When Grace Hammond Barnett is summoned to her parents' house one morning, she knows something is very wrong. That "something" turns out to be the double suicide of her mother and father. Throughout Grace's life, her parents have been cold and unforgiving to her and her younger sister, Melanie. Now the girls must come to grips with their parents' choice to end their lives without a word of explanation.
The reading of the will provides another surprise. Since 1950, the elder Hammonds have secretly owned a second home in upstate New York. Grace is now the sole owner of a house she never knew existed. She heads to the island cabin in search clues to her parents' past life. At the same time, local Luke Keegan introduces himself and reveals startling insights into Grace's past.
The Puzzle Bark Tree is an eastern red pine growing on the Hammond's island. The tree's ability to flourish in a harsh environment is a metaphor for Grace's own self-discovery, and it plays a sentimental role in the story.
Stephanie Gertler's novel easily breaks into three sections: the suicide and subsequent discussion of the Hammond's unfeeling dispositions, the discovery of family secrets and how they are handled, and the chemistry of forbidden love between Grace and Luke. The three major shifts don't connect smoothly, but the story still has a decent flow.
Gertler paints a strong picture of the heartless Hammond parents early in the novel. However, the portrait is so clear that it's hard to feel sympathy for them later when the reason for their pain is revealed. At the same time, the men in Grace's life are one dimensional. Grace's husband is the callous cardiac surgeon whose "wife's heart was the one thing he couldn't repair." Luke is part of that elusive species called an old-fashioned gentleman.
After the family secrets are revealed, The Puzzle Bark Tree settles into romance mode. There's clearly chemistry when Grace and widower Luke first meet. Readers should enjoy watching the couple fight their feelings while wondering if they'll ever succumb to temptation.
There are plenty of scenes orchestrated solely for the purpose of tugging at readers' heart strings. Much of the tale is predictable, though hopeless romantics shouldn't mind the familiar path treaded by the novel. After it's tragic beginning, the novel's ending is nice and cozy. If you like fairy tales, The Puzzle Bark Tree is the perfect bedtime story.
