The Land of Trees: An out of the ordinary, absorbing & passionate thriller

L.A. Naylor

Mey 2020 · Roots Books

Mayelana nale ebook

Adoptee Lia has followed her Spanish teacher, Rafael, to Guatemala, for romance and adventure. She doesn't know much about the country, but she's happy because she's finally living life on her own terms. On their first night together, Lia decides to declare her feelings, but before she gets the chance, the unimaginable happens and Rafael is brutally killed. Devastated, Lia travels to Rafael's family home in the countryside, where she becomes determined to find out why. But not everyone is keen on her investigation. The locals are hostile and the landowner has family problems. Lia has to decide what is more important: living without answers or taking the deadly consequences that come with the truth. Set against a backdrop of civil unrest and huge political change, Naylor shows the powerful impact the past can have, decades down the line.

'A page-turner that drew me to Guatemala and her people and left me craving more, a movie maybe, with Alicia Vikander as the main character.' Maciek Klimowicz

'The Land of Trees is an activism novel for indigenous culture preservation. Activism seeps into every chapter and this is the book's true radiance which I love. I wish the K'iche', the Guatemalan culture, and the beautiful natural landscape could shine far beyond these pages. Worth the read, hands down.' Cavek@Goodreads

'It pulled me in quickly. Lia is left alone in a country she doesn't know much about and she wants to know the why of it all but there are lots of obstacles in the way and some things are best left alone. This is a story about consequences. I am not one for giving away plot so I'll just tell you it is a really good book and well worth reading.' Sherri Geisler Locke

Mayelana nomlobi

L.A. Naylor has been the CEO of a charity, a wreck diver and English teacher. She was awarded a grant from the Campaign for Learning to write a book on miscarriages of justice in the UK. As a result, she received a lifetime membership to the Millennium Awards Fellowship which exists to recognise, celebrate and record the energy and achievements of individuals working to strengthen and enrich their communities.

The Land of Trees is L.A. Naylor's recently published debut novel.