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linseyr's review against another edition
3.0
At times, the characters were hard to keep straight, and there were many questions left unanswered at the end of this book.
nessaf's review against another edition
3.0
There are five generations of women in the family and the youngest, Erin, comes home pregnant. I liked the perspectives from so many generations but I feel like the stories were not tied together in the end. I felt let down when I was done reading.
supera710's review against another edition
3.0
I recieved an Early Reviewer Copy of The Roots of the Olive Tree from Harper Collins.
I was interested in hearing about the 5 generations of Keller women, and the longevity of their lives due to the olive orchard they've lived on and cultivated for as many generations. Truth be told, I was almost hoping to learn a few secrets, ha! It started a little slow for me, but caught my attention more after maybe 50 pages. I couldn't wait to hear more of he women's stories, and get some answers as to why Deb shot her husband, why Erin came home, what happened to Callie's leg? Unfortunately, not all my questions were answered, or at least not to the extent I feel they should have been. I can't help but wonder if this book would be better as multiple books, each focusing on one Keller woman at a time, and giving the readers her full story. All in all, not a bad book for the authors first, and I may pick up her next one.
I was interested in hearing about the 5 generations of Keller women, and the longevity of their lives due to the olive orchard they've lived on and cultivated for as many generations. Truth be told, I was almost hoping to learn a few secrets, ha! It started a little slow for me, but caught my attention more after maybe 50 pages. I couldn't wait to hear more of he women's stories, and get some answers as to why Deb shot her husband, why Erin came home, what happened to Callie's leg? Unfortunately, not all my questions were answered, or at least not to the extent I feel they should have been. I can't help but wonder if this book would be better as multiple books, each focusing on one Keller woman at a time, and giving the readers her full story. All in all, not a bad book for the authors first, and I may pick up her next one.
marla0505's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent read :) loved the women. The ending was a bit abrupt.
joanne_is_from_canada's review against another edition
4.0
This felt like such a gentle, meandering read. Not too much happened and there wasn't much conflict to resolve, but somehow I just felt really relaxed just enjoying day to day life with the women in the book.
ginbat's review
3.0
I was invested in the characters, a lot of things were just flat out painful and sad, but I do think it was well-written and a good book for those interested in mother-daughter bonds, ageing, and changing POVs.
brittsbooknook's review against another edition
3.0
I was really intrigued by the storyline and had high hopes for this book. But it was disappointing. It fell flat. Splat. :( I give it 3 stars for the unique idea. I was envisioning a different kind of story. I wish there had been more to it. The majority of the storyline was spent squabbling.
asealey925's review against another edition
3.0
In a Northern California olive grove lives the Keller family. Five generations of firstborn women. A remarkable family that has managed to catch the attention of a geneticist that wishes to learn how these women are aging so gracefully and staying alive for so long.
Anna, the head of the family, is 112, the second oldest woman in the world, with no sign of her spark going out anytime soon. She shares her home with her daughter, granddaughter, great granddaughter, and great great granddaughter. It's quite amazing! She knows that she's living longer than most women could ever dream to live, but she has no interest in having someone uncover the secrets to her longevity. In fact, she'd rather ALL of her secrets stayed buried deep.
The matriarch of the family isn't the only one carrying around secrets. Each of the women chooses to hide her true self from one another, made all the more complicated by the youngest woman, Erin, coming home pregnant. Oh, the drama!
Though, a quiet story, each of these women will get into your heart as they tell their stories. The setting within the olive orchard is no accident, bringing to light the deep roots of the family and the strong ties they have to one another, even if they can't always get along. Each woman is very different and well-developed, making it easy to tell one from the other and see the situation from each side.
I absolutely loved all the talk about the olive grove and oil and the different uses for it. Those aspects blend seamlessly into the family story, giving an extra dimension to the lives of these women. I really enjoyed it! Beautiful cover too!
Anna, the head of the family, is 112, the second oldest woman in the world, with no sign of her spark going out anytime soon. She shares her home with her daughter, granddaughter, great granddaughter, and great great granddaughter. It's quite amazing! She knows that she's living longer than most women could ever dream to live, but she has no interest in having someone uncover the secrets to her longevity. In fact, she'd rather ALL of her secrets stayed buried deep.
The matriarch of the family isn't the only one carrying around secrets. Each of the women chooses to hide her true self from one another, made all the more complicated by the youngest woman, Erin, coming home pregnant. Oh, the drama!
Though, a quiet story, each of these women will get into your heart as they tell their stories. The setting within the olive orchard is no accident, bringing to light the deep roots of the family and the strong ties they have to one another, even if they can't always get along. Each woman is very different and well-developed, making it easy to tell one from the other and see the situation from each side.
I absolutely loved all the talk about the olive grove and oil and the different uses for it. Those aspects blend seamlessly into the family story, giving an extra dimension to the lives of these women. I really enjoyed it! Beautiful cover too!
jenuinesunshine's review against another edition
5.0
This was an excellent book. The character transitions flow well. I love reading a fiction book that allows me to gain knowledge on different subjects.
erinosborne's review against another edition
3.0
Courtner Miller Santo! I absolutely adore this woman! She was my CrossFit coach in Memphis and is still one of my biggest role models! I have never read a book that was written by someone I know personally, so this was such a different reading experience for me. The characters were all complex and my opinions of them continuously changed. One second I was in love with one of them and the next I was so annoyed and angry. This book follows my 2020 pattern of reading books that revolve around female relationships, and it was just so much sweeter knowing that Courtney wrote it!