Beneath the Trees is a story of unbreakable strength and constant faith. It is about individuals who chose to believe in something better than what life had set before them. Lark, a runaway slave girl knows she must venture into an unknown world. Haunted by terrible memories, the death of her baby sister, the disappearance of her beloved brother, orphaned and alone, she leaves the only home she has ever known. Believing she is guided by those who have died or disappeared from her life she is determined to find safety. Tired, hungry, knowing she is constantly surrounded by danger, she rests only when she must. She is discovered by Carrie and Faith who take her home to Twelve Forties, a secluded safe haven. Though isolated and difficult to access, Twelve Forties is not unknown to the locals. Eliza, a former slave and now respected elder, takes Lark under her wing, teaches her the arts of healing herbs and midwifery. To Lark it is all a dream. Slaves and former slave owners living together as equals, a community working to create something more than the mere sum of their talents and skills. When slavery ends, give freedom, most inhabitants of Twelve Forties choose to stay. They are given land. They build a church and create a township. They name the community New Hope. A story filled with danger, loss, anger, great sorrow, but always laced with hope, faith, and love, Beneath the Trees invites us to aspire to our own better angels.
