How The Trees Saved My Life

I am thrilled to share a sneak preview of a Kate Samworth sketch for our fundraising novel, How The Trees Saved My Life.  What is this again? How The Trees Saved My Life is an autobiographical coming of age novel about my year as an exchange student in France.  The French phrase comme un cheveu sur la soupe, “like a hair in the soup,” means when you arrive at the worst possible moment.  When I first got to France, my French was comically bad.  Instead of cheveu, hair, I heard cheval, horse.  It might have been a mistranslation, but “like a horse in the soup” perfectly captures the splashy mess of my arrival.  

My host mother was newly divorced and didn’t trust Americans.  I proceeded to have an affair with her worst enemy’s son.  Things went downhill from there. As excruciating as that year abroad could be, writing about it was wonderful: getting to relive the pulsating energy of being sixteen and seventeen, the beauty of France, the goat that caught my eye even back then. And the trees, the trees! I’ve been wanting to thank those trees ever since.  I am very happy that this project is nearing completion and excited about sharing it.

The way the fundraiser works: 1) Donate any amount to Lonely Worm Farm’s orchard campaign. 2) Send a note to lonelywormfarm@gmail.com with the email address where you would like installments of the novel sent. A huge thank you to those of you who have already signed up.  Other ways you can help?  Spread the word. Surely you have an awkward, adventurous teenager in your life, or know someone at their wits end on account of an awkward, adventurous teenager.  Both parties are likely to enjoy this story.  Send them an excerpt. Tell them they would make not only me but our entire planet happy if they would sign up and help us plant some trees.