Not sure about this new format. I figured I would stop by to bookmark this thread. I have placed the bookmark, but it isn’t showing in my bookmark section. Has anyone successfully bookmarked?
I bookmarked two threads and they show up as bookmarks under my avatar. 
1 Like
Thanks, Marilyn! Found it!
If you scroll down to the last post in a topic , there is a bar underneath the thread, with a book mark icon, it’s been working for me.
2 Likes
On my iPad, there are three dots with the icons. I have to click that to reveal the bookmark icon.
Also, I always use in landscape mode so have no idea (yet) of any differences in portrait mode.
Well - I see I’ve withdrawn a post and it will be automatically deleted in 24 hours unless flagged. Not that I really care but I didn’t withdraw a post or, if I did, I have no idea how.
Not a fan of this format. I’ll talk to you all tomorrow, but really – not a fan. I wonder what the objective of this change was.
1 Like
Just finished the book. Have tried my MacBook laptop, iPhone, and iPad. None any easier for CC. Will try tomorrow again.
It’s December 1st! Welcome to our discussion of Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen.
Well, we wanted escapist fiction to carry us away from pandemic realities, and we got it! This was a fun and quick read and I was happy for the break.
For a book that’s not particularly well-known (at least I hadn’t heard of it before it was suggested by @ignatius), there were quite a lot of discussion questions available. I’ll post two sets. As usual, you can either use them for inspiration, or ignore them entirely.
Discussion Questions set #1 (LitLovers)
How would you describe Harry—what kind of man is he? To what extent is his guilt over Beth’s accident self-imposed: is his self-blame senseless or understandable? What is the irony of Harry’s work as an analyst given his love of trees?
Talk about the way Harry’s life has been shaped by his childhood. How would you describe that childhood—his parents, brother, and general upbringing? For young Harry, what do trees come to represent?
Harry’s Trees is based on the belief that “the ordinary world is extraordinary, all the time, for everyone.” What is meant by the “ordinary” world, and does that world have special meaning for you?
In a BookPage interview, Cohen has said, "I truly believe that when you are in love or when you grieve, you cross a line and see the world in an altered way.” Do you agree with Cohen? How does Cohen’s observation play out in his novel? Have you ever had the kind of experience that has altered your perception of the world?
What does Oriana’s world look like as she wanders the woods after her father’s death? Would you consider her mature or immature for a 10-year old?
This novel is very much about the power of books in our lives. How does the author portray their significance?
What draws Harry and Oriana together? How are their two minds or souls matched? Oriana sees Harry’s appearance in her life as a sign. A sign of what? What does Harry see in Oriana?
What creates the magical feel to this otherwise realistic novel? The book asks the question, where does reality end and magic take over? Where do you think the lines are drawn…in the book and /or in real life? What roles do chance or luck play in our lives?
Other than the lottery winnings, how are the characters transformed by the end of the novel?
1 Like
Discussion Questions set #2 (Bookbub)
In many classic tales, gold is at the heart of the story (Rumplestiltskin, Smaug’s gold in The Hobbit, King Midas’s golden touch, etc). Gold is often hoarded and fought over. But Harry gives his gold away. How does Harry’s golden journey affect him and ripple outward to test friendships in this book?
A number of characters in the novel had childhood encounters with books (Stu’s The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Ronnie’s stolen Treasure Island, Cliff peeking at an art book, Oriana’s fairy tales, etc). Do you have a special book that you treasured as a child? Or a special place that you read? Or a special person who read to you?
Amanda is a powerhouse, dynamic and forceful. And yet she ultimately falls for Harry, who is not. Why?
We all do something called magical thinking. We’re at a wedding, say, and it’s been raining. But just as the ceremony starts, the sun comes out. We smile because the marriage is now somehow blessed. Lucky coins, lucky numbers – we constantly imbue the ordinary with special meaning. Name some instances in Harry’s Trees where a character engages in magical thinking, connects dots that are merely coincidences.
Is there any actual magic in this book? If not, then why does it feel magical? How is this accomplished?
Often, during the course of our lives, the world feels subjectively different – for instance, when we are in love, or when we grieve. Can emotions temporarily transform the world into a magical place?
According to Harry, "Everybody’s got a special tree, whether currently as an adult, or a tree from childhood.” Many people have a memorable tree in their life: a childhood tree they used to climb, a shade tree in their grandparents’ yard, a tree they like to watch come into blossom after a long winter, a tree planted to commemorate something or someone. Do you have a significant tree in your life, or the memory of one? What is it about humans and our love for trees?
Why do trees feel magical versus, say, an azalea bush or a tomato plant? Is it their size? Is it the memories they evoke? Why do we travel to see the giant redwoods? Why do we take trips in the fall to see the maples turn red and orange? Is it simply the call of beauty? Or are we looking for magic?
