Publisher's Synopsis
Unable to confront a tragedy for which he blames himself, Leon has escaped to Italy to trace his family's genealogy. Here he is drawn into the brooding atmosphere of a cliff-side hotel and an unusual friendship with a boy who has also suffered loss, and who has withdrawn into an activity he describes as 'tree whispering'. However the friendship triggers hostility in the boy's father, and unresolved issues re-surface, including Leon's own self-deception.
