Now that I know You

About the Book

Book: Now That I Know You

Author: Olivia Newport

Genre: Split-Time Contemporary/Historical

Release date: Fall, 2021

Now That I Know You Cover Cate Butler is the distant cousin genealogist Jillian was so certain she wanted to find—and the only connection she has to her deceased mother’s Parisi family tree. So why does she wish Cate would stop pestering her? And why can’t Jillian find a paper trail proving Cate is who she says she is?

Cate wants something for her own career that Jillian can’t give, but she also holds the key to family history Jillian can’t bring herself to walk away from. Nolan, Jillian’s father, steps in when Cate’s chronic career chaos requires legal rescue. Drew, the man who holds Jillian’s heart, has a surprising past with Cate. The truths Jillian, Cate, and Drew find while untangling these knotted threads tie them back together in remarkable ways none of them ever would have imagined.

Now That I Know You is Book 5 in the Tree of Life series, exploring and celebrating unforgettable family stories in Canyon Mines, the mountain town that invites you back again and again.

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About the Author

Olivia Newport’s novels blend the truth of how our pasts carry us into where we find ourselves now. Curiosity about history seems to creep into everything she does. Her books include Amish, historical, and contemporary stories that span the centuries from before the Revolutionary War right up to the present moment.

She chases joy in stunning Colorado at the foot of Pikes Peak. Visit www.olivianewport.com.

More from Olivia

I’ve wanted to write Now That I Know You for nearly 20 years—at least the historical story part of this split-time novel.

When my son was a freshman in high school, he joined the mock trial team, and my husband and I entered the league of parents who watched versions of the same competition over and over. The state bar association selects a case and provides every team with the same documents to study as the basis of preparing both prosecution and defense. Team members play roles of attorneys and witnesses.

That first year, the case was trying a particular individual in connection with his role in events that culminated in the 1914 “Ludlow Massacre,” which is featured in Now That I Know You. My son played a witness for the prosecution. My proudest moment was when one of the scoring judges—who are actual court judges—singled him out for his skill in recognizing and dodging the opposing counsel’s interrogation strategy. Somebody hold me in my chair, because you really are not supposed to jump and cheer at mock trial!

Since I heard the case several times, the history wormed its way into my heart and mind. The injustice and tragedy of the story weighed heavy, but so did the legacy of the events and their eventual impact on history that affects us even today. People often ask where book ideas come from. Sometimes they germinate inside me for a long time before the moment is ripe to put them on the page in the lives of characters who have grown around them. This is one of those stories.

—Olivia Newport

MY REVIEW

This series has been exceptional. Every book branches out to the next to give readers a taste of past and present. I adore slip time stories and the author is eloquently gifted in this genre. You will hear no complaints from me as I have fallen in love with the families from this series and want it to continue forever. Well that was very dramatic, wasn’t it? I am just a person that respects an author that achieves the honor of sweeping me away from my everyday life. I must mention before I go into details about the characters. There is a blessing that is said by Nolan that left me speechless. It is so good, I have written it down in my journal so I can read it everyday. Make sure you don’t overlook this gem in the story.

Reading about the miners in the early 1910s was difficult at times. Strikers trying to get better pay and benefits angered some. The violence that occurs is not easy to read. I don’t mean that it is graphic but so disheartening to the extent that I wanted to cry. Men working so hard to provide for their families only to find themselves out of a job and many without a place to live. I couldn’t get enough of learning about what happened in this time period. Some details have left lasting imprints on my heart. The love that Chiara and Celestrino share is unwavering. The scenes where they are trying to stay alive and escape the gunfire is powerful. The Ludlow Massacre is something I am not familiar with. With the author’s research she has given readers a look at what happened during this period. I enjoyed reading the notes at the end of the book which helped me understand more about the struggles families faced.

As we go to present time we are greeted with familiar faces. I’m happy to see Jillian , Nolan and Drew back on the pages. They are very much vital to this series and I was excited to see where the author would take them. For some reason I couldn’t quite connect with Cate. She seemed to keep secrets and was always causing trouble. Jillian is struggling to find patience with her new found cousin, but at times I think it is hard to do. There is historical facts in the book that intrigued me and I especially liked how these two time periods meshed together. At the root of this series is the importance of family. We have witnessed new relationships, learned from the past and realized how important ancestors are.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.