Dawn
Davis is a writer living and working in Toronto, Canada. Before becoming a
writer, Davis worked as a teacher after completing her
education at York University and the University of Toronto.
The
Tree of Life is Davis’s debut novel, and the
first book in her Tower Room series.
For
More Information
Title: The
Tree of Life
Author: Dawn Davis
Publisher: Friesen Press
Pages: 304
Genre: Historical Fiction
Author: Dawn Davis
Publisher: Friesen Press
Pages: 304
Genre: Historical Fiction
Two
accidental time travelers explore Canada in 1939 in THE TREE OF LIFE, the first installment
in the Tower Room series by Dawn Davis.
As
THE TREE OF LIFE opens, Charlotte
Hansen and her friend, Henry Jacobs, are hanging out in the old mansion where
Charlotte and Leo, her grandfather, live. Henry is there to practice the piano,
and Charlotte is waiting for him to
finish so that she can supervise his work on a massive school project
researching the 1930s. When Leo leaves the house to pick up his friend
Gwendolyn Fenton—whom Charlotte does not like—the two eleven-year-olds prepare
tea and cookies for the grown-ups’ visit and then rush to the Tower Room. The
room is located on the top floor of the mansion. Charlotte is not allowed in the
room without permission; but she is headstrong and ignores the directive. After
leaving the tray of tea and sweets on the tabletop, Charlotte pulls Henry underneath
the table with her.
The
children soon hear Gwendolyn telling Leo about a magical brooch from her
childhood. Suddenly, a large hand grabs Charlotte, who clutches Henry tightly
before the hand thrusts the pair into nothingness. After Charlotte regains consciousness,
she and Henry meet the younger version of Gwendolyn, a spoiled force of nature
determined to appropriate the brooch her late mother left her brother. The
friends learn that they are still in Rose Park, the neighborhood they both call
home, but the year is 1939.
As
Charlotte and Henry realize that they have traveled backward to move forward,
the purpose of their time travel is revealed: Charlotte is there to help
Gwendolyn resolve the pain of her past. During the adventure, Henry advocates
against the anti-Semitism and racism of that time, and Charlotte learns to look beyond her
own desires to help a person in need.
The
idea for THE TREE OF LIFE and the
Tower Room series came to the author after she attended a centennial
celebration at her daughters’ school. “What might happen,” Davis thought, “if two
children lived their research instead of simply reading about it? This one step
outside the restrictions of time became the foundation for the series.”
As
in THE TREE OF LIFE, the next three
books will highlight different time periods in Canadian history, with the one
constant being the appearance of Charlotte and Henry. Although the children
will appear in each book with different names and bodies, they will be easily
recognizable as eternal soul mates, and the harbingers of love and connection
for those who have stumbled and lost their way.
For More Information
- The Tree of Life is available at Amazon.
- Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
- Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
Thank you for this interview! I’d like to know more about you as a person
first. What do you do when you’re not
writing?
I am a music student and I study both classical and jazz
piano. I practice the piano everyday, get together with musician friends so we
can play for one another and attend concerts. I also enjoy working outside and
maintaining my ravine garden. I like to take walks in the ravine and I love to
read. Reading has
enriched my life immeasurably. And soon, I will begin dance lessons again.
When did you start writing?
I have written all my life – letters, essays, poems, plays,
comedy sketches, reflections, journals and novels.
As a published author, what would you say was the most pivotal
point of your writing life?
The most pivotal point in my writing life was when I
realized, in my twenties, that it was not possible for me to stop writing. The act itself had grabbed hold and would not
let go. It was also very encouraging to
me when CBC radio bought some of my comedy sketches.
If you could go anywhere in the world to start writing your
next book, where would that be and why?
Although such a trip is not possible, I would like to go
back to November
21, 1934 to the Apollo Theater in NYC to hear Ella
Fitzgerald at age 17 sing and win best performer at Amateur Night. I would also like to be present at the
Village Vanguard in NYC, on June
25, 1961 to hear Bill Evans, Scott La Faro and Paul
Motian play “My Foolish Heart”. To hear these great musicians would enlarge my
spirit.
Other than that, I am most happy to stay at home.
If you had 4 hours of extra time today, what would you do?
I would go to the banks of the Don
River and try to catch a water boatman in my hand,
watch him row back and forth across my palm and release him back to the water.
Then I would stretch out on the grass with my feet in the Don and stare at the
sky and watch the clouds without a single thought of everything left undone at
home.
Where would you like to set a story that you haven’t done
yet?
I would like to set a story in Canada during
the days of the Underground Railroad.
Back to your present book, The Tree of Life, how did you publish it?
I published the book with Friesen Press, a self-publishing
company in Victoria, British
Columbia, Canada.
In writing your book, did you travel anywhere for research?
I did my research in the newspaper archives room at the
Toronto Reference Library, and at the Ontario Institute for Studies in
Education. I spent many days at Toronto Archives studying pictures of Toronto in
1939 and I took the ferry to the Toronto Islands –
Centre, Wards, Algonquin, and Hanlan’s Point, walked around and sat on the
beach, imagining what the Toronto
skyline looked like in 1939. I also took dance lessons so I could learn the
Lindy Hop and the West Coast Swing. That was a lot of fun.
Why was writing The
Tree of Life so important to you?
I wanted to capture, as best I could, the spirit of
Charlotte Lisa Hansen and her friend Henry Jacobs. They did me a service by
appearing in my head and I wanted to honor them and show I paid attention to
their story.
Where do you get your best ideas and why do you think that
is?
I get my best ideas listening to conversations when I stand
in line at Shopper’s Drug Mart, stop to have a coffee, or pass people in the
street. For instance, this afternoon when I was walking home from the bank I
saw a woman (mother) a man (father) and a small boy (son) standing on the
street. The mother said as I passed by: “Why don’t you use your agenda?” The
boy was kicking at leaves on the ground and not looking at his parents. I found
myself wanting to say: “Because I’m eight years old and I don’t want to use an
agenda!” The picture stayed with me during my entire walk and I could envision
including this scene in a book, writing it out as a short story, turning it
into a comedy sketch. It was a beautiful snapshot – there and then gone. It
gave me great contemplative pleasure during my walk.
I have an active imagination and I find myself asking: “What
if” all the time. I am predominantly a
solitary person, which is a blessing because writing is an extremely solitary
act.
Any final words?
Thank you!
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