Roy Brummell

Halfway Tree Roy Brummell

HALFWAY TREE is a novel based on a silk cotton tree standing in the middle of the East Coast Highway, in Perseverance Village, Guyana, South America. There is much superstition about the tree, which was left standing in the middle of the highway for traffic to pass on either side of it when the road was built. Holland was one of the countries that colonized Guyana, and local folklore says that Dutchmen buried their treasure under silk cotton trees and had their spirits guard their wealth. People say that the road builders tried bulldozing the tree or cutting it down with axes and saws. However, nothing they did could remove the tree because it was being protected by Dutch spirits, people say. HALFWAY TREE is fantasy, but I interviewed people and wove their stories into a dramatic, unusual tale in which all of the characters, except for Mother D, are created . HALFWAY TREE is a story of folk belief, religion, friendship, betrayal, creative aspirations, politics and more. Regarding politics, two passionate groups are formed in the village - one wanting the tree down, with the other wanting it to remain where it is. Much of the action in HALFWAY TREE is centered around these two groups. Though it is fantasy, the characters in HALFWAY TREE represent what real people are capable of. In that sense, I like to describe my novel as "one of possibilities". Much of the dialogue in HALFWAY TREE is written in Guyanese Creolese (natural talk), but speakers of English should be able to read it, enjoying Guyanese humour, expressions and proverbs.