The Courage Tree by Diane Chamberlain

Reviewed by Elaine Williams

Sophie is an eight-year-old suffering from end-stage renal disease. Her mother, Janine, has enrolled Sophie in a controversial new medical trial in a desperate effort to save her life. Sophie's father, Joe, is against what he calls "using Sophie as a guinea pig." Sophie has done well enough on the herbal treatments to be able to go to her first sleep-away Girl Scout camp, also against her father's wishes. Janine is relieved and exhilarated to see her daughter finally enjoying life like other, "normal" children do-until she goes to pick Sophie up after the camp is over, and she is not among the children that get out of the returning van. It is immediately apparent that Sophie, one of the scout leaders, and another little girl are missing, and even if Sophie is alive, she will be in grave danger if she misses the dialysis she still needs.

This scenario, a parent's worst nightmare, is the beginning of Diane Chamberlain's The Courage Tree. Who has taken Sophie? The young, irresponsible scout leader she left the camp with? The convicted murderer who escaped from prison days before the little girls' disappearance, who was last seen in the woods near the scout camp? Or could it be the family gardener who keeps to himself and seemed a little too interested in Sophie back when he was hired? Chamberlain does an expert job of dealing with a topic that is foremost in many parents' minds, thanks to recent headlines: the kidnapping of a child. She shows what it is like for the victim's family: the suspicion and blame, the frustration with police, and the continuing hope that the child will be found unharmed. Subplots complicating the action include the ex-husband's desire to get back together with Janine, Janine's relationship with the suspicious gardener and with her unforgiving parents, and the question of whether Janine's active duty during the Gulf War exposed her to the mysterious Gulf War syndrome, causing her child to become seriously ill. We also see the relationship between Zoe, the mother of the prison escapee, and her daughter, whom she believes is innocent. By exploring relationships between all of these characters, Chamberlain illustrates how guilt and misunderstandings shape so many of our decisions. In the book, the gardener offers Sophie a flower from the courage tree. If she sleeps with the flower under her pillow, she will be brave when she wakes up. The Courage Tree itself is a symbol of what each character needs, whether it be the courage to face a terminal disease, the courage to love again, or the courage to stand up for oneself when no one else believes you can.

Diane Chamberlain lives in Virginia and has authored nearly one book a year since 1989. For more information, see her website at www.dianechamberlain.com