The Condemned Oak Tree

In a Nutshell: "April is the best time of the year to dig a grave." - When this is the first sentence of the book, you know you are in for a treat. The book is weird in many ways but I loved it! Don't know what this says about me! 😂😂

Story:
In April 1972, Maureen Thompson’s husband Frank died. She buries him on her allotment and pretend that he ran away, leaving her alone with her ten year old twin daughters, Lucy and Carol. Why did Maureen do this? How did she cope with the aftermath of her decision? Why is she suddenly revealing her secrets now? You have got to read the book to find the answers to these questions.
The story is written in the first person pov of Maureen, addressed in second person to some mysterious "my dear", whose identity is revealed towards the final quarter of the book.

This has got to be the shortest story synopsis I have ever written for a full-fledged novel. And yet, it is all that you need to know. The entire story revolves around Maureen’s decision to bury Frank without telling anyone and the reasons and consequences of this. The writing is very intelligent, with the plot slowly being uncovered with each subsequent chapter. The unusual format and the indirect second person narration makes us feel like we are sitting across the table from Maureen and listening to this middle-aged woman unburden her soul before us. There is an abundance of dark humour in this story, which further enhances the impact. Add to this a few surprise revelations and the book becomes tough to keep aside. The final chapter is the icing on the cake.

If you have to describe the writing style in one word, it will be “experimental”. This is such an ingenious way of writing literary fiction. The chapters are divided mostly by months – April, May, June, and so on – with each month revealing one worrying incident from Maureen’s past. Each chapter begins with Maureen’s comments about the month and its impact on nature and her garden. Then it goes to the flashback and provides details on some event that changed Maureen’s life before or after Frank’s death. Finally, it moves back to the “present” (which is, the late 1990s) and ends with Maureen’s observations on the incident and linking it again to nature. Sounds repetitive and restricted. But it is absolutely not so!

There are some amazing quotes in this book that either caused me to pause and ponder or just made me burst into laughter. In addition, Maureen reveals some lovely thoughts about nature and plants and animals, every single one of which shows the author’s love for the world around us. In fact, Maureen’s fondness for plants indicates why the author made the odd choice of beginning her narration from April instead of January. April is the month of spring, of fresh beginnings, and this is linked wonderfully to how Maureen’s confessions come out to her listener. You also realise the significance of the title as it is not just a reference to an oak tree in Maureen’s allotment but a metaphorical nod to Maureen herself.

Maureen has a fondness for saying “my dear” and “truth be told”, and this might end up getting on your nerves. But remember that the entire book is written in a conversational style because Maureen is having a conversation with someone, and this person’s identity tells you why Maureen addresses them so sweetly.

For a debut novel, this book left me mighty impressed with its unique storytelling structure. It is literary fiction at its best, with the strongly character-oriented narrative and the non-linear timeline making you focus on and relish every chapter. The only flaw I could find is that there were quite a few run-on sentences. This might have been an editing call to indicate the free-flowing conversation from Maureen but it felt awkward to read.

Aside from this minor complaint, I have absolutely no other issues. This is a must-read for literary fiction lovers, but it will not work for those who don’t enjoy character-oriented stories.

4.5 stars from me because I love such well-crafted literary fiction that delights without being too snobbish.

My thanks to Butterdragons Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Condemned Oak Tree”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. This book is wonderful, so much fun, I adored the multiple mysteries. The various plant metaphors that ran parallel with the murder mystery, the wonderful writing and use of imagery, all of was just *chef's kiss*. This book really gave me Gone Girl vibes.
[Reviewed through Netgalley]

4.5 Stars

One Liner: Slow but fantastic

Maureen buries her husband on her allotment in April 1972. She pretends that he ran away and left her to care for their 10yo twins, Lucy and Carol. However, life puts many obstacles in her path. She has decisions to make that alter her and the children’s futures.
Twenty-Seven years later, Maureen begins to tell her story- the story of her life, her growth, her mistakes, choices, love, family, acceptance, and resilience. But what is the truth? Who is listening to her story and why? What does Maureen want by revealing the secrets after so many years have passed?
The story comes in the first-person narration by Maureen and is addressed to an unknown ‘you’ (revealed later).

My Observations:
I knew the book would be slow and was prepared for it, but this one takes its own sweet time to progress. But the writing is beautiful, and I couldn’t make myself speed-read.
The book has nature interwoven into the narration with such love and reverence that I took my time to savor the descriptions and the emotions aligned with each month.
The writing is undoubtedly clever. The twists come at the least expected time and are not highlighted. On the contrary, the revelations are toned down, which amplifies the impact on the reader. Very smart and artful.
The title suits the book so well. It wasn't there for the sake of it but means a lot more to the story.
The narration is non-linear, which makes it even more interesting. It helps fill up the blanks and sketch Maureen’s character arc. And she is such a well-crafted character too. Her dark humor is a treat to read.
I like how the book starts in April. It is our month of New Year (the Hindu calendar) and the arrival of Spring. It suits the story perfectly.
The ending is yet another highlight of the book. It ties up the loose ends but leaves enough room for the reader to imagine another scenario. The revelation aligns with the character arcs developed throughout.
To sum up, The Condemned Oak Tree is a slow but fantastic read for those who love to read about nature and human emotions without drama.
Thank you, NetGalley and Butterdragons Publishing, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.