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The Sweet Gum Tree Paperback – July 3, 2017

by Katherine Allred (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,158 ratings
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Sweet tea, corn bread and soup beans; everyday fare for eight-year-old Alix French, the precocious darling of a respected southern family. But nothing was ordinary about the day she met ten-year-old Nick Anderson, a boy from the wrong side of town. Armed with only a tin of bee balm and steely determination, Alix treats the raw evidence of a recent beating that mars his back, an act that changes both their lives forever. Through childhood disasters and teenage woes they cling together as friendship turns to love. The future looks rosy until the fateful night when Frank Anderson, Nick’s abusive father, is shot to death in his filthy trailer. Suddenly, Nick is gone, leaving Alix alone, confused and pregnant. For the next fifteen years she wrestles with the pain of Nick’s abandonment, a bad marriage, her family and friends. But finally, she’s starting to get her life back together. Her divorce is almost final, her business is booming, and she’s content if not happy—until the day she looks up and sees Nick standing across the counter. He’s back, and he’s not alone. Once again Alix is plunged into turmoil and pain as Nick tries to win her love, something she resists with all her strength. Only one thing might break the protective wall she’s built around her emotions—the truth about Frank Anderson’s death. But when that truth comes out and those walls crumble, neither Alix nor Nick is prepared for the emotional explosion that could destroy as well as heal.
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  1. Print length
    316 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    July 3, 2017
  4. Dimensions
    5.25 x 0.71 x 8 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1973809826
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1973809821
  7. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 2nd edition (July 3, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 316 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1973809826
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1973809821
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.71 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,158 ratings

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Katherine Allred

Katherine Allred

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
3,158 global ratings
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Top reviews from the United States

Patriotmom
5.0 out of 5 stars Katherine Allred blew me away!!
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2012
Verified Purchase
I must give Katherine Allred her due credit, because she is an outstanding writer with an incredible gift for making the reader feel so completely entrenched in her story and her characters. Even if this book wasn't the most beautiful love story I've come across (but it absolutely is!!), just the remarkable way in which Allred shares the story had me wholly impressed.

The unforgettable story in The Sweet Gum Tree spans nearly three decades, allowing us to follow Nick and Alix's relationship from the very moment it begins. We see them as children for quite some time, watching as Alix's determination to show Nick he's worth a damn when he needs it most blossoms into the friendship of a lifetime. As they grew up and shared their lives together, being each other's supportive best friends turned into an attraction that neither of them could withstand. It would all have been perfect if it weren't for that one night, the night that took Alix's plans of a happy life with Nick and flushed it all away, leaving her alone and pregnant. Through unbearable heartache, Alix builds up a wall and becomes a shell of her former self. When Nick waltzes back into her life 15 years later, his Alix is hidden away beneath so many years of pain and anguish. Nick and Alix both have secrets to tell, and when it's all finally revealed it may be too much for any love to survive.

Nick Anderson. I can't even think about him right now without my heart racing and skipping a beat. I mean, honestly, I went through so many feelings for him as he grew from the sweet protective boy to the indescribably sexy yet tender love of Alix's life. I can't put words to the way I feel about him, he's without a doubt just THE perfect man that every woman dreams about being lucky enough to have. We meet him at the tender age of ten, just a boy but much more than that on the inside thanks to the life he's endured at the hands of his scumbag father. Getting to see him as the abused, brave boy determined to make something of himself and rise above the ashes of his miserable life, and to then see that boy slowly grow into a young man that loves Alix with his very existence...it was something beautiful!! And even though his decisions weren't always the best, I was never angry with him because deep down I knew nothing came close to the love he feels for Alix. It just gave me chills how much he loves his Peewee!!

Alix was simply an adorable little girl when we meet her. She precocious, outspoken, selfless when it comes to helping others, and really just remarkable. I loved how she threw herself into 'saving' Nick, as if her very existence depended on him having a better life. There were so many unbelievably sweet moments between them (the scene with her 4th grade bully had me grinning from ear to ear!), and it was so remarkable that we got to see all of those little pieces that add up to the puzzle that is their amazing love story. As Alix's feelings of adoration turned into love and then lust, Alix never once doubted that Nick was where she belonged. It was just incredible!

