The Witness Tree
"The author is a talented writer who is most proficient at fast-paced prose and a plot that fuses history with suspense. A brisk epic wrapped in a character-driven mystery that historical fiction fans will savor."
Included in the November 2021 Edition of Kirkus Review Magazine
The BookLife Prize (the Independent Subsidiary of Publishers Weekly)
" ...so engrossing at times that it is easy to become as lost in the past as Breanne. The Witness Tree is a lovely historical drama that is beautifully written and a joy to read."
Rated 9.25 out of 10
"A touching, tightly woven tale that lovers of historical fiction will hate to miss."
"Steinmetz is an expert at characterization: she deftly takes readers into dark places, letting her characters struggle with acute trauma and grief while showing readers the complexity and richness of Abigail’s stoicism and of Breanne’s arduous progression toward self-realization."
Received the BookView Gold Badge for Recommended Read
Codename: Sob Story
"Jena Steinmetz, who began this as-told-to memoir as a project for her English degree, deftly captures her grandfather’s language and personality, as if readers are listening across the kitchen table."
