The Black Walnut Tree: A Novel

Sylvie Linden has endured a lifetime of family and intimate partner violence both in her young life in Montreal and her marriage relationship in Waterloo. Her six-year-old daughter Dana, a witness to the violence in their household, is Sylvie’s greatest concern. When a series of crises—including a natural disaster and ensuing homelessness—brings them to an Old Order Mennonite farming family in rural Ontario, new challenges unfold.

Members of the Thomas Martin family try to maintain their usual home and faith life while striving to help these outsiders suddenly in their midst. Distraught and vulnerable, Sylvie grapples with fear as she struggles to recover from trauma. Sylvie fights ghosts of chaos, mistrust, and secrecy in this unfamiliar setting of orderly household tasks, farm chores, livestock, and farm equipment—feeling beckoned at times by family warmth and affection, patience, generosity, and gentle teasing—while watching Dana find her own way.

Henry Martin develops a strong friendship with both mother and daughter, which brings him face to face with anguish of his own. Feeling called to help Sylvie and Dana, Henry must deal at the same time with mistaken assumptions, scorn, and misunderstanding within both his family and his wider Mennonite brotherhood.

The Black Walnut Tree will touch the minds and hearts of adult and young adult readers of any background—including those who have survived trauma and those who are trying to support others healing from it. Many readers will relate to the struggles of living a life of faith while trying to deal with others' judgment of, or assumptions about their choices.