The moment the land began to break, she finally broke free





An eco-historical novel of love, land and resistance





As the Enlightenment dawns, Hannah Sentance finds herself increasingly disturbed by her husband Walter's unyielding desire to transform the land around their estate into an elite Gentleman's Park. At the heart of the conflict stands an ancient oak tree – a lightning rod for opposing forces: modern 'progress' against reverence for the natural world. As competing ideas on nature collide, reshaping land and lives, Walter's quest for dominance leaves Hannah questioning how far she will go to protect the living world she loves. A symbol of resistance, wildness and her love affair with nature, the tree embodies Hannah's struggle for a way of being, of belonging and of recognising that nature is not something to be conquered.



'Her pitch-perfect historical voice interacts with the fresh-felt reality of nature revealing something we all need to understand today. Brilliant.' – Ruth Padel



'A spellbinding read.' – Jay Griffiths