WHAT THE TREES REMEMBER

In Cutter’s historical novel, the elderly survivor of a hurricane reflects on the past.

The story opens in 1969, with 93-year-old Dora Minor huddling in her bedroom with her two dogs as they weather Hurricane Camille, which killed 141 people as it ripped through Nelson County, Virginia. Entire towns were demolished, and the forest floor was “[peeled] away like burnt skin.” When Dora realizes she’s survived, she’s grateful to have enough supplies to last until rescue crews arrive—the storm has resulted in deep mud that makes any kind of recovery very slow. Alone, Dora finds her thoughts tumbling back through the years to the late 19th century and her grandmother Alma, whose son, Tom, marries the beautiful Italian woman Ella, who’s strangely anxious about Dora’s birth. Tragically, Ella dies shortly after her daughter arrives, and Alma and Tom raise the little girl as best they can. Their mountaintop community includes Randolph and Ginny Dudley, a free Black couple, as well as the James brothers—Zeke, Eb, and the eccentric Watcher. In their interactions with their neighbors and their activities in the nearby town of Lovingston, it’s evident that Alma and Tom hold enlightened views about religion, science, and human rights; others, such as banker Will Grundy and lawyer Richard McKimmie, don’t agree with or understand them. A long chain of sad events presages a murder. While much of the story is based on historical records rendered with authentic detail, there’s so much exposition—particularly the details of Dora’s childhood wanderings—that some characterizations feel rushed, and the eventual discovery of a family secret seems misplaced in the narrative. Still, the book reminds readers that the American South was never monolithic, and that those who keep their hearts open to others may reap the kind of profits that can’t be found in a bank.

This story of indomitable women will find fans who love books by Kathleen Grissom and Sue Monk Kidd.