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The Danger Tree: Memory, War, And The Search For A Family's Past
The major events of Newfoundland in the twentieth century woven into the life and family of David Macfarlane.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
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About the author
David MacFarlane
38 books12 followersDavid MacFarlane is a Toronto, Canada author, editor and magazine writer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
October 12, 2015
There is so much to love about this book. It excels as the history of a family that remained connected, if not close, over many generations. It also excels as a history of Newfoundland and of the Great War. It is a work of great insight and humility, and captured me from beginning to end.
The story is detailed and focuses on human lives and relationships, but in doing so the narrative becomes more universal and wise. The book never lectures, but there were many truly wonderful passages that summarized a thought or feeling so well that I tried to note them by bookmark. Some are quotes of other family members, some noteworthy pieces from memoirs and some are the author's own reflections. The book is filled with many brilliant tidbits. My choices may not do credit to the book and may be poorly introduced, but are only intended to be illustrative.
The Great War and its mismanagement receive a lot of attention and are perhaps perfectly captured in a ridiculous quote from a military staff officer who summarizes the idiocy of war (and his staff) as follows:
"It was a magnificent display of trained and disciplined valour, and it's assault only failed of success because dead men can advance no farther."
The author tells of his great-aunt who lost three of her brothers to the war. Their deaths left gaping holes in her life, but also allowed her perspective and understanding displayed in this commentary about aging:
"The problem with young people is not that they think they will never get old. It's that they think that old people have never been young."
The author's commentary on the telling of history is among the most compelling statements of the argument.
"(T)he event we use to mark the passage of time - the wars, the assassinations, the revolutions - and that seem, from the perspective of the present, to inhabit a natural and inevitable place in history, were, at one time, unpredictable and preposterous."
As a final note, I think the overall craft and excellence of the writing deserve recognition. There is not a word out of place. The narrative builds and follows a structure that pulled me along and was never too obvious. Although often very sad, the book contained a great deal of humour and vibrance as a credit to the events, relationships and personalities it relates - and as homage to great Newfoundland storytelling.
Reading books is always rewarding but sometimes more than others. And sometimes one is fortunate to discover an absolute gem - a book worth returning to again and again. This is such a book.
The story is detailed and focuses on human lives and relationships, but in doing so the narrative becomes more universal and wise. The book never lectures, but there were many truly wonderful passages that summarized a thought or feeling so well that I tried to note them by bookmark. Some are quotes of other family members, some noteworthy pieces from memoirs and some are the author's own reflections. The book is filled with many brilliant tidbits. My choices may not do credit to the book and may be poorly introduced, but are only intended to be illustrative.
The Great War and its mismanagement receive a lot of attention and are perhaps perfectly captured in a ridiculous quote from a military staff officer who summarizes the idiocy of war (and his staff) as follows:
"It was a magnificent display of trained and disciplined valour, and it's assault only failed of success because dead men can advance no farther."
The author tells of his great-aunt who lost three of her brothers to the war. Their deaths left gaping holes in her life, but also allowed her perspective and understanding displayed in this commentary about aging:
"The problem with young people is not that they think they will never get old. It's that they think that old people have never been young."
The author's commentary on the telling of history is among the most compelling statements of the argument.
"(T)he event we use to mark the passage of time - the wars, the assassinations, the revolutions - and that seem, from the perspective of the present, to inhabit a natural and inevitable place in history, were, at one time, unpredictable and preposterous."
As a final note, I think the overall craft and excellence of the writing deserve recognition. There is not a word out of place. The narrative builds and follows a structure that pulled me along and was never too obvious. Although often very sad, the book contained a great deal of humour and vibrance as a credit to the events, relationships and personalities it relates - and as homage to great Newfoundland storytelling.
Reading books is always rewarding but sometimes more than others. And sometimes one is fortunate to discover an absolute gem - a book worth returning to again and again. This is such a book.
January 11, 2010
Possibly one of the best books I have ever read. If I could write, this would be the book I would have wanted to create.
August 12, 2017
Come From Away
This was a totally engaging family history which also encompassed the history of Newfoundland.
