The Olive Tree

Dark, visceral, disturbing and harrowing, 'The Olive Tree' is the critically acclaimed debut novel by Deborah Anderson. From a lonely childhood marked by neglect and the sadistic abuse she suffers at the hands of her callous, narcissistic mother, bipolar sufferer Sindy clings to her love of singing and the hope it will lead her to a better life in a better place. Instead, she finds that her efforts to get out and start anew only lead to another, more soul-destroyingly brutal existence. Domestic violence, exploitation, and the heartbreak of having a pregnancy sickeningly ended at the hands of her abusive partner drive her psyche into a nightmarish landscape created by her illness in response to the trauma. At her own personal rock bottom, Sindy - shattered physically and mentally by her experiences, and dumped into the aftermath of having her dreams cruelly torn from her - finds the last thing she would have expected... Hope. Told from Sindy's perspective, 'The Olive Tree' is a heart-rending tale of how one young woman's already shaky hold on reality becomes ever more frayed and fraught with the stuff of the darkest nightmares imaginable. It is a gripping, searing, ferocious, novel - yet one that is alive with hope and bittersweet laughter among the shadows. A rollercoaster ride through a life lived at the untender mercies of bipolar, it is the most effective, uncompromising and realistic novel about the condition ever committed to print.

About the Author :
Deborah Anderson lives on the beautiful and rugged Cornish coast.

Review :
(Excerpts from selected Goodreads Reviews) "This is a tempestuous story of sorrow, faith and finding one's self. If there is one book that should have a permanent place on your shelf, it's 'The Olive Tree'" - --- "The main character has a mental illness, and it's rare we ever get to hear their points of view. This totally helped me to understand what they go through, and I believe it would help many other people too." - --- "It is a distressing story, but one full of insight and awareness... The writing style doesn't allow you to watch from the back row of a theatre; instead, you are on the stage..." --- "Not for the faint-hearted this is a must-read, addressing the hardships and unpredictability of life and mental illness. However, throughout there is also an enduring sense of hope, which is found in small and unexpected ways. Whether tragedies are caused by fate, or by chance, moving on is always possible. Ultimately it is a story about forgiving yourself, and learning to accept yourself for who you are. Sindy's lesson is universal, as she realises that although life may not turn out the way she imagined, hope, happiness and love, can still be found."