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Harry's Trees
Harry's Trees
Harry's Trees
Audiobook15 hours

Harry's Trees

Written by Jon Cohen

Narrated by Josh Bloomberg

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

A grieving widower, a determined girl, a courageous librarian and a mysterious book come together in an uplifting tale of love, loss, friendship and redemption.

Thirty-four-year-old Harry Crane works as an analyst for the US Forest Service. When his wife dies suddenly, Harry, despairing, retreats north to lose himself in the remote woods of the Endless Mountains of Pennsylvania. But fate intervenes in the form of a fiercely determined young girl named Oriana. She and her mother, Amanda, are struggling to pick up the pieces from their own tragic loss of Oriana’s father. Discovering Harry while roaming the forest, Oriana believes that he holds the key to righting her world.

Harry reluctantly agrees to help Oriana carry out an astonishing scheme inspired by a book given to her by the town librarian, Olive Perkins. Together, Harry and Oriana embark on a golden adventure that will fulfill Oriana’s wild dream—and ultimately open Harry’s heart to new life.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJun 12, 2018
ISBN9781488204685
Harry's Trees
Author

Jon Cohen

Jon Cohen, a former critical care nurse, wrote his first novel between hospital shifts and raising two children. After receiving a creative writing grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, he turned to writing full time. His two novels, both critically acclaimed, are The Man in the Window and Max Lakeman and the Beautiful Stranger. Setting his sights on Hollywood, he purchased a “how-to” book on screenwriting. He has since written numerous screenplays for Fox, Warner Bros., and Sony, and he is the cowriter of Minority Report, directed by Steven Spielberg. Jon lives with his wife outside of Philadelphia and is currently working on a new novel.