Allred tears your heart open wide and rips it to shreds on multiple occasions with this story. Really, there should be a warning in the blurb because I think I'm going to end up with an ulcer from my stomach being in knots for SO much of this book. There is just one earth-shattering twist after another, with heartache so strong it actually caused me physical pain!! One in particular caught me COMPLETELY off guard, and I was so shocked that I was bawling and had to stop reading for a minute. Which, of course, I didn't want to do because you become so invested in these characters that you simply can't leave them. I wasn't sure how much more Alix or I could take, as she bore the brunt of the pain upon their separation, and the walls she put up around her heart were absolutely justified in my mind. She went through such unspeakable pain, and becoming the 'robot' shell that she did was her only way of keeping back the damn of emotions that threatened to crush her.

There were some phenomenal secondary characters in this book as well. I loved so many of them; Judge, Jenna, Daniel, Ellie, and the aunts all held a special place in my heart for their unwavering support and love. Alix could never have made it through all the years of pain without them there to keep her head above water. It was such an amazing experience getting to have this journey with the phenomenal characters that Allred created, this book was just outstanding. It bolted all the way to the top of my favorites list, and I can't imagine it ever losing that spot! Can't recommend The Sweet Gum Tree strongly enough, just GO READ IT NOW!!!
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Betty Holloway
5.0 out of 5 stars SWEETER THEN SWEET!
Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2016
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That is exactly the type of feel good feeling that is generated by this magnificent story penned by Ms. Allred. Her reading takes you to places like grandma's kitchen on a cold winter's day; feelings of warmth, comfort and safety. That is the way I felt when reading this book. Her writing is soothing and gives you feelings connected with happy memories and experiences. This author endears the characters, both main and subordinate, to your heart immediately upon impact. There is a sublime thread of familiar recognition weaved steadily throughout the telling of this book. You will become immediately enamored with Nick Anderson and Alix French.

Ms. Allred displayed a level of genius the way she gave her characters such realistic and lifelike tendencies. They were put into situations which were readily identifiable to readers of all ages, genders and ethnicities. They were endowed with the admirable characteristics of warmth, trustworthiness, loyalty, generosity and the like. Tendencies borne within them in their youth and brought along and increased during their trek into adulthood. I have read and fallen in love with many fictional romantic couples but this author has created two characters that will stick to your heart like Velcro. You will not be able to forget them for years to come. That is the type of grip they will maintain on you and your cadre of emotions. Emotions like gut wrenching laughter when little Alix seeks to rid herself of a bully in her third grade class or extreme joy when Nick finds out the source of her dismay and takes action to rid her of her angst.

This author took her readers from the puberty of her characters to adulthood and maintained the integrity of the storyline throughout. She built up the storyline like a musical crescendo - taking us to heights that were inundated with euphoric feelings for the wanted happiness of our two protagonists. When they cried we cried, when they hurt we hurt. Every single emotion they felt our bodies and minds were filled up to overflowing with the same exact same emotion. The writing is so magnified and and invasive that you feel as if you are a participant rather than an outsider looking into the windows of this great writers mind. This tale of love was inundated with so many combustible elements that you will find the banks of your emotions trapped within a furnace refusing to dry out its embers, to give relief to your over sensitized glands.

The journey which brings Alix and Nick's sweet romantic story to fruition is wrought with trials and tribulations. They are put into excruciating situations which will have to be endured before the final love connection of their destiny becomes their reality. A painful separation will put our lovers in painful situations but the age old adage written by the great poet Khalil Gibran, "If you love someone, set them free, for if they return, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were," holds true in their story. This story, written in 2005, definitely has withstood the test of time, and surely worthy of being deemed a "CLASSIC", by any standards. This writing is so powerful and the essence of the characters bleeds through every written word.