How and why does the power dynamic change between Harry and Wolf over the course of the novel?
Is it right that even Wolf gets a little moment of grace at the end of the novel, or did you want him to pay more of a price for being a bully?
Fairy tales have been around forever. What’s their appeal, and how does Harry’s Trees use the fairy tale form either in a traditional way or with a twist? Did the fairy tale elements work for you?
Harry , Oriana, Amanda and Ronnie are all suffering the profound loss of a loved one throughout the story. What message does this novel send about the process of grieving? Can you relate to how Harry grieves?
Many readers have commented that reading Harry’s Trees has reaffirmed their faith in humanity. They feel the novel is an antidote to all the bad news in today’s world. Do you share a similar feeling of inspiration?
- What creates the magical feel to this otherwise realistic novel? The book asks the question, where does reality end and magic take over? Where do you think the lines are drawn…in the book and/or in real life? What roles do chance or luck play in our lives?
“This otherwise realistic novel”? Ha! For me, there was barely a shred of realism in the book. Maybe the fact that the characters were humans and not hobbits, but that’s about it. Harry’s Trees is not just about fairy tales, it is a fairy tale unto itself. I had to stop myself from viewing plot developments with a critical eye, lest examining the utter impossibility of it all spoil the mood.
I think reality and magical thinking are intertwined throughout the novel, and one of the messages of the story is, “We make the magic.” The characters in this novel are healed and guided because of actions taken by other people, not because someone waved a wand or cast a spell. It feels like magic because it leads to transformation. The story reminds us that our actions have enormous power to affect others.
4 Likes
I saw it as weirdly seesawing between quite realistic and not realistic at all. There was a solidity to the descriptions of people, of their jobs, of trees, of buildings. That said, I never really believed in Oriana who is the lynch pin of the book. Despite all that, I loved it anyway. And I really liked what happened to Wolf, I hope he finds some redemption.
6 Likes
Found this article and Jon Cohen wrote
. “ “There’s not a single thing in there that can’t happen,” Cohen observes. “The world is imbued with a little magic. But I made darn sure that there were real-world explanations for what seem like magical events.” “
1 Like
There was a whole lot of incredible coincidence in the book. (Deaths on the same day, “random” gold delivery, Wolf contacting Stu as real estate agent, etc etc). But there also was a whole lot of realistic human character traits. I liked the book and am glad to have read it.
1 Like
From the author interview posted above:
It’s no accident that both a librarian and a nurse are major players in **Harry’s Trees** . Those two details help explain Cohen’s unique career trajectory. He was raised by a children’s librarian mother and an English professor father who was a renowned Herman Melville scholar.Ironically, he didn’t write in high school or college. “Not a single story,” Cohen says. He earned an English degree at Connecticut College, but after working as a hospital orderly during a college gap year, he made an unexpected move and obtained a second degree in nursing.
“That ignited everything,” Cohen says. “My 10 years as a registered nurse—working on a cancer ward and then ICU/CCU—that turned me into a storyteller.
“My job was to help people in crisis,” he elaborates. “So many personalities, so many ways to cope, so many intimate and amazing details. So much life. [It was] narrative, action, a ticking clock, something at stake—all right there in a hospital room.
I imagine that’s why both @mathmom and @Colorado_mom noted the solid character traits.
(You wouldn’t believe - or maybe you would - how long it took me to figure out add that quote from the interview. Getting off for a bit - I’m stressed. 
)
5 Likes
I read this interview a while back and thought it was really fascinating. I think some of the best novelists do something else for a while, and many of them have had an odd collection of jobs.
2 Likes
@ignatius What was the secret? (to quoting) The quote marks don’t work and the two bulletin board methods I know didn’t seem to either.
@mathmom: Truthfully I have no idea and doubt I could do it again quickly.
I too had to tamp down the urge to critically evaluate the events in the plot, but I found this book refreshing - a great choice to balance the darkness in the world these days and maybe even let me hope for a little magic.
I’m interested in the peripheral characters. The guy who works in the cubicle next to Harry. Ronnie, whose guardian angel instinct ends up protecting Oriana, and who is doing the hard, non magical work of repairing the world (or at least the library). Cliff and Hoop.
And I have to admit to checking out the trees in my neighborhood to see who Susquehanna Santa might visit if he came to town. Regrettably, the power company’s trimming schedule and a recent tornado have made it more challenging.
2 Likes
Regarding realism- first chapter when Beth is tragically killed is based on true event, about walls/ building collapse in philadelphia.
Some years ago, I was at the Philadelphia art museum with a friend and got frantic texts from my cousin worried that I may be near the building that collapsed in the city near the museum.
It wasn’t at 3rd and Market where Harry and Beth were, but it really happened,
5 Likes