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Reviews for Harry's Trees

Rating: 4.249999933884298 out of 5 stars
4/5

242 ratings32 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It was a little odd at spots but just when I thought that - I had to laugh. It is eccentric but beautiful, sad but funny. I read it because it was semi local area and may bring to my bookclub.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This Second time was just more wonderful than the first! That’s the way it is with a fairytale. It becomes beloved!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Characters were well developed. I genuinely liked the people (and some, not so much). Great summer read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The beginning was slow and I almost quit listening because it was feeling like it was going to be too sad for me at the time.. however I stuck with it a little longer and bam! I got sucked right in. I couldn't stop listening and got so bound up in the story. Each character is very well done.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Fantastic story, well told with excellent character development. Intertwined lives were fascinating.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Magical, humorous, twisting tale of life and love. Thoroughly enjoyable
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is for all tree lovers, readers of fairy tales, and people for whom adventure and journey has much to teach a soul.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Good book well read. Liked the Botany and reference to Sibley.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is amazing storytelling!! I was sad to finish
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I truly enjoyed the audio book. Great for summer time.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The beginning was slow and sad but I’m glad I stuck with it to get to the magic.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Best book I have read in a long, long, time. A book for all ages. For a real treat, listen to the audiobook.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It was a magical & humorous adventure through the eyes of a child & the reader.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The storyline was riveting and the characters were well developed. What a wonderful story!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Probably well written but it seemed to me like a book for younger girls m
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
     Well told tale of love, loss, and a whole lot else. Complexities flow through each other in ways that are very satisfying.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Read for book club.This is not a book I would have chosen to read, and I can say with confidence that the rest of my book club are going to love it. I quite enjoyed the first 50 pages, but started skimming after that. Harry's relationship and secrets with the annoying (and 9 year old) Oriana made me uncomfortable, the whole plot was nauseating and twee and ridiculous, and it all ended happily, with the bereaved protagonists embarking on a relationship together. Yuk...
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    "What else is a library, but a temple of truth? What other function do books have, the great ones, but to change the reader? Books to comfort. But most of all, books to disturb you forward."I'm a lover of books of magical realism (Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin may be one of my most favorite books), so Harry's Trees is perfect for me. I will venture that it might also be a perfect story for most readers.It begins very sadly for both Harry and Amanda, our protagonists, who've both lost their spouses. Oriana, Amanda's daughter, seeks solace for the loss of her father in fairy tales, aided by the "witchy" local librarian. Their lives collide a year later as each of the three tries to find a solution for their grief.This is a beautiful story, set against the backdrop of the Endless Mountains in Pennsylvania. I was surprised to find it an actual place and perfect for Harry who has loved trees most of his life. Every character has an important place in the book and multiple stories weave their way through the story. Even the minor characters have satisfying endings, which one doesn't always find and I enjoy.And of course, there's a lot of symbolism and magic - not overt, no wands or mystical spells - but the best and worst part of fairy tales: red coats, portentous feathers, heroes and villains, and significant coincidences. This is one of those books I'll reread. It's a wonderful story about hope and love.“Because it’s worth it. Worth the risk and the pain. Of all the glorious enchantments of this world—spring, snow, laughter, red roses, dogs, books—love is by far the best.”
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What a sweet, sweet book! I happened upon it quite by accident, and didn’t realize until I was halfway through just how much I needed to read a story about the goodness in people. Bravo, Mr. Cohen.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Mesmerizing.I finished this book several days ago and still have not found the words within that could possibly convey how deeply this book has touched me.I love trees and although I never had a treehouse I was blessed to grow up in a yard filled with a variety of different trees that my parents planted over the years. At one period in my life driving through a section of Valley Forge National Park every morning on the way to work was actually a shortcut from my home to work. It was a glorious experience especially in the springtime to watch dogwood trees from initial buds to the magnificence of full blooms. This is a story for all who love trees or who have escaped at one time or another to their own quiet place.I am a former librarian so the beautiful character portrayal of Olive was a special treasure highlighting her love of the library, her genuine delight to share the library with all who enter through the doors, and her suggestion to those she has not yet seen inside the possibilities available with a library card. Olive knows it is often the librarian that has the insight to help a patron of any age discover "the right book at the right time."It especially conveys that adults and children trying to find their way to heal their grieving hearts may take different paths as regardless of age each heart heals in its own way. Even as a person is grieving he/she can help another. It is a story of hope that is beautifully written.There are also other ways in which the book touched my heart but will remain in safekeeping in my heart and private for my thoughts alone. Suffice it to say I rarely read a novel more than once as I will never read all the titles on my tbr list including those I've yet to add. Yet I think that each time I read this novel I would be nurtured.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    "Harry's Trees" by Jon Cohen is a wonderful step into small-town America with all its characters and flaws, but also the relationships, caring, and life that only small towns have. Fairy tales, grief from the loss of loved ones, and working together to help each other get through day-to-day lives are just some of the circumstances in this novel about regret, redemption, and newfound hope. The novel is witty, charming, unpredictable, and engaging; the ending is better than hoped for. You laugh out loud with the antics of the townspeople. You "boo" the villains. You cheer on the heroes. All the time waiting to see how each situation is handled. I recommend this book as a perfect way to pass a rainy day and put aside your worries for a day. I hope Jon Cohen writes another book. I will be the first in line to read it.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book would have been better if it was shorter. The story started out with a nice steady flow. Realistic characters, with well thought out back stories, come together in an unusual way while dealing with traumatic loss. Poignant and a bit humorous at times, the story is a heartwarming blend of supernatural karma and real life situations. But about a third of the book could have been scrapped, as it started to drag and the story grew tiresome. By the end, I had lost interest in everyone in the book. I had so looked forward to reading this novel, and am very disappointed that what could have been a wonderful story lost traction.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Very much a fairy tale -- and contains one within the text, (the Grum's Ledger) which is an interesting approach. Harry is bereft due to a personal tragedy in his life. He ends up in the woods in Susquehenna County, PA, a natural place for this forester to retreat to ("he had that lovely feeling, a slow return to certainty he hadn't had in a very long time") and he then ends up in the lives of Amanda and Oriana Jeffers who have suffered a tragedy of their own. How their lives intersect and what results is really a pleasant read that has a great cast of supporting characters: Olive Perkins, the town librarian ("the ghost who kept the library lights burning and Voracious Reader First Class"), Ronnie, a misfit guardian angel for the Jeffers, Wolf, Harry's 'evil' brother. The underlying lesson here is whatever you give away/let go of (money, grief, fear) frees you. Harry learns this with Oriana's help. She is devoted to fairy tales and their outcome and in her innocent 12-year-old way, leads him to some simple truths. Also a bright spot are some of Olive's observations and reflections about the role of stories. "What else is a library, but a temple of truth? What other functions do books have, the great ones, but to change the reader? Books to comfort. But most of all, books to disturb you forward." and "To every story, we bring the story of ourselves." Many of the characters turn into heroes and the ending is satisfying in the way it all knits together. A few spots are a little too sappy/one-dimensional, but overall a refreshing read for adults.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I absolutely loved this. I would classify it as an adult fairy tale. There is talk of fairies, the afterlife, trees, books and libraries, gold, and true love.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Harry's Trees by Jon Cohen is a magical novel of healing and redemption.

    Harry Crane loathes his boring, bureaucratic job with the Forestry Service that keeps him tied to a desk. Beth, his wife of fourteen years, encourages him to follow his dream of owning his own business but he wants financial security before he quits his job. As he is making his weekly lottery purchase, a construction accident leads to the tragic loss of his wife. Harry's older brother, Wolf, steamrolls him into suing the construction for negligence soon after her death. Not caring about the outcome of the lawsuit, Harry spends the next year living in a fog of grief and guilt as mourns his loss.

