Genre Fiction
![Una Mannion - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B09B8MC42V.jpg)
A Crooked Tree: A Novel
A haunting, suspenseful literary debut that combines a classic coming of age story with a portrait of a fractured American family dealing with the fallout of one summer evening gone terribly wrong.
"The night we left Ellen on the road, we drove up the mountain in silence."
It is the early 1980s and fifteen-year-old Libby is obsessed with The Field Guide to the Trees of North America, a gift her Irish immigrant father gave her before he died. She finds solace in "The Kingdom," a stand of red oak and thick mountain laurel near her home in suburban Pennsylvania, where she can escape from her large and unruly family and share menthol cigarettes and lukewarm beers with her best friend.
One night, while driving home, Libby's mother, exhausted and overwhelmed with the fighting in the backseat, pulls over and orders Libby's little sister Ellen to walk home. What none of this family knows as they drive off leaving a twelve-year-old girl on the side of the road five miles from home with darkness closing in, is what will happen next.
A Crooked Tree is a surprising, indelible novel, both a poignant portrayal of an unmoored childhood giving way to adolescence, and a gripping tale about the unexpected reverberations of one rash act.
"The night we left Ellen on the road, we drove up the mountain in silence."
It is the early 1980s and fifteen-year-old Libby is obsessed with The Field Guide to the Trees of North America, a gift her Irish immigrant father gave her before he died. She finds solace in "The Kingdom," a stand of red oak and thick mountain laurel near her home in suburban Pennsylvania, where she can escape from her large and unruly family and share menthol cigarettes and lukewarm beers with her best friend.
One night, while driving home, Libby's mother, exhausted and overwhelmed with the fighting in the backseat, pulls over and orders Libby's little sister Ellen to walk home. What none of this family knows as they drive off leaving a twelve-year-old girl on the side of the road five miles from home with darkness closing in, is what will happen next.
A Crooked Tree is a surprising, indelible novel, both a poignant portrayal of an unmoored childhood giving way to adolescence, and a gripping tale about the unexpected reverberations of one rash act.
Editorial Reviews
"Beautifully written with tenderness and wisdom, A Crooked Tree is at once an urgent, propulsive study of grief, anger, and family secrets, and a tightly wound coming-of-age story filled with complexity and grace. This is an accomplished book, and Libby Gallagher is one of the best young narrators I've met in years." -- Elizabeth Wetmore, New York Times bestselling author of Valentine
"The menace in this moody, meticulously plotted debut lies not in preposterous plot twists, but within the mysteries of dysfunctional families, close-knit neighborhoods harboring dark secrets, and adolescents' imperfect and sometimes disastrous, understanding of the world of adults." -- Sarah Lyall, The New York Times Book Review
"A brilliant novel. Every page is rich in atmosphere, every character is vividly described." -- Sara Baume, author of Spill Simmer Falter Wither
"A Crooked Tree is a fiercely compelling novel about young people staring into a gritty adult world and fighting for their place in it. I couldn't stop reading because I had to find out what happened to these kids. Una Mannion shoots the lights out with this thrilling literary debut." -- Patrick Ryan, author The Dream Life of Astronauts
"Suspenseful, affecting, and disarmingly evocative of childhood and the not-so-distant era of the 1980s." -- Kirkus Reviews
"I was quickly brought under the spell of this novel, which is filled with pathos, nostalgia, and the best kind of suspense. Una Mannion has beautifully captured the experience of being a child on the verge of adulthood, struggling to fill in the gaps in her understanding of the world around her without much help or mentorship. This is a novel about the way that adults fail children, but also about the moment a child first understands that the adults around her are human--and the empathy that comes with that realization." -- Liz Moore, New York Times bestselling author of Long Bright River
"A Crooked Tree is completely entrancing-as suspenseful as a good thriller, steeped in an aching nostalgia but unflinchingly sharp-sighted. I tore through this novel." -- Julia Pierpont, New York Times bestselling author of Among the Ten Thousand Things
"The menace in this moody, meticulously plotted debut lies not in preposterous plot twists, but within the mysteries of dysfunctional families, close-knit neighborhoods harboring dark secrets, and adolescents' imperfect and sometimes disastrous, understanding of the world of adults." -- Sarah Lyall, The New York Times Book Review
"A brilliant novel. Every page is rich in atmosphere, every character is vividly described." -- Sara Baume, author of Spill Simmer Falter Wither
"A Crooked Tree is a fiercely compelling novel about young people staring into a gritty adult world and fighting for their place in it. I couldn't stop reading because I had to find out what happened to these kids. Una Mannion shoots the lights out with this thrilling literary debut." -- Patrick Ryan, author The Dream Life of Astronauts
"Suspenseful, affecting, and disarmingly evocative of childhood and the not-so-distant era of the 1980s." -- Kirkus Reviews
"I was quickly brought under the spell of this novel, which is filled with pathos, nostalgia, and the best kind of suspense. Una Mannion has beautifully captured the experience of being a child on the verge of adulthood, struggling to fill in the gaps in her understanding of the world around her without much help or mentorship. This is a novel about the way that adults fail children, but also about the moment a child first understands that the adults around her are human--and the empathy that comes with that realization." -- Liz Moore, New York Times bestselling author of Long Bright River
"A Crooked Tree is completely entrancing-as suspenseful as a good thriller, steeped in an aching nostalgia but unflinchingly sharp-sighted. I tore through this novel." -- Julia Pierpont, New York Times bestselling author of Among the Ten Thousand Things
Readers Top Reviews
Kristen Mayock Don
Una Mannion honors her Irish heritage in her eloquent storytelling, transporting me back to my childhood stomping grounds. Parts of this story seemed semi-auto biographical and I found myself trying to discern the true identities of the characters. I loved all the references to actual roads, landmarks (the Sun Bowl & Swim Club) and events (4th of July Bike Parade)! It would be very cool to see this made into a movie. I hope Una keeps on writing because I can’t wait to read the next one!
Elizabeth M. Rishor
This book was recommended to me by a friend of ours. He actually is not a big reader he said but he always sees me reading and thought that I would really enjoy this one. I was so surprised that he read a book that he recommended that I read it just out of appreciation for the recommendation. It was a fantastic book, and I don’t regret it at all. It Wasn’t what I thought it would be at all and it was a great story and great characters. It’s one I will think about for a while.
Shanyn A.
This book wasn't what I had anticipated. I thought I was reading a story about a kidnapped girl. Instead, I was reminded of my sisters and all that I'd lost. Mansion takes us to heart of what family means without stereotypes or ghoulish tropes. I cried a d you will too. Its worth it.
Barry
Mannion’s ability to create characters and spin a tale can only make me hope there are more novels in the works. The book succeeds as a coming of age tale, a quiet thriller, and as a study in family dynamics. I enjoyed this read from page one, and I was sorry there wasn’t more when I finished. Highly recommended!
Wicked Wise
I could really relate to this 'coming of age' story, especially from the perspective of bi-country child. And, yes, I was kicked out of the car at a tender age to walk home. The author weaves together a mystery, childhood antics and pains of growing up. The crooked tree's roots are deep and it's a book that stays with one after it's read.
