Monkey Puzzle Tree

'Early encounters with malign adult power mark Gillian Davies as a brand marks flesh. In Sonia Tilson's beautifully designed novel, we see how in all her relationshipsfamily, friends, work, loveGillian is both vital and damaged, eager yet constrained. Tilson's engaging story features a host of memorable minor characters on both sides of the Atlantic, and it culminates in a most satisfying confront-the-abuser scene. A fine first novel.'Cynthia FloodGillian Davieswas six years old when she was sent to aremote Welsh villageto escape the Blitz.She was told she was lucky: all the other evacuees were billeted in humblecottages while she wasto live in Maenordy, the isolated manor houseup on the hill. Yet it was here, in this place of supposed comfort and safety,that she suffered sexual abuse, the shame of which wouldalienate her from hermother and haunt her for the rest of her life.Decades later, Gillian is living in Canada and with a son and a granddaughter of her own when she receives word that her mother is dying.Though she hasntreturned to Wales since she left it as a young woman,she nowrushes backimpulsively, determined to reveal at long last to her mother what befell her asa child. But can she?Alternating between past and present, World War IIWales and Canada,TheMonkey Puzzle Treeis the passionate and disturbing account ofGillians struggle to accept her childhoodtrauma, forgive her mother, andconfront her abuserwho seems, she discovers, to be as dangerous asever.'The Monkey Puzzle Treeis an emotional thriller. It is disturbing, intelligent and compulsively readable.'Mary Borsky