David MacFarlane tells the story of his mother's Newfoundlander heritage by assembling family stories of his maternal great-grandparents and his great aunts and uncles. The often tragic stories include deaths in the First World War, from which the title "The Danger Tree" comes from. "The Danger Tree" was a marker in the no-man's-land between the Allied and German trenches where the Newfoundland Regiment fought at Beaumont-Hamel, France. The tree's (or its replacement's) mummified remains are encased in concrete at today's Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Site http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembr....
This book was originally published in 1991 with the title "Come From Away", which is a common Newfoundlander expression for visitors or tourists to their island. At some point the title in subsequent re-printings was changed to "The Danger Tree," perhaps to avoid confusion with the Broadway musical? The story related to the new title isn't explained until the final chapter though.
Trivia
Canadian poet E.J. Pratt seems to have been quite the grifter in his younger days on Newfoundland. The stories in this book have him selling some sort of fake tuberculosis cures to finance his eventual education and life in Toronto, Canada where the E.J. Pratt Library at Victoria College, University of Toronto now bears his name.
This was a totally engaging family history which also encompassed the history of Newfoundland.
David MacFarlane tells the story of his mother's Newfoundlander heritage by assembling family stories of his maternal great-grandparents and his great aunts and uncles. The often tragic stories include deaths in the First World War, from which the title "The Danger Tree" comes from. "The Danger Tree" was a marker in the no-man's-land between the Allied and German trenches where the Newfoundland Regiment fought at Beaumont-Hamel, France. The tree's (or its replacement's) mummified remains are encased in concrete at today's Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Site http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembr....
This book was originally published in 1991 with the title "Come From Away", which is a common Newfoundlander expression for visitors or tourists to their island. At some point the title in subsequent re-printings was changed to "The Danger Tree," perhaps to avoid confusion with the Broadway musical? The story related to the new title isn't explained until the final chapter though.
Trivia
Canadian poet E.J. Pratt seems to have been quite the grifter in his younger days on Newfoundland. The stories in this book have him selling some sort of fake tuberculosis cures to finance his eventual education and life in Toronto, Canada where the E.J. Pratt Library at Victoria College, University of Toronto now bears his name.
May 22, 2015
I'm not sure if I "really liked" this or more "quite liked" it...so, 4 stars won out over 3. Things I didn't know: Newfoundland was it's own country as a colony of Great Britain; it barely became a confederate with Canada by a 52% vote to join the Dominion; in the generations before us (as it is less I'm sure with each passing generation) there were Newfoundlanders who still said they were not Canadian and if they had to choose a distinction other than Newfoundlander they would pick British. Huh. Interesting.
I'm glad I have done some reading about World War I in 'Valour Road' because it helped me in placing what was going on and where things were in the Western Front stories of this book. Without that prior knowledge, a lot would have been lost to me. It took me a bit to follow the shifts in time, place, and players in the story telling. But in the end I liked the style because in some ways it reflects how our memory and story telling often happens -- side tracked to other stories, but then back to the original thought over and again; details at times fabricated to make the story come together and make sense as to why we've filed it away.
And what stories are important and who will know them when we are not around to tell them? "I could look at old photographs and guess at the stories. I could even use lines from an opera for dialogue if I wanted to: no one would know the difference. [...] But long before I became interested, there was almost nothing left to hold these relics together. They had become isolated from one another, like the remnants of memory left by old age. The family had lost the story." There are some stories that continue to live through the generations of our families, with undoubtedly changes in some of the details, but there are also so many side stories that have been lost. Who will tell our stories?
I'm glad I have done some reading about World War I in 'Valour Road' because it helped me in placing what was going on and where things were in the Western Front stories of this book. Without that prior knowledge, a lot would have been lost to me. It took me a bit to follow the shifts in time, place, and players in the story telling. But in the end I liked the style because in some ways it reflects how our memory and story telling often happens -- side tracked to other stories, but then back to the original thought over and again; details at times fabricated to make the story come together and make sense as to why we've filed it away.
