A Tree in Time

by Pam C. Golden

"The rich air seems full of birdsong and animals are chattering in the trees with some running across the deep, leaf green carpet beneath us.
"Where am I?" I whisper.
When Jenni finds herself in the ancient forests of Stone Age Britain; all her worries from the 21st century fade. Through her new friends she learns how to live in harmony with this beautiful, yet strange environment. However, Jenni soon confronts unforeseen danger. Will her newly acquired skills help her to survive? Will she ever return to the future? And what is her peculiar connection with Druantia, the wise Elder?
A magical time-slip adventure which explores unusual ways to resolve difficult relationships, learn about unconditional love and find respect for all life on our beautiful Earth.

194 pages, Paperback

Published April 9, 2020

About the author

I had a happy childhood in a village which still sported a blacksmith and traditional shop. As I grew up the "village" rapidly became incorporated into the suburban sprawl of South Manchester. I went away to college to train as a teacher in Cambridge. There I was heavily involved in acting, performing at the ADC and in the Footlights panto. On leaving full time education I decided to travel and carried on doing so through most of the 1980s and some of the 1990s. My travels have taken me to many parts of the globe where I have met and shared the lives of some wonderful people. Much of this is covered in my book To Be Human is an Honour. I have finally settled in a small town in the north of England called Todmorden where I live with my husband, son and our dog.

Reviews

[Sandra McLeod · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautifully told book swept away my fondly held preconceptions of what life was like in this largely ignored time period. With clever use of snippets of old legend and ancient ways, archaeological facts and a liberal sprinkle of a marvellous imagination, an amazing tapestry of a tale that has been woven.

A wonderful story told through the experiences of a girl from our own time who 'somehow' travels back to an earlier place, where everything is very strange to her. Torn between missing her family and amazement at her discovery of a people living a fascinating, but very different way of life than the one she is used to. Jenni has to find her way and survive in this world where little is familiar.

This very absorbing tale goes on to tell us about all the challenges she has to face and the many adventures that come her way. As a reader you get to see how these events help her to adapt and fit in with the people who take her in. As her journey progresses, Jenni learns from the elders and her new friends - who help to shape her and grow as a person. This is never more evident than when she's taught new powers that change her life and the way she thinks forever.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable book. Filled with spiritual and heart warming moments. Its essence is of hope and love, which ultimately links the past with the present in a very satisfying conclusion. A book for everyone to enjoy and gain from; full of love, compassion with just the right amount of adventure and peril. Next book please...

[Gabriella Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a beautiful book. You're very quickly taken to a world that is so carefully crafted that it feels real. Alternative worlds can sometimes feel frustrating as there are gaps and contradictions - not the case in A Tree in Time. Any child would become absorbed and forget that it's a piece of fiction. And this is partly because of the obvious historical and local research that has gone into this novel. I love books where you know the 'facts' that you're reading are reliable. Enjoyed the section at the end that outlined some of the research.

Great plot, that kept you reading. Great world, that made you want to try to find your own special tree, and hopefully a portal of your own.

[Billy Buttons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: A Tree in Time
Author: Pam C. Golden

Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 10/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 4/5

Of the 15 readers:
15 would read another book by this author.
12 thought the cover was good or excellent.
15 felt it was easy to follow.
15 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 8 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
13 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
15 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers’ Comments
“Cool story. I loved the idea of a character going back to the Mesolithic forests. The author has a wild imagination.” Boy, aged 11
“This author is excellent at describing setting in an interesting and utterly absorbing way. My class enjoyed the story and discussing what it would be like to travel back in time.” Primary School Teacher, aged 48
“I thought it was a tiny bit slow to get going, then it got lots better. There´s a bit of danger in the story but mostly it´s about Jenni finding a way of surviving in the old forests and also about the characters she meets. I enjoyed the story and was often surprised by what happened next.” Boy, aged 12
“This is a truly amazing book. I loved the hero, Jenni. She´s sort of ordinary but turns out to be brave and adventurous. I also loved how the author described the earth all the way back then, where everything was nature. That was cool.” Girl, aged 12

To Sum It Up:
‘A fascinating journey into the distant past. A FINALIST and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

[Jenni-Lea Finch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a huge reader, but this book is one of few that I have read right the way through.

Beautifully written to take the reader on a full magical journey through another time. Another life.

Easy to get fully submerged into the life of the character too.

[Jill Shapcott · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young girl from the present time is suddenly transported back to the Mesolithic era where she lives and makes friends with the people in that area. A charming fantasy and a fascinating glimpse of how people lived, their beliefs and their care of the environment they inhabited.

[The Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meander back to the past in this intriguing Mesolithic novel that gives the reader a glimpse of what time may have once been like…

We meet Jenni in the opening pages, a young and frustrated young girl who feels left out by her classmates and misunderstood by her mother. Through some strange magic, she is transported back to the Mesolithic era where she spends a year living with a group of early people and learning their ways and ultimately, learning how to be more accepting and forgiving of her own life in the future.

Although fictional, the storyline is certainly one of a kind and I found my curiosity piqued; the possibilities of what life on our very earth may have once been like were certainly fascinating. Each page delivers yet another idea of what our mesolithic ancestors faced and how they lived. As well as the historical journey we find ourselves on, there’s also the personal and emotional one as the novel dives and delves into themes of love and self-acceptance.

Despite the book grabbing your attention, the storyline itself isn’t exactly action-packed and pacey as it is mostly concerned with Jenni learning about the Mesolithic era. Consequently, a lot of the chapters seem a little repetitive in structure but this isn’t necessarily off-putting. Jenni is a strong female lead although her character rapidly develops and changes in the latter fifth of the book; the lessons she learns could potentially have been made more explicit earlier in the story rather than all being crammed into the last few chapters.

There are a few editing issues and the book does seem to lack a certain flow, both of which occasionally distract the reader but on the whole the book is enjoyable and easy to follow.

The Book Dragon reviewed this book on behalf of the author and found themselves transported to another world, a world of awe and wonder. A strong middle grade book for slightly older readers due to some adult themes (12+), we award it 3.5 stars.

[Julia Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story and I'm happy to give a five-star rating. I felt for Jenni in the modern world and the way she was bullied by her peers and is miserable, since she doesn't seem to make friends easily.
When she finds her way into another world, I thought it was another dimension, until I realised she had slipped into the past. But it was a world very different from ours; a world that is one with nature and where nature is respected and loved. I liked the way Jenni learns how to live with and appreciate this new way of life. And because of the lessons learned, she finds the true meaning of friendship with the people who inhabit this world.
A Tree in Time is beautifully written and I would recommend it for readers who enjoy time travel.