Beneath the Broken Oak by Lori Altebaumer
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Beneath the Broken Oak is a heart-pounding journey that kept me on the edge of my seat for much of the book. From the very beginning, vivid descriptions pulled me into the action of the story. I listened tensely to the scrape of a shovel under a dark night sky, felt the sting of regret in a seedy truck stop parking lot, and endured the terror of a brutal attack.
As the author builds tension, she deftly introduces new characters into the fray, moving from viewpoint to viewpoint to reveal the full scope of the story. She puts her cast through their paces, especially the woman at the story’s center, Jodee Trevaine.
In addition, Altebaumer layers the story across two different timelines, carefully stitched like quilt pieces that are finally united at the climactic end. The dual timeline is reminiscent of Louis Sachar’s Holes, in which events at the same location earlier in history impact the present story.
There are glimpses of the mysterious—perhaps even the supernatural—men who show up to save characters from the brink of death, then disappear, and well-placed comments from strangers delivered at just the right moment. These elements kept me riveted to the story, searching intently for explanations.
The novel weaves faith and Christianity throughout with a light hand. Blue Sunday’s struggle to prove himself after newfound sobriety and Jodee’s struggle with her identity provide insight into their growing faith, and prayer factors into the lives of several characters.
The one critique I have of the novel is the author’s use of the congenital heart defect Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. As someone with WPW, I noted that some of the key details about the condition were incorrect. It is rarely hereditary, and it is only lethal for 0.5 percent of untreated patients. Regardless of these inconsistencies, as a necessary plot device, it worked well.
I highly recommend Beneath the Broken Oak, especially for readers who enjoy a well-written thriller without profanity or explicit content.
If you enjoyed this book, you might enjoy watching: Holes, Texas Cotton, True Detective Season One*
*Please note the ratings of these before viewing.
You might also enjoy listening to:
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Terrific review! I’m sorry to hear about you having WPW, but it gave me a giggle because I thought the author surely said, “What are the chances?!” when she read your review. I agree she did a great job with bringing settings and actions to life via her rich descriptions.
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