The Tree
by Paul Gregory

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Borneo, 1943: The Japanese occupation has ravaged the island and its indigenous tribes. When an Australian bombing mission goes disastrously wrong, plane tactician John and his fellow soldiers crash deep in the jungle – straight into the territory of the Dayak headhunters. Torak, a respected Dayak warrior, discovers the wreckage. While some tribesmen want to kill the surviving foreigners to protect their people, Torak recalls another outsider who once lived among them with honour. Guided by Dayak tradition, he spares the