To Last A Lifetime

The Promise Tree by Elisabeth Hobbes is a very beautiful historical fantasy that I read in just one sitting.

The tale is set mainly from 1902 to just after the end of World War I, and then into the twenty first century. It is a tale as old as time. It is a tale that transcends time. It is a tale of great beauty.

We see the beauty when a character is at one with nature. Nature should be cherished, adored and preserved for future generations.

In contrast there is the ugliness of war. There is the tragedy of the Pals regiments where a generation of young men were lost to the battlefields of France. Whole villages went to war and only a handful of young men returned.

We witness how a tragedy caused a life to become bitter and full of hatred, blaming an innocent for what was simply, a tragic accident.

And we see a beautiful relationship that is gentle, cares, protects and preserves. It is a beauty that needs to be shared. We see the dark satanic mills of northern England where whole sways of people have no access to green spaces. A generous philanthropist decides to right this wrong.