The Birthing Tree - A Novel

Carnegie-Winning Author • Winner of the Barnes & Noble Discover Prize From the bestselling, award-winning author of The Berry Pickers comes an unforgettable novel of family, legacy, and the secrets that bind and endanger us, following one woman as she confronts buried truths, memories of passionate young love, and the fragile future she alone must protect Born under the shadow of a birthing tree sacred to generations of Mi’kmaq women, Aliet Paul grows up outside a small Nova Scotia town with her fierce, loving grandmother Kiju. Her mother died bringing Aliet into the world under that very tree; her father remains a mystery no one will name. Aliet’s childhood is shaped by seasonal apple pickers, the medicinal wisdom of the old ways, and the quiet, steadfast presence of John, a boy who becomes her anchor. But the world beyond their community is changing. Traditional midwifery is condemned, prejudice deepens, and when the wrong person witnesses a birth, the consequences are disastrous. As Aliet comes of age, she navigates love, loss, and a personal tragedy that veers her from the path her grandmother wanted for her.