Inspiration for The Split Tree

Inspiration

The inspiration for my book began with a television news report, showing men, women and children, defending ancient woodland against bulldozers and the axes of ‘development’. I had just returned from a trip to see the Moai of Easter Island. These gigantic stone statues facing outward to the sea are awesome, and a warning of how a civilization was brought to the brink of extinction by the destruction of the island’s forest. Gradually, my deliberations concerning deforestation in our century aroused curiosity about forest usage in earlier centuries.

Browsing the stacks at The London Library, I discovered in seventeenth- century France, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, was so concerned about the depletion of trees, not only was forestry legislation strengthened, but a census of trees was taken in all royal forests.

The strands of a story were beginning to evolve; I knew I had to go to France - but where? My husband, Nick, spread out a map, and after a few seconds, pointed downward; “why don’t you go there!” So, I did, and came upon the woods and inspiration of the beautiful château of La Roche Courbon. Onwards, I went to the former royal arsenal of Rochefort, where to my astonishment an exact replica of the frigate L’ Hermione was under construction.

Upon completion it was to sail to America, in commemoration of La Fayette’s voyage to the American War of Independence. This reconstruction of the past, brought a smile of incredulity to my lips, as in my storyline set in 1679, it would be a vision of the future – I knew I had a book!