num_pages: 192
description: The cover of this book is deceptively pastoral, because a world of casual brutality as well as timeless beauty awaits within its pages. Set in a Greek village during the Second World War, firmly under Nazi occupation, the story is seen &amp; recalled through the memories of a boy, well aware of cruelty &amp; injustice, yet also aware of the golden haze of tradition &amp; imagination. It's written in remarkable prose, which utilizes bold, even harsh strokes of sunlight &amp; shadow, while maintaining a gorgeous lyricism. The senses are all engaged in palpable detail &amp; immediacy, so that the reader is there in the midst of all that happens. At times this is almost unbearable; but such is the author's skill that we continue reading anyway.
language: English
title: When the Tree Sings
titlecomplete: When the Tree Sings
genres: Greece, War, Historical Fiction, Fiction
ratings_count: 73
awards: awardedAt: 315561600000
name: National Book Award Finalist
category: First Novel
publisher: Ballantine Books