    Near the tract of woods that Harry manages from his computer, Dean Jeffers, his wife Amanda and Oriana are blissfully happy until tragedy strikes. Amanda is grieving her loss but her main concern is how Oriana is dealing with the devastating blow life has dealt them. Oriana roams the woods where she and her beloved father spent time together and voraciously reading the fairy tales she checks out from the local library. This mature for her age ten year old and Harry's lives suddenly  intersect after his lawsuit is unexpectedly settled and together, they figure out what to do with his stunning windfall.

    Oriana and Harry's relationship is quite endearing as they plot and scheme together after Harry finally reads The Grum Ledger. Amanda is delighted at the changes in her daughter and she, too, finds herself charmed by their unexpected guest.  With Amanda's help, Harry begins to emerge from his grief, but his guilt over his self-perceived role in Beth's death remains. Both he and Oriana believe The Grum Ledger holds the key to their redemption.

    Several secondary characters also figure heavily in the unfolding story. Librarian Olive Perkins is a wise soul whose life revolves around the library that she dearly loves.  Ronnie Wilmarth keeps an eye on both Amanda and Oriana in an effort to assuage his guilt that he was not with Dean when his friend needed him most. Wolf is self-absorbed and he has an ulterior motive in helping Harry with the lawsuit. Real estate agent Stu Giptner is cast as the villain in the novel and he is a bit of a caricature as he attempts to orchestrate his way into making a fortune.

    Harry's Trees by  Jon Cohen is a lovely redemptive tale but some of the passages are a bit meandering and not essential to the storyline. Harry, Oriana and Amanda are truly delightful characters and their interactions are incredibly heartwarming. The plot has a wonderful magical feel to it but the villainous aspect is somewhat inane. The novel concludes with an uplifting, sigh worthy happily ever after that will melt readers hearts.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    When Harry Crane's wife dies suddenly and tragically, he is unable to cope. Harry works for the Forest Service in Philadelphia, but he never gets anywhere near a forest. much to his chagrin. Prompted by a startling win in a wrongful death lawsuit, Harry escapes to the Endless Mountains of Northcentral Pennsylvania. There he meets Amanda and her daughter Oriana who have also recently suffered a great loss. Harry moves into their treehouse, and Oriana convinces him that his future happiness is dependent on following the example in a mysterious fairytale called Grum's Ledger, given to her by Olive, the town iibrarian. This is a heartwarming story about love and grief and friendship, which will leave you smiling.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I work in a public library, and one day, a patron returned this book, telling me I should definitely read it. She said that a good portion of the story involves an old librarian and a library struggling to stay open. Right there, I was hooked.

    Once I began this story, I knew I was going to love it. I love the way it is written, interweaving fairy tales in with modern day, true-to-life situations. The characters are developed so well, I think I could travel into the forest and nearby town in this story, and I'd find them all there. They're so very real.

    Indeed, there is an old librarian and a struggling library in this story, but there's so much more. There's a great love of nature present, especially a love of trees. Being a self-proclaimed "tree hugger," this book was right up my alley!

    If you're at all into fairy tales, or libraries, or the idea of good winning over evil, I'd say you should pick this book up!!!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Harry Crane and Amanda Jeffers both lost their spouses on the same day. Amanda is recovering better than Harry, mostly because she has a daughter to take care of. Harry is mired in grief and guilt, compounded when his brother strong arms him into filing a lawsuit over his wife's death. He runs away to the forest where he encounters Amanda's daughter, a meeting that changes his life. Magical and charming. Some points off for some awkward characterization but otherwise a nice story about handling loss, grief, guilt, and redemption.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Harry has always loved trees and found them a comforting presence, so he went to work with the Forest Service. Then he found himself stuck behind a desk for years, putting information into a computer and never seeing the outdoors. When his beloved wife dies in a horrible accident, it upends his entire world. He leaves his home and job, and finds himself in the Endless Mountains in Pennsylvania. This is where he runs into Amanda and Oriana. Amanda is a young widow, a nurse scrambling to make ends meet and deal with her daughter’s grief and insistence that her father will return from the dead. In the Endless Mountains forest, her father had built her an amazing tree house, weather tight and good sized, the kind of tree house that we all dreamed about as kids. Amanda decides to allow Harry to stay in the tree house for a while, as he sorts himself out, and helps Oriana sort herself out. They end up on an amazing adventure with a mysterious fairy tale book, an invincible librarian, sacks of gold, and multiple enemies to defeat. It’s a brilliant story, a fairy tale on a modern scale, where the trees are as important as the people, where a little girl with a red coat is the bravest, and where the Wolf talks to the dog. The writing made me feel like the world was illuminated with golden light despite the people who were greedy. I was so sad when the book ended; not because it ends sadly but because I had to walk away from that world. Five stars.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What a refreshing book this was in times of a troubled world, a book telling us facts and tales of trees and a little mystical magic thrown in. You can read the story of a young girl who looses her father at a young age and a man who needs to believe in something other then his tragic circumstances. You can believe in as much magic or coincidence, just a pleasant journey with the characters Jon Cohen introduces to us. Well done.