My latest novel..
The Artist, the Farmer and the Ancient Oak is contemporary women's fiction and is a lively page-turning story with humour and poignancy as well as a serious underlying message.
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I really enjoyed writing this novel as it is about a subject close to my heart. I have been interested in farming and how we produce food for many years. Anyone who knows me will have heard me rant on about how supermarkets don’t value fresh farm produce and instead have shelves laden with processed foods.
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The other big issue is sustainability and it is now evident that we need to move away from intensive farming if we are to protect our soil and biodiversity for future generations.
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The Artist, the Farmer and the Ancient Oak is a lively story with both drama and humour, with a serious underlying message about the way we farm today.
The Artist, the Farmer & the Ancient Oak
Wanda is happiest when she is creating art, hidden in her makeshift studio away from disparaging eyes. She’s very fond of the dairy cows and the hens but farm work often feels like a hard slog with little reward. She often considers that marrying into a farming family at such a young age was rash and ill-considered.
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The Taylor family are staunch advocates of intensive farming and when the farm hits major financial difficulties, Glen, her husband, begins to crack under the strain. His answer is to add to Wanda’s workload while she is close to walking out.
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A tragic accident with a bull escalates the tension to unbearable heights.
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What will become of the farm? Will Wanda's marriage survive?
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The one place that Wanda finds solace is in Lucas Wood where an ancient oak tree stands tall and proud. Here she comes to realise the true meaning of the words uttered by Gilbert, an old Suffolk boy:
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Listen to the land, Wanda Taylor, listen to the land.