I maintained a feeling of extreme elation throughout this book and was so very glad for the recommendation that I read it. Ms. Allred's writing will have you gravitating towards more of the type of prose she is graced to write. This prose is the type to keep you up far into the midnight hour, not wanting to relinquish the enjoyment of this sweeter then sweet romance. A romance which evolved over 20 years and was sweet from the beginning to the end. The heart ache and pain involved with Alix and Nick's attainment of their happy ending was palpable to the point of becoming visible to the naked eye. What an ending it is! Well worth the pain associated with its arrival. Whatever the highest award given for authors, Ms. Katherine Allred should certainly be the recipient - hands down. This writer and her book are both phenomenal. Download this book and discover the treasure that is Ms. Katherine Allred!
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NM
5.0 out of 5 stars Never gets old.
Reviewed in France on July 7, 2019
Verified Purchase
This book is well written, poetic and beautiful. The kind that you won’t mind re-reading. The sweet gum tree is one of those books I’d like to share one day with my daughter.
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Marci Ya
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful messy and emotional story of the human heart.
Reviewed in Australia on January 26, 2021
Verified Purchase
This was such a messy love story. Many lives entwined together. These characters were perfectly flawed and it was both empowering and heartbreaking to read. So much anguish and misunderstanding but in the end they had a semblance of peace and happiness.
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Lori
5.0 out of 5 stars Maravilhoso!
Reviewed in Brazil on September 2, 2015
Verified Purchase
Incrível!!!! Amei, amei, amei!!! Sweet Gum Tree com certeza me fez lembrar o motivo pelo qual eu amo ler.

Havia tanto tempo que eu queria ler este livro. Mas, por um motivo ou outro eu nunca começava a sua leitura. E, tudo o que eu realmente precisava era começar... porque eu fui completamente cativada a partir da primeira página. Ele é lindamente escrito, possui com um ritmo que flui sem esforço, seus personagens são vívidos, críveis e a estória... ah, esta estória simplesmente derreteu o meu coração, marejou meus olhos e deixou os meus nervos em frangalhos. Ela vai entrar na minha lista de favoritas e com certeza ficará comigo por muito tempo.

Sweet Gum Tree é uma narrativa sobre amor e perda. E, eu posso dizer que ela falou diretamente com a romântica incurável que existe dentro de mim. Ela me fez crer novamente que apesar da vida muitas vezes ser dolorosa e feia, o amor verdadeiro pode superar qualquer coisa.

Alix French conheceu Nick Anderson, o filho do bêbado da cidade, quando ele tinha apenas dez anos. E, aos oito anos de idade, Alix estava determinada a salvá-lo. Diante da inegável evidência de que ele sofria abusos e a dura realização de que não havia mais ninguém no mundo que se importasse com ele, Alix sabia que precisava trazê-lo para de baixo da asa de sua família e ser sua amiga. E foi exatamente isto que aconteceu, Alix e Nick se tornam amigos inseparáveis. Desde muito cedo é possível sentir uma conexão entre eles que é simplesmente linda e poderosa.

E conforme ele vão crescendo, sim, o amor entre eles vai florescendo e ascendendo. Eu simplesmente amo estórias que retratam amores de infância e mesmo já tendo lido inúmeras tramas do tipo, e amado todas elas, eu tenho que dizer que este enredo me surpreendeu a cada curva.

Mas, como nem tudo são flores... uma tragédia faz com que Nick seja forçado a ir embora. Uma série de eventos são desencadeados levando Alix e Nick a passarem por perdas e dores imensuráveis. Aqui termina a primeira parte do livro e a segunda começa 15 anos depois... quando Nick retorna para sua cidade. E uau! Mesmo tendo lido a sinopse, mesmo sabendo que ele teria que ir embora, mesmo sabendo que ele voltaria, quando a hora chega... Meu coração faltou saltar pela boca. Eu queria tanto que eles se acertassem.... Eu precisava que eles se acertassem.

A narrativa é contada sobre o ponto de vista de Alix e desenvolvida de uma forma que a impressão que temos é de que ela está na verdade nos recontando a sua estória. Nesse sentido, enquanto o início da trama é escrita sob os olhos de uma criança, nós também recebemos insights do lado maduro e já adulto de Alix. Além do mais, ao longo do enredo nos são dados pequenos spoilers do que estar por vir... me deixando completamente ansiosa.

