Linda Audet

In the Company of Trees: a Novel Linda Audet

Two years after the death of artist Mattie Wickham's teenage son, she realizes her marriage has not survived the crushing weight of grief. Searching for a new way to live her life, she follows her heart into the Appalachian foothills of Southeast Ohio where she joins a tight-knit group of nature-loving, historical reenactors. They fill their days with storytelling, music, and laughter while making a living re-creating eighteenth century accoutrements for the muzzleloading crowd. As Mattie's heart and spirit grow strong amid the towering hemlocks, sandstone cliffs, and misty ravines of Turtle Hills, however, her new friends face the crumbling of their handcrafted nirvana. One friend breaks the group's tacit covenant with Mother Earth, while another dies in a desperate act against a gas company's pipeline. After drifting apart through a season of anger and sorrow, the friends come together again in their need to forgive and heal, to maybe recapture the idealism that comes from living in the company of trees. Read more about the characters at www. CompanyofTrees.com