Now Available!

Mayapple Books announces the publication of The Paradise Tree: A Novel by Elena Maria Vidal. The Paradise Tree grows from the maxim “in every Eden, there dwells a serpent . . . .” The year is 1886 in Leeds County, Ontario. The O’Connor clan is gathering to mourn the loss of its patriarch Daniel O’Connor, an Irish immigrant. The story of Daniel and his wife Brigit is one of great hardships, including illness, ill-starred romances, war and political upheavals, as well as undying love and persevering faith. As Daniel is laid to rest, his grandson Fergus receives a piercing insight into what his own calling in life will be.

The novel includes adult themes of struggles with addiction and depression, as well as the ordinary trials of parenthood and married life. The author took care to insure historical authenticity in portraying the way of life of early settlers in Ontario. Illustrations, an index, and a bibliography are included.

The early reviews:

“With this marvelous immigrant saga, Elena Maria Vidal reminds us why our forebears left the Old World for the New: for Faith, family, and freedom! Through three generations of an Irish clan in Canada, she invites us into their home for struggle and triumph, celebrations of joy and sorrow, music, feasting, and dancing. The Paradise Tree makes ‘the past and present mingle and become one’ for the reader’s great delight.” ~Stephanie A. Mann, author of Supremacy and Survival

“Elena Maria Vidal’s latest book, The Paradise Tree, is the fictionalized true story of the author’s devoutly Catholic ancestors who immigrated to Canada from Ireland. It is filled with rich detailed history recounting the hardships and joys of the 19th century O’Connor Family. Beautifully written with great attention to historical, geographical and religious accuracy, this fascinating and moving family saga is a treasure that I highly recommend!” ~Ellen Gable Hrkach, award-winning Canadian author of In Name Only and other novels

“The Paradise Tree opens in 1886 Ontario, where a clan mourns the death of family patriarch Daniel O’Connor, an Irish immigrant who has lead a tough life peppered with illness, battle and many struggles. Through it all Daniel and his wife have kept their faith and passed it on to a new generation; and now it’s up to grandson Fergus to take these family values and move on. Readers seeking a spicy immigrant saga replete with Catholic faith and the search for spiritual and social freedom will find The Paradise Tree is just the ticket: it’s historical fiction writing at its best, bringing alive not just the events of one man’s life, but the underlying motivations, perceptions and struggles it embraces” ~ D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

Now available internationally from Amazon.com.