Dizer que eu me apaixonei por estes personagens é um eufemismo. Nick é o típico herói que eu amo. Lindo e protetor, mas acima de tudo ele é bom e seu coração é lindo. Ele parece estar sempre tentado fazer a coisa certa.... Eu amei a sua lealdade, o seu enorme coração, bem como a maneira intensa e inabalável que ele amava Alix, mesmo quando confrontado com escolhas impossíveis. Já Alix... Nossa que garota de personalidade incrível. Eu amei a sua honestidade, tenacidade, força e a maneira como ela sobreviveu a uma vida tão cheia de dor.

O amor de Alex e Nick foi um bálsamo para minha alma romântica. A intensidade do afeto entre eles é poderoso. Contudo, eu não descreveria este livro como hot, eis que enquanto há várias cenas de sexo elas não são retratadas de forma detalhada. A enfâse é mais na emoção do que no ato em si. E que refresco!

Esta estória é sobre amor verdadeiro, perdas, família e traição. Ela fala de segunda chances, de segredos e está repleta de mágoa e tristeza, mas também traz um amor inegavelmente apaixonante. Cada momento neste livro é coberto de emoção e transcrito de uma forma que me fez sentir tudo nos ossos. Meu pulso correu ferozmente, minhas lágrimas caíram livremente e meu coração doeu apaixonadamente por essas duas pessoas que tiveram de suportar tanto para encontrar o seu felizes para sempre..

Recomendadíssimo!
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Shirley
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book full of heart, love, passion, misunderstanding, and forgiveness
Reviewed in Canada on March 15, 2015
Verified Purchase
Simply put, I simply LOVED everything about this story from the wonderful 8 year old H/Alix French who meets the 10 year old h/Nick Anderson (beaten down but never cowed) by his no-good father. There is a connection there and it only grows as they age. He becomes her protector and devotes himself to her as she devotes herself to him. When they finally decide to "come out" to her family about their love, a tragedy occurs that sets in motion changes that will affect not only the h/H but both their families as well. I never cry; however, I actually blubbered several times and had to get a box of Kleenex. I will be thinking of this book long after I have finished it - I will be reading as many of Katherine Allred's books as I can.
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LittleDarling
5.0 out of 5 stars Emotional rollercoaster
Reviewed in Germany on April 22, 2016
Verified Purchase
Wanna know what happens when you expect a fluffy, sweet, and light love story and get a tragic, heart-wrenching beating to your heart and soul instead?
You sob a lot, curled up on the sofa, clutching your Kindle to your chest and mumbling a lot of swearwords - all courtesy of "Sweet Gum Tree" by Katherine Allred.

I don't know why I was expecting light and fluffy. But that's not what I got. It was raw and intense. A very touching, unique love story about a beautiful, enduring love between Nick and Alix.
Two people who couldn't be more different, but who shared a love spanning decades and facing tragedies left, right and center.
While Alix grew up in a loving, well-respected home in the South, Nick wasn't so lucky. An abusive father, dire circumstances - not really a winning ticket to life. But Alix didn't care - hell-bent on saving the little boy and then falling in love with the young man he became.
Fate was cruel to them though. Really, awfully cruel. This coupled with their young age, fear and insecurity and you had the recipe for heart-break.

There were quite a few things I didn't see coming. Things that broke my heart for them. I don't know how they handled all the pain thrown their way, but the authors has done an incredible job showing how the pain shaped and changed them. Especially Alix who lost herself in the darkness and hurt.

Though I didn't expect the story to turn so sad and tragic, I was riveted and glued to my Kindle. The storytelling was atmospheric and haunting. And the characters were likable - flaws and all.

It was a tale of secrets that had the power to destroy. Of fears and misunderstandings. Of a false sense of loyalty. A tale of forgiveness, letting go. A tale of two people working through it all and letting love win.

5 Southern-charm stars.
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