The Boy Who Hugs Trees: The Hellenic Collection

by Dougie McHale

A story of impossible choices, buried secrets, and the courage to rebuild.

When Georgia removes her autistic son, Dylan, from a prestigious Edinburgh school, she seeks refuge in her family’s ancestral home on the sunlit shores of the Greek island of Corfu. Among the olive trees and cicadas, she discovers her late mother’s diary—an intimate glimpse into a marriage shaped by love, betrayal, and tragedy. The diary’s revelations challenge everything Georgia thought she knew about her parents—and herself.

Adam’s life is stagnant, his days blending into one another. When he answers an advert to tutor a boy with autism, he hopes to find purpose. What he doesn’t expect is Georgia—complicated, guarded, and deeply compelling. As their bond grows, Adam and Georgia must confront their own fears, even as the echoes of the past threaten their fragile connection.

But the diary holds a final, devastating secret, forcing Georgia to reckon with the choices that shaped her family’s fate—and her own.

Audible Audio

Published November 27, 2025

About the author

In a past life, I’ve been a dockyard worker, student, musician, and song writer. Writing has always been in my blood and bone, from my musical days of writing lyrics and now my novels.

My books encapsulate themes such as love, loss, hope, coming of age and the uncovering of secrets. They are character-driven stories set against the backdrop of Edinburgh and Greece.

I never intended to, but seemingly, I write women’s contemporary fiction and since 95% of my readers are women, I suppose that’s a good fit.

I identify with a physical place and the feeling of belonging; both are prominent in my writing.

I want my novels to have a sense of time and place, drawing the reader into the social and cultural complexities of the characters. I want my characters to speak from the page, where the reader can identify with them, their hopes, fears, conflicts, loves and emotions. I hope the characters become like real people, where the reader wants to know what is going to happen to the characters, where is their life taking them in the story.

The common denominator is, I want my novels to be about what it means to be human through our relationship with our world, our environment and with each other. Most of all, I want them to be good stories that the reader can connect with and enjoy.

Visit me at my website and sign up for the occasional update about new releases and book promotions. www.dougiemchale.com

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