Just as Robin Holcomb settles into married life with her husband, Willis, on his aunt and uncle’s farm in Wisconsin, WWI calls Willis away. With an unknown future and a child on the way, Robin makes the best of life among people she barely knows.
After the birth of her child, Robin struggles with depression and battles to overcome her inner demons before despair and hopelessness drive her to attempt to take her own life. Will Robin survive her dive into postpartum depression, let alone see Willis again?
1983:
Enid Fenton clears out her Mother’s house and puts the family farm up for sale, trying to not be consumed by guilt for installing her mother into the county nursing home.
Reading through some of her mother’s diary entries, Enid uncovers a secret that helps her make sense of the unnamed point of division that has always soured their relationship.
Can Enid reconcile with her mother before the ravages of Alzheimer’s claim her?
A heart-rending, emotionally packed love story between a mother and daughter, Under the Weeping Willow is a journey of loss and brokenness coupled with forgiveness and healing. This time-split novel captured my heart and didn't release it until the final page. Beautiful and haunting, Robin and Enid's story swept me to another era. These characters lived, and I loved watching them find their way to each other. Keep the tissues handy. You don't want to miss this story!
~Candace West, Selah award finalist and author of the Valley Creek Redemption series
"The author dealt with some hard issues: attempted suicide, living in an asylum and coping with a loved one with Alzheimers. Some heavy subjects that had me in tears at times but the author handled them with sensitivity. So much resonated with me through the ups and downs of this poignant story. I look forward to book three in this series." Paula S.
"It was a very touching ending that also had me rethinking my own relationship with my mom. I feel like the author did a good job showing both women's side/ feelings in this loving but complex relationship." Kobi Scrivner
"From the format, to the reality of life, to the inspirational and hope giving Biblical quotes, I was spellbound! It was so easy to relate to each character and situation, whether personally experienced or just being aware of life itself. I was so encouraged and lifted up, eagerly awaiting the next book in the series by this amazing author!" Mimisboys3
"I have just finished reading Under the Weeping Willow and I loved it so much. It is the continuing story from Book 1 and was heartbreaking, but heartwarming, losing love, but gaining love. I very realistic story of love separated by war, and love speared by mental illness. I highly recommend it." Reneeanddmikesimmons
“More than a historical fiction piece, Knipfer provides a compelling family saga that moves from 1918 to 1988 choices and their contrasting impacts. Under the Weeping Willows creates a candid story of Wisconsin family legacies of depression, dementia, and the process of uncovering treasures and wealth against all odds.” Donovan’s Literary Services
“Fans of Christian literature and women’s fiction will adore Jenny Knipfer’s work. It is passionate, steadily paced, and filled with intense, emotional moments. The prose is exquisite; the descriptions are terrific; the setting well-written to feel like part of the reader’s world.” Divine Zape“The author is deft in exploring the emotional and the psychological conflicts, allowing readers a strong feel of the characters’ psyches. As the reader follows the characters, they are anxious as they look forward to the moment of peace between daughter and mother. The suspense is intense, the drama persistent, and the conflict moves the story in unexpected directions. It will keep any fan of Christian fiction and women’s novels reading to the end.” Christian Sia
“Knipfer has created a story that crosses many genres and will appeal to those who love poignant epics about complex characters, engrossing plots, relatable situations, and a satisfying ending.” Tammy Ruggles
“An emotional tapestry of a novel, Under the Weeping Willow by Jenny Knipfer, Book Two in the Sheltering Trees series, is a tender exploration of loss and forgiveness, and how those powerful concepts evolve over the course of a life. Robin and Enid are a mother and daughter whose stories are separated by nearly seven decades, and divided by a deep wound that has never healed, but the discovery of her mother’s journals leads to secrets and revelations Enid never could have expected. A sensitive and well-crafted drama unpacking issues of mental health, layers of grief, societal expectations, and the instability of memory, this novel is touching on the surface, but subtly and profoundly layered with meaning.”
