Set in the 60s and 70s, Mother Trees by G. G. Grit is told through the eyes of a young and perceptive Bernadette Sylvie Van der Haar. Berti is born in Louisiana and soon becomes aware of the cruelty so present in the world around her. She wakes up one night to see a cross burning in their compound. Despite not fully grasping the message intended by the perpetrators, she begins to question their motive. In school, she becomes friend with Roger, a bubbly African American boy with a gift in music and whose friendship Berti will cherish forever. Still, she does not understand why so many adults judge others by the color of their skin and pass on their attitude to their children. As the story continues, Berti begins to identify the underlying insecurities that lie within many. She is, however, determined to change their outlook and defend her friends.

G. G. Grit’s Mother Trees is amazingly profound not only to children but also to adults. The main character, Berti, is loving and strong-minded. Her naivety and innocence create an opportunity to see the world in an uncomplicated way and to view people for who they are. The book also explores themes prominent in the era and exposes the challenges of standing for truth in a culture accustomed to segregation. The conversations are entertaining and they carry powerful truths. Mother Trees inspires courage and love even in a world more familiar to hate. It is timely and a must-read for anyone who wants to be motivated to stand for love, truth and the acceptance of diversity.

Mother Trees by G. G. Grit is a historical fiction novel set in the second half of the twentieth century in America. It is set in Louisiana during the era of the Civil Rights movements and desegregation. In the story, Berti is a young white girl living in Louisiana with her siblings and family. In the early days of desegregation in schools and neighborhoods, as a child she observes certain realities and discrimination based on race or religion. In the beginning of the book itself, we get a sense of this as we witness a cross burning as an intimidation tactic commonly used in those days. As she questions her family and tries to understand these realities, she also gets to know her black classmates as well as some black neighbors, which also helps to form her own opinion about humanity and equality. This is a richly woven story about racism in America mainly through the eyes of a young white girl growing up in this environment.

I really liked Mother Trees and thought that the author has done a great job in bringing alive a picture in front of our eyes of the era of segregation and the Civil Rights movement. Many younger people of the current generation don’t know what racism and sexism looked 100 years or even 50 years ago. Books like these can be greatly useful for educational purposes. At the same time, the fast-paced, engaging, thought-provoking writing style makes this a good read as well and I didn’t even realize when I finished the book since it kept me so engrossed. All of the characters are quite well drawn and Berti especially brings just the right amount of maturity as well as child-like curiosity in her character. I would recommend this book!