The Forgetting Tree by Tatjana Soli

Soli's previous book The Lotus Eaters was one of my favorites, so I was excited to read this 2012-published novel by her.  I liked it - it was really good.

The story starts with the main character, Claire, experiencing a tragic accident in her family on the farm they own and run.  Years later, her marriage has fallen apart but she remains on the farm, even though her family moves away.  When she is diagnosed with cancer, she hires a young woman  named Minna to help her around the house.  While Minna is a good caretaker, she begins to exhibit unusual behavior and her past slowly comes out throughout the story.  Claire and Minna's relationship develops into something Claire does not expect, and becomes the focus of the majority of the book.

This book was haunting - when Minna's back story comes out, it is touching and surprising and violent.  Similarly strange is Claire's acquiescence to a lot of Minna's idiosyncrasies.  Whether either of their backgrounds justify their behavior throughout the story is perhaps the biggest question left with the reader at the end of the book.