“The Forest of Trees” by Anita Kovacevic

I’ve long been a fan of the versatile author Anita Kovacevic’s writing. With her dark fantasy, The Forest of Trees, she proves she can tackle any genre. This is a richly imaginative story filled with good and evil, fairies, leprechaun, talking trees and animals, and a plethora of human characters.

Skillfully weaving the world of fantasy with the everyday lives of a family, teachers and students, and townspeople, Kovacevic leads the reader on challenging examination of courage and love,

When the Stone family, mother Emma and father David, move with their young children, Jeremy and Dot, from the big city to a house in the town of Tillsworth, they hope their lives will be better. Leaving behind the cruelty of the city, they anticipate happier days. Soon after arriving Jeremy discovers The Forest of Trees and its unique inhabitants. Emma gets a dream job as a teacher in the very school Jeremy attends. After a short time, David also gets a job. While things seem to be falling into place, dark undercurrents are at work.

On the surface, the town seems pleasant and friendly. But there are residents who want to retain their murky hold on the town. An evil family of pig farmers, the Jacksons, quietly spread unpleasantness.

Along with the delightfully mysterious trees in the Forest of Trees, a leprechaun named Speck and a pixie named Tallulah, bring joy to the forest and The Gable. Speck’s stories magically illustrated by Tallulah are the miracles of the woods. As the trees befriend the Jeremy and Dot, the children grow stronger in their ability to withstand the teasing of the Jackson gang. Jeremy’s courage soon inspires other children at the school to be brave.

This is a timely tale of good versus evil, the struggle to be strong in the face of cruelty. There is a sad side to the tale as some of the school children who are unkind do not fare well. There are those adults whose lives are touched by the malignancy of the Jackson’s who also suffer.

As with all good fantasies, there is conflict, resolution, and plenty of action in between. This is not a fairy tale for children, but an adult examination of the way belief in oneself can change the course of lives. It is lovely, frightening, joyous, and painful. Anita Kovacevic can put another notch in her author’s belt with this brilliantly written book.

Book Synopsis

When a family of four faces the brutal reality of their city life, they readily embrace a complete change. Emma and David Stone, with their kids Jeremy and Dot, move to a small town with their big hopes. However, small towns have their own secrets – from urban legends about The Forest of Trees to family skeletons in closets everyone knows about.
Gradually, Jeremy and Dot make some new and unusual friends, whereas Emma and David start working again, and things seem to be going for the better. But evil never rests. The Jacksons, a bigoted and brutal family of pig farmers, however scary, are not the only ones leaning towards malice. The more new friendships grow, the more villains will struggle to retain power. Will the arrival of the newcomers tip the scales in favour of the good or the evil? And how can The Forest of Trees play its part in the solution?
The life between the legendary Forest of Trees and the small town of Tillsworth is separated only by a road. All it takes to reconnect is to take that path.