And what stories are important and who will know them when we are not around to tell them? "I could look at old photographs and guess at the stories. I could even use lines from an opera for dialogue if I wanted to: no one would know the difference. [...] But long before I became interested, there was almost nothing left to hold these relics together. They had become isolated from one another, like the remnants of memory left by old age. The family had lost the story." There are some stories that continue to live through the generations of our families, with undoubtedly changes in some of the details, but there are also so many side stories that have been lost. Who will tell our stories?
April 27, 2010
I would've given this a two and a half if there were such a thing. I would've given it a lot more if it had been easier to read, and less circuitous. The writing was brilliant at times - the first chapter especially. "She has white hair, and her skin is still soft. It's the color of waxed paper, wrapped over the thin driftwood of her bones." It's a memoir of the author and his family, a history of Newfoundland, and of the First World War in which three of his family members were killed.
For a Canadian, the history in this book is fascinating. I had never thought about the fact that Newfoundland was once a country unto itself, and that Newfoundland soldiers serving in WW 1 would detest being mistaken for Canadians, just like we Canadians detest being mistaken for Americans. Also, the stories about the seal hunts amazed me - the brutality and danger of the job was something new to me.
The book meandered between stories, which was the whole point, but at times it was irritating. Sometimes I was confused about who he was talking about - was this an Uncle or a Great Uncle or what? I thought some of that could have been cleared up if a family tree had been included. Also, the title irritated me, all along I thought that it referred to his family tree, which I thought was lame (mine would have to be called The Crazy Tree). It wasn't until the last chapter that he explains what The Danger Tree really refers to.
In a lot of ways, an excellent book, with some really masterful writing. I thought David MacFarlane was refreshingly creative in this genre. I found it too convoluted, however.
For a Canadian, the history in this book is fascinating. I had never thought about the fact that Newfoundland was once a country unto itself, and that Newfoundland soldiers serving in WW 1 would detest being mistaken for Canadians, just like we Canadians detest being mistaken for Americans. Also, the stories about the seal hunts amazed me - the brutality and danger of the job was something new to me.
The book meandered between stories, which was the whole point, but at times it was irritating. Sometimes I was confused about who he was talking about - was this an Uncle or a Great Uncle or what? I thought some of that could have been cleared up if a family tree had been included. Also, the title irritated me, all along I thought that it referred to his family tree, which I thought was lame (mine would have to be called The Crazy Tree). It wasn't until the last chapter that he explains what The Danger Tree really refers to.
In a lot of ways, an excellent book, with some really masterful writing. I thought David MacFarlane was refreshingly creative in this genre. I found it too convoluted, however.
August 18, 2019
A number of years ago, we heard a performance based upon this book at the Evergreen Theatre in Margaretsville, Nova Scotia, Canada. I was enamored with the stories then, and now, that I've read the book, even more so.
This gentle, lyrical book is filled with humor and sadness and all that makes up the human existence. It is written in the style of Newfoundland conversation, where stories come easily and where the first part of a story leads to another tale, until that story winds back to the ending of the first.
Fans of the musical, "Come From Away" will feel as if they've walked back into a conversation with that group of Newfoundland neighbors who with pluck, luck and gumption dealt with whatever came their way. It's a book whose tales will stay with you... and which will entice you to return.
This gentle, lyrical book is filled with humor and sadness and all that makes up the human existence. It is written in the style of Newfoundland conversation, where stories come easily and where the first part of a story leads to another tale, until that story winds back to the ending of the first.
Fans of the musical, "Come From Away" will feel as if they've walked back into a conversation with that group of Newfoundland neighbors who with pluck, luck and gumption dealt with whatever came their way. It's a book whose tales will stay with you... and which will entice you to return.
March 23, 2023
Another great book about Newfoundland, with focus on the Goodyear family through colorful storytelling about many other historic people and events. Reading this book provided insight about the way I might approach writing about my ancestors. There are the indisputable facts, but then there are the stories that I have heard that lend color and context to the individual lives.
Author MacFarlane painted a vivid picture of the horrors of World War I, and the bravery of the young men that gave their lives for what must have seemed to be a futile cause. Three of his ancestors, (brothers) died in battle.
Author MacFarlane painted a vivid picture of the horrors of World War I, and the bravery of the young men that gave their lives for what must have seemed to be a futile cause. Three of his ancestors, (brothers) died in battle.
October 6, 2011
Some great writing. Wonderful beginning and end. But much of the book's interior seemed, sorry, like the same tale over and over again. At one point, certain I'd read something already, I even checked the page numbers to make sure I didn't have a bad printing. But I am left feeling a bit guilty here: Perhaps many good Canadians find this detailed telling of Newfoundland's past to be all worthwhile and my criticism sounding too-typically U.S. If so, sorry. But I wouldn't be very excited about similar tales of, say, Idaho either.
January 26, 2021
"The dead would loom over the Goodyear family." Five brothers from Newfoundland enlisted in WWI. Only two came home. They were great uncles of the author. (This happened in my family, in Iowa. They were my mother's brothers.) It is not only a profound memoir of the Goodyears, but also a history of Newfoundland and the war.
September 9, 2023
I first read this years ago and greatly enjoyed it.
Now that I'm older and wiser, I can say I greatly enjoyed it AND better appreciated it.
The stories are enthralling (if, given the importance of TB, war, and bankruptcy, a bit melancholy) and the research seems meticulous. MacFarlane is also a very gifted writer.
Cannot recommend it too highly.
Now that I'm older and wiser, I can say I greatly enjoyed it AND better appreciated it.
The stories are enthralling (if, given the importance of TB, war, and bankruptcy, a bit melancholy) and the research seems meticulous. MacFarlane is also a very gifted writer.
Cannot recommend it too highly.
September 5, 2020
A very amazingly written book. David MacFarlane definitely writes a story about a Family's past with wonderful sincerity.
January 4, 2018
"But it was three on a match that was said to be bad luck, and this had as much to do with the significance of the number as with actual fact. Threes were everywhere. They still are: three meals; three wishes; three chances; three witches; three cheers; three reasons why. There's morning, noon, night; faith, hope, charity; lower class middle class upper class; blondes brunettes, redheads. Dante divided his universe into hell, purgatory, and paradise. We speak of time past, present, future. There are, according to the ancient riddle of the Sphinx, three ages of man. There are three Graces, three Furies, three bears, three rings in a circus, and three blind mice. Races begin with a ready, set, go, and end with a win, place, show. In folk stories it is often the third brother show slays the dragon, wins the princes, finds the treasure. In Christian iconography, there are three crosses on the Calvary, three magi, three temptations, three denials. And there is, of course, the Trinity."
And thus it runs for three whole paragraphs.
This book is a family memoir written in a circuitous style, one anecdote running into the next, mixing factual history with personal speculation. The author, a second generation Newfoundland ex-pat in Ontario, does have an interesting family history. Three great uncles died in the First World War, and their brother, the author's grandfather, lost a leg. The grandfather and two more surviving brothers founded the Goodyear Company of Grand Falls. But the author has few personal recollections of these older relatives, has spent little time in Newfoundland or in the company of Newfoundlanders. The result is an extremely abridged history of Newfoundland, pared down to the most noteworthy episodes, interwoven with a handful of family legends and a great deal of filler, as illustrated by the above quotation. Some passages seemed to be included for no other purpose than to augment the word count. The most interesting parts to me was the author's account of smoking pot on the job with a couple of Newfoundlanders at the Hamilton steel mills.
And thus it runs for three whole paragraphs.
This book is a family memoir written in a circuitous style, one anecdote running into the next, mixing factual history with personal speculation. The author, a second generation Newfoundland ex-pat in Ontario, does have an interesting family history. Three great uncles died in the First World War, and their brother, the author's grandfather, lost a leg. The grandfather and two more surviving brothers founded the Goodyear Company of Grand Falls. But the author has few personal recollections of these older relatives, has spent little time in Newfoundland or in the company of Newfoundlanders. The result is an extremely abridged history of Newfoundland, pared down to the most noteworthy episodes, interwoven with a handful of family legends and a great deal of filler, as illustrated by the above quotation. Some passages seemed to be included for no other purpose than to augment the word count. The most interesting parts to me was the author's account of smoking pot on the job with a couple of Newfoundlanders at the Hamilton steel mills.
March 20, 2018
Since I moved to a small outport community on the South coast of the island, I have been looking for a really good book about Newfoundland. Up til now, none that I had attempted had quite done it for me: Gwyn's biography of Smallwood just made me angry, "Random Passage" would have been better titled "Random People" for how many characters it contained, and the Newfoundland of "The Shipping News" was unrecognizable to me. Here, however, is a really good book about my home. MacFarlane captures the flavour of the place perfectly, and his love for his family and the fondness of his memories of the province allow him to be appropriately affectionate. By skillfully setting the exploits of his family members against the backdrop of Newfoundland's history in the 20th century, MacFarlane presents a Newfoundland that is worthy of the reader's love and respect, and is highly recommended to anyone with ties to the island.
Read
August 17, 2023A book I should probably have read about 30 years ago. I have had it on my shelf all this time. No idea why I didn't get into it before. Predominantly a family memoir, but employing aspects of historiography and fiction to organize the narrative, this one tells the story of the Goodyear family, predominantly of central Newfoundland but active everywhere from Florida to France, mostly during the 20th-century (though, again, with some older history). Although nominally a story of one Newfoundland family, it is in many ways a story of Newfoundland itself. As a Newfoundlander, I find it interesting, though not without wondering how wide its interest might be outside its major settings.
November 20, 2017
Heart warming and tragic, melancholic and hilarious all at the same time!
This is a cleverly and beautifully written real-life drama exhibited through the prism of an unfolding family history in one of the wildest, roughest places on earth. The broader canvas, the incremental details, the impact of local and global events on generations of Newfoundland Goodyears, all of this is sensitively woven into a captivating, engaging, personal tale with much dry wit and tangible, modest pride.
Thoroughly recommended.
This is a cleverly and beautifully written real-life drama exhibited through the prism of an unfolding family history in one of the wildest, roughest places on earth. The broader canvas, the incremental details, the impact of local and global events on generations of Newfoundland Goodyears, all of this is sensitively woven into a captivating, engaging, personal tale with much dry wit and tangible, modest pride.
Thoroughly recommended.
December 30, 2017
A rambling disjointed story. History of Newfoundland? - not really. History of the family? - not really (actually a family tree might have helped). History of the Newfoundland forces during WW1? - not really. A hodgepodge of tidbits that sometimes hangs together and often wander through time. Also some extraneous factoids that dumped in since they were on hand. I believe in the author's truth, but it was not a clear or informative read.
August 2, 2021
This memoir is very engaging and a look back at history. The depiction of how Newfoundland came about from settlers to being part of Canada was a reminder of how much people endured and in what conditions/settings. The reference to Newfoundlander's and their ability to talk and talk and talk and how friendly they are, is still present today.
It is worth the read.
It is worth the read.
January 2, 2023
A pleasant surprise. I realized throughout how little I knew or understood about Newfoundland. Great characters, well followed over time and woven together readably.
I now want to visit Newfoundland, and when I do will be thinking of the Goodyears.
I now want to visit Newfoundland, and when I do will be thinking of the Goodyears.
October 5, 2019
I did learn some Newfoundland history but at what cost.
November 26, 2019
I enjoyed this book, in part because I have been to Newfoundland and can remember the landscape. It's an interesting read about extended family and there are sections that are lovely. But I could have used a family tree diagram to prevent confusion between relatives of different generations.
August 2, 2021
Great family history!
January 14, 2022
A rather rambling, but interesting story about the rise of a prominent Newfoundland family, as discovered and told by a young adult grandson in Ontario. Spans pre-confederation to the war error.
February 11, 2024
Loved reading this book after our trip to Newfoundland
March 30, 2024
I could not complete this book. Did not enjoy it.
December 4, 2024
An intense and visceral family history of war and Newfoundland. Beautifully told and flush with character.
December 20, 2024
Searing story about the cost of war to families. Immediate, tragic, permanent.
Read
November 21, 2025Could not finish. Not enough interest for me.
June 20, 2017
A book that should be required reading in Canadian history courses in every school.
It gives insights into Newfoundland as a part of Canada that are remarkable.
For example, how many Canadians (and all Canadians must take at least one mandatory Canadian history course in school) would have realized that, when German subs were a problem in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Newfoundland was British territory? Or that western Newfoundland is not much farther from British markets by sea than from Toronto? Or that Newfoundland's economic position was more like that of Puerto Rico and the US, a poverty-stricken, debt-ridden "country" that voluntarily gave up its government to British supervision because of its economic problems? Or that there were 3 factions at the time of Confederation, those who wanted to remain British, those who wanted to join Canada in Confederation, and those who wanted to unite with the US? Or that the extravagantly expensive railroad which was constructed to unite Newfoundland was found to be too expensive to operate on such a small scale compared to highway travel... and is now a very nice snowmobile trail!
And much more, too much to list in this review.
If you read this book, you will understand Newfoundland and Canadian politics like you probably never have before.
Yes, the book is sometimes repetitious and sometimes seems disjointed. Or boring and tedious with too many details. But mostly, the author's style is personable and descriptive.
A perfect book? No. But I have never found a better book to open my eyes to understand Newfoundland. I am glad that I read this book.
It gives insights into Newfoundland as a part of Canada that are remarkable.
For example, how many Canadians (and all Canadians must take at least one mandatory Canadian history course in school) would have realized that, when German subs were a problem in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Newfoundland was British territory? Or that western Newfoundland is not much farther from British markets by sea than from Toronto? Or that Newfoundland's economic position was more like that of Puerto Rico and the US, a poverty-stricken, debt-ridden "country" that voluntarily gave up its government to British supervision because of its economic problems? Or that there were 3 factions at the time of Confederation, those who wanted to remain British, those who wanted to join Canada in Confederation, and those who wanted to unite with the US? Or that the extravagantly expensive railroad which was constructed to unite Newfoundland was found to be too expensive to operate on such a small scale compared to highway travel... and is now a very nice snowmobile trail!
And much more, too much to list in this review.
If you read this book, you will understand Newfoundland and Canadian politics like you probably never have before.
Yes, the book is sometimes repetitious and sometimes seems disjointed. Or boring and tedious with too many details. But mostly, the author's style is personable and descriptive.
A perfect book? No. But I have never found a better book to open my eyes to understand Newfoundland. I am glad that I read this book.
September 19, 2019
I loved that Macfarlane has written a memoir about his family based on nothing more than photos, letters (remember those?), old stories and mythologies from friends and family, and his own vague childhood memories. And the occasional, deeply biased school text book from the 1950s (to hilarious effect). He manages to frame his memoir and the stories in it within the history of Newfoundland, Canada, and WWI without necessarily having to rely on the Truth. Rather, he explains that he is surmising the details of the lives of his family members based on the larger social history that created them, on the stories he was told as a child, and on rumour and imagination. He uses well-known battle history to imagine what the lives of his 3 great-uncles, killed in the war, might have been like, and how they might have ended, and for what. Most poignantly, he regrets again and again not listening more closely to the stories his elderly relatives told, not asking them more questions. He forgives his teenage self, but he’s sorry to have missed the opportunities. Still, The Danger Tree is a lovely homage to them, and to the sacrifices made by those he never had a chance to meet at all.
March 2, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. It has a witty, roundabout way of telling a story (in my opinion) with some good history of Newfoundland (+ therefore England + Canada as well). I received this book as a gift, and probably wouldn't have picked it on my own, but I'm glad to have read it. (The only confusing part was that the edition I read was a re-release in 2014 when the original was published 1991 (I think) - so some of the personal timelines made me have to do some fact-checking).
Anyway, there's a lot of wordsmithing and wisdom in this book. A good Canadian author.
Here's a good piece of advice from the author's Great Aunt:
"The problem with young people is not that they think they will never get old. It's that they think that old people have never been young." (269).
There's a lot more of that down-to-earthiness (to coin something) - and, I would probably now like to visit Newfoundland more than I did before I read the book.
Anyway, there's a lot of wordsmithing and wisdom in this book. A good Canadian author.
Here's a good piece of advice from the author's Great Aunt:
"The problem with young people is not that they think they will never get old. It's that they think that old people have never been young." (269).
There's a lot more of that down-to-earthiness (to coin something) - and, I would probably now like to visit Newfoundland more than I did before I read the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews