Adoption Book Review: "The Olive Tree"

It’s Day 4 of Book Review Week here at Exploring Adoption. Each day, I’m reviewing a recently-published adoption book, beginning with books for toddlers and working my way up to books for adults.

I’m giving away a copy of today’s featured book, The Olive Tree. To enter the drawing, simply post a comment telling why you would like to receive the book.

The Olive Tree: The Enchanting Journey of a Dove’s Life in the Holy Land 2000 Years Ago (Simpatico Books, 2005)
By Georgene Freedman

“There once was an ordinary turtle dove named Esther who had a pretty extraordinary problem. Doves are always found in pairs, but Esther never found another dove to share her life with.”

Thus begins the adventures of Esther the dove, who discovers a charming garden called “Gethsemane” and decides to make it her home. She notices a nest perched in a majestic old olive tree—an abandoned nest that contains one beautiful egg.

For days, Esther devotedly guards the egg, until the new hatchling emerges. Esther and her (adopted) daughter, Lovey, spend many wonderful days together until one morning, disaster strikes. Esther is captured by a human and placed in a basket. Esther, it seems, is intended to be used as a sacrificial offering to God at the temple.

Alone and scared, Lovey senses her mother assuring her that she now lives in God’s special garden in heaven, and that Lovey must fulfill an important purpose in her own life.

Lovey leaves her beautiful garden, and before long, she comes upon the town of Bethlehem, where she spots a comfortable-looking stable. She builds a nest in the rafters. Several months later, on a star-filled night, a man leading a donkey carrying a woman arrives at the stable. The woman gives birth to a baby boy, and for the first time in a very long time, Lovey coos. Her cooing lulls the newborn baby to sleep.

Lovey has begun to fulfill her purpose in life; a purpose that continues until the last evening of Jesus’ life, when he comes to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray to his Heavenly Father before becoming the gift ‘offering’ for all mankind.

The Olive Tree is most appropriate for early elementary-age readers; it’s heavier on text than a typical picture book, includes some frightening moments, and introduces more complex theology.

The writing seemed theologically sound, except for the phrase that “animals and humans must earn their way to paradise by always treating others with love, respect and kindness—and being godly.” This doesn’t mesh with the theology that comes later in the book, which suggests that Jesus is the ‘offering’ for all mankind (Maybe it’s pre- and post-Jesus theology; I couldn’t tell from the text).

According to scripture, Jesus’s sacrifice—that of offering his own life on the cross—atones for our sins once and for all. We no longer have to “earn” our way to paradise, and we don’t get to heaven by being kind, loving, and godly. We are welcomed into God’s adoptive family when we confess our shortcomings and invite Jesus to be our savior.

Okay, I’ll jump down off my soapbox now. Overall, The Olive Tree is an intriguing book that presents adoption—and the ability to love a child one doesn’t birth—as a normal part of life. Using the backdrop of the Garden of Gethsemane, the author weaves a tale of love, as seen through the eyes of a turtledove.

Don’t forget to post a comment to be entered in the drawing to win this book. The winner will be announced May 1, 2007.

For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com, and check out my Exploring Adoption bookstore.

Other Reviews in this Series:
Welcome Home, Forever Child

…And Baby Makes a Family

I Bet She Called Me Sugar Plum

Comments

[Paula]

I think this would be a great book for my daughters (ages 11 and 10) to read now, and then later for my 7 year old daughter. Our family is hoping to adopt a boy, and this book would be great to have. Not to mention, the biblical base to it sounds wonderful - my husband is a pastor and would love to see the girls reading a book with biblical references.

[alisonmaat]

I came across your blog while searching out adoption ministries, I have a deep conviction to start a ministry in our own church and am just gathering resources on how to go about it.(It seems so overwhelming and I just don't know where to start) We brought our son home from Russia this past July. God Bless you in your ministry!! Thanks for all the information.