A River in the Trees

Two women: separated by a century, connected by secrets, loss and one forgotten old house in the Irish countryside.

1919

Hannah is twenty years old and living on her family’s farm in west Cork. Her peaceful world is shattered forever by the eruption of the War of Independence, Ireland’s latest bid for freedom from Britain. Hannah’s family hide rebel soldiers in their attic, putting them in great danger from the Black and Tans who roam the countryside. And an immediate connection between Hannah and O’Riada, the leader of this band of rebels, will change her life and that of her family forever  . . .

2019

Ellen is at a crossroads: her marriage is in trouble, her is career over and she’s grieving the loss of a baby. After years in London, she decides to come home to Ireland to face the past she’s tried so hard to escape. Her journey centres on an old house that that used to belong to her family. Reaching into the past, she feels a connection to her ancestor, the mysterious Hannah O’Donovan. But why won’t anyone in her family talk about Hannah? And what can Hannah’s story tell Ellen about her own life?

A fierce and gripping novel about families, love and the impossibility of ever coming home.