The Tree in the Front Yard, by Kimberly Biller – A Review

The Tree in the Front Yard by Kimberly Biller

This is a delightful little tale! Sissy, the narrator, tells us how she’s always caught up in her parent’s drama. She’s spunky and maybe a little rambunctious, and a little Southern tomboy right down to the bone.

Her father drinks to excess, which leads to arguments in the house. Both parents attempt to pull her into the arguments and bully her into taking sides. But, Sissy has an escape; a big tree out front of the house from which she can observe the comings and goings of the entire neighborhood. One neighborhood character becomes a target for Sissy’s revenge. It’s interesting to see how it all plays out as we learn whether Sissy’s plans work or go awry.

There’s a great deal of humor in this story, but there’s also a great deal of pain just under the surface. Thanks to her environment, Sissy seems to be somewhat hardened and no-nonsense, well beyond her youthful eleven years. I really enjoyed reading this story and I particularly liked how Biller told it using the local dialect. Despite the bad grammar, or perhaps because of it, she has written a very endearing story. I was actually disappointed to reach the end. I’d really like to hear more of Sissy’s adventures! I recommend this story very highly!

I received a copy of The Tree in the Front yard from the author for review purposes.

You can find Kimberly and The Tree in the Front Yard here:

About Ol' Big Jim

Jim L Wright has been a storekeeper, an embalmer, a hospital orderly, and a pathology medical coder, and through it all, a teller of tall tales. Many of his stories, like his first book, New Yesterdays, are set in his hometown of Piedmont, Alabama. For seven years he lived in the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, Amman, Jordan where he spent his time trying to visit every one of the thousands of Ammani coffee shops and scribbling in his ever-present notebook. These days he and his husband, Zeek, live in a cozy little house in Leeds, Alabama. He’s still scribbling in his notebooks when he isn’t gardening or refinishing a lovely bit of furniture. His book, New Yesterdays, can be found at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble.

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