Historical Trees

When her father, chief of the Gypsies, died, headstrong Etti lost her status but none of her spirit. She's the first woman to race her horse in Marseilles. She survives attacks by her drunken brothers, the very men who should have protected her, and she's turned the head of Rafa, a delicious Gitano Gypsy from Spain with a tantalizing sense of adventure and breathtaking passion. She dares to break all the rules to pursue Rafa - and the exciting life she craves.

Deborah has a gift; she can see the future. As Deborah grows up, so do the date palms that surround her home. Under these trees, people come from far and wide to seek guidance from the great prophetess and judge. In her dreams, Deborah foresees danger to the people of Israel. She summons a general to speak with her beneath the date palms. "War is coming and you must prepare," she tells him. For the girl that grew up under the date palms, her moment of destiny has arrived.

In Roots, Heini is home in Wales nursing her sick mother while Naomi is attending launch parties for her latest novel. The civil war in Spain seems a world away, until the fascists bomb and destroy Guernica, murdering hundreds of men, women, and children. Heini’s boyfriend, Deiniol Price, a coal miner, feels he must rally to the Spanish Republic’s cause and volunteer for the International Brigades while Naomi’s paramour, Count Nicolas Esteban, a pilot, dreams of glory, fighting for the fascists.

It is a history/autobiography book with constructive/insightful messages.

In the 1970s, nestled between the newly completed Twin Towers in New York City, a Callery pear tree was planted. Over the years, the tree provided shade for people looking for a place to rest and a home for birds, along with the first blooms of spring. On September 11, 2001, everything changed. The tree’s home was destroyed, and it was buried under the rubble. But a month after tragedy struck, a shocking discovery was made at Ground Zero: The tree had survived.

Cuba has fought three wars for independence, and still she is not free. Her people have been rounded up in reconcentration camps, where there is always too little food and too much illness. Rosa knows how to heal sickness with medicines made from wild plants. But with a price on her head for helping the rebels, Rosa dares not go out in the open. Instead, she turns hidden caves into hospitals for those who know how to find her.

This beautiful story shows us how to access feelings of peace and well-being, even after hardships and brokenness. A miracle of life lives on in seeds shared by a stranger, and when planted and nourished, the fruit of peace is caring, loving, and community building. This is a story of empowerment and a gentle reminder of the hope and resilience that lie within us all.