About the Book

Title: What You Said to Me

Series: Tree of Life (Volume 4)

Author: Olivia Newport

Genre: Christian Fiction

Publisher: Shiloh Run Press

Release Date: November 1, 2020

Click here to purchase a copy of this novel for yourself.

Publisher's Book Description

"Book 4 in the Tree of Life Series: A Father-Daughter Genealogy Team Link Faith Journeys on Family Trees

When 15-year-old Tisha Crowder gets caught shoplifting, attorney Nolan Duffy tries to protect her from consequences that could rattle her already troubled life. His daughter, Jillian, feels like she’s the one being punished instead—by having Tisha assigned to work with her on a backlog of genealogy files. Tisha doesn’t seem interested in taking the job seriously, and Jillian’s patience wears thin. Besides, everyone in Canyon Mines knows the Crowder family has experienced generations of brokenness. Then a sliver of hope turns up in long-ago words in plain sight, challenging shrouded assumptions about Tisha’s family. Now Jillian is the one who can walk with Tisha back to 1893 and uncover where everything went wrong in the first place—and save her from the past.

What You Said to Me is the fourth book in the Tree of Life series by Olivia Newport. You’ll want to return to the lovely Colorado mountain town of Canyon Mines again and again to explore and celebrate unforgettable family stories that will inspire you to connect with your own family histories and unique faith journeys."

My Review

What You Said to Me, by Olivia Newport, is the fourth book in The Tree of Life series. I have been interested in this series for some time, and this book did not disappoint! Even though I have not yet read the first three books in the series, I was easily able to follow along with the story and characters in What You Said to Me. Beginning with the fourth book in the series in no way hampered my enjoyment of this novel. What You Said to Me is such an engaging story, that I fully intend to read the other books in the series soon.

What You Said To Me is a compelling book with relevant storylines set in both the past and the present. With narrative threads thoughtfully woven through the two timelines, Ms. Newport has crafted a story that is very moving and truly memorable. Set in a small town near Denver, Colorado, the integral setting is detailed and appealing. Within this setting, the characters in the story are authentic, vulnerable, and relatable. Their insecurities, motivations, and choices are wholly believable. Through a shared legacy of hurt and bitterness that has passed from generation to generation, the author explores themes of forgiveness, hope, and restoration. These important themes add depth and meaning to the story.

From the very first page, to its satisfying conclusion, I found this book to be quite special. What You Said to Me is a novel that uplifts even as it entertains. Worthy of attention, this book is well-written, thought-provoking, and intriguing. I eagerly recommend it.

I was given a copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. A review was not required. The review I have written is voluntary and contains opinions that are entirely my own.

About the Author: Olivia Newport

Olivia Newport’s novels twist through time to find where faith and passions meet. Her husband and twenty-something children provide welcome distraction from the people stomping through her head on their way into her books. She chases joy in stunning Colorado at the foot of Pikes Peak.

Click here to visit Olivia Newport's website.

More from Olivia

"Careful Words

'You didn’t just say that.' Or, 'I can’t believe you said that.'

Have you ever said that in retort to someone whose comment offended or wounded? I know I have. But what cuts me even more deeply is when I say to myself, “I can’t believe I just said that.”

The words of a parent at wit’s end, a spouse harboring hurt, a friend saddened by misunderstanding, an employee feeling undercut—they have all been my words. And they came out too fast to swallow back before they did their damage.

I hope I have also had the words of a parent who set aside busyness to listen, a spouse offering loving encouragement, a friend checking in with someone going through a tough patch, a coworker curious to see how I could help rather than compete. Those are the kinds of words I’ve never regretted, never had to repent of, never had to do rebuild from.

I certainly didn’t write What You Said to Me because I think I get it right all the time or even most of the time. Far from it! In our culture of rushing and achieving and—let’s face it, sometimes just getting through the demands of the day—sometimes our words are the last thing we are careful with. Yet they have the longest lasting consequence in our relationships and families—sometimes for generations. The dual-timeline story traces how words that injure became a pattern in one family line until one girl finally fought back to find healing for her future.

My challenge for myself, and all who read What You Said to Me, is to be the person who speaks healing words of hope so that “I can’t believe you said that” becomes “Thank you for saying that.”

If you have a particularly poignant experience of how another’s words impacted you, I’d love to hear from you.

Olivia Newport"