omg. OMG. I couldn't put it down. This story was absolutely gut wrenching. Abduction, Stockholm's syndrome, love, isolation. I have already purchased 2 copies for friends to read. Raven is so resilient. Ellis has been broken and rebuilt. A family in tatters. Please, read this!

I loved this book from start to finish! Beautifully written, wonderful characters, a devastating opening! Ellis is the mother of twin 4yo boys and a new baby girl. She is driving to surprise her husband when she sees him kissing another woman, this upsets her and she drives to the woods, a place to think. [When leaving the boys are arguing, she’s still upset, tadpoles are spilled, she drives off and then one of the boys tells her, she’s forgotten her baby! She returns to the carpark but her baby has been taken] . This section had me page turning barely able to breathe, and as the story progresses we follow Ellis as she deals with this and her own past (her mothers addiction, her marriage breakdown.) and in alternate sections her daughters life. She’s been brought up to think she’s a gift from the earth spirits, the woman who took her lives totally isolated on a big property. There’s a lot of themes from parenting, addictions, being close to nature, indoctrination, growing up, forgiveness, trust, and everything else! Yes it all comes together in a wonderful ending that is probably too neat but what a brilliant read!

This is about the third "young child abduction" book that I've read this year. One was 5 star and the other was DNF/Did Not Finish. I was really pulled into The Light Through the Leaves and observing Raven's life. In my opinion, Raven was really quite a remarkable child/young woman.

The abduction of Raven really had a lot of implications and this book really lead me to think a lot about the situation.

The ending seemed a little "off" (maybe rushed?) to me.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher (Lake Union Publishing) and the author Glendy Vanderah for the opportunity to review The Light Through the Leaves in exchange for an honest review. Publication date is 01 April, 2021.

The Light Through the Leaves read like a cross between The Deep End of the Ocean and Where the Crawdads Sing. A really beautiful story of loss and longing, perseverance and the ties that bind a family —those you are born into and those you choose.

The story is beautifully told over a span of sixteen years. The author spares no emotional expenses, though some bits almost seemed a bit far-fetched, IMO.

Gorgeous story. Highly recommend.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Perfection...utter perfection! One of the best books I have read so far this year! 🙌🏻

<b>PROS</B>
-- Phenomenal writing
-- Well paced (A relatively long book @9 hours read time)
-- Engaging, heartbreaking, and poignant plot
-- Beautiful setting (especially Raven's sections of the book)
-- Well developed characters
-- Satisfying ending

<b>CONS</b>
-- There honestly really wasn't anything about this book I didn't enjoy. I guess if I had to pick something; it was that the ending was a little TOO unrealistic and easy. However, that is me being nitpicky. 🤷🏻‍♀️

**ARC Via NetGalley**

This book was much more emotional than I expected. The story follows Ellis along a journey of incredible loss, guilt, and healing. I especially enjoyed the focus on the healing powers of nature and I had a clear picture in my mind throughout this novel of what was happening. Vanderah will take you on a journey that you will not want to miss.

My rating: 3.75

The book comes to us from the perspectives of two female protagonists: Ellis and Raven, whose lives are as unusual as their names.

Ellis has had a troubled childhood but has finally settled into a happy marriage. However, she sees her husband kissing another woman one day and goes with her kids to the woods for some fun time for them and thinking time for her. In her agitated state, she ends up leaving her two month old daughter Viola unattended for some time, only to return and find out that she’s gone. This abduction tears the whole family apart and takes Ellis on the path of self-destruction with alcoholism and pill abuse. She soon realises that she has to leave her husband and four year old twin sons behind and move onto a solo journey of self-discovery to protect them from further harm resulting from her behaviour.

Raven grows up in a remote area of Washington with her mother Audrey who has brought her up to believe in nature and its healing spirits, never interact with outsiders and keep the secret of her miraculous birth from everyone else. Raven is home-schooled by Audrey and then left free to roam the wild woods. However, after a casual interaction with some local children, she realises that something is missing from her childhood.

The book is divided into 5 parts with multiple chapters in each of them. The first four parts come to us alternatively from the perspectives of Ellis and Raven while the fifth is a combined narrative. There is a lot of mystique in Raven’s part of the story. Both the female lead characters and most of the secondary characters are very well-etched. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the connection between Ellis and Raven. But this lack of suspense doesn’t take away from the thrill of the story. The first four parts are excellent and kept me hooked to the story. Each of these parts helped us understand why Ellis and Raven behaved the way they did; there is no character confusion created.

Where the book fell really short for me was in that fifth part. I’m not sure how many international readers would get this below reference but at least my fellow Indians will. Imagine a typical 90s Bollywood family drama. You have multiple characters dealing with various levels of hurt and heartache and communication failure and sacrifice. But in the last few scenes, every single heartache is cured, every single loose end is tied, every single bond is restored, every single character is happy. Almost miraculously. By the last scene, everyone is standing together, happily singing “Hum Saath Saath Hain” (“We are together.”) That’s kind of what happened in the finale of this book (except for the singing part!) It was so predictable and clichéd, not just in its narrative but also in its writing and character development. It killed the entire book for me. To put it in a different perspective, it started off as a Zoya Akhtar movie but ended up as a Sooraj Barjatya one. So what would have been a solid 4.5 stars slipped to just under 4 stars. Of course, this is just the pessimist in me. I know many readers will enjoy the formulaic happy ending. I too might have enjoyed it had I read it a decade ago. So nothing against the ending, but it wasn’t for me.

Glendy Vanderah’s love for nature springs forth on almost every page of the book. Never have I read a book that treats nature so respectfully and insightfully. Nature is almost a character on its own in this plot and that lends an added magic to the story. Overall, the story talks of the magic of not just nature but also of family, togetherness, forgiveness, healing, acceptance, and communication.

It is still worth a read, and a quick read too, in spite of the number of pages. Do give it a try, with lower expectations towards the end.

Thank you, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for the Advanced Review Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The Light Through the Leaves revolves around the family of Ellis and Raven, a tragic mistake, and the effect it has on the lives of the entire family over the course of many years. I loved Where the Forest Meets the Stars and I'm a big fan of Glendy Vanderah's. Her work as a biologist shines through in her writing and I love that nature plays a strong role in both of her books. This one fell a little short for me, though. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, but I found the plot a bit too farfetched. I'm still a fan and look forward to Glendy's next book.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a first book by this author and I Loved it!!! I adored the characters and the story line! Highly highly recommend