The Land of Trees

by L. A. Naylor

Roots Books, 329 pages, 2019. https://lanaylor.com/

by Leonard H. Le Blanc III

I had a troubled childhood. To escape, I buried my face in books. The page turners I liked most effortlessly whisked me away to places I’d never been to and plunked me into situations I had never been in. These books grabbed me and took me right along for the free ride to a whole other, fascinating, undiscovered world. The narratives riveted my attention and held it to the end. I loved the journey. My woes, if temporarily, melted.

A. Naylor’s ‘The Land of Trees’ most definitely qualifies as one of those thrilling rides of grand imagination and inventive creativity. You can feel yourself as part of the conversation, or at least as a willing bystander. The prose is razor sharp, shamelessly witty, and remarkably perceptive. At its heart, it is a gritty detective story. A grand tale of determination, perseverance, and resiliency. The plot pacing never flags. It is easy to see the author knows their subject, so the book rings with perfect authenticity.  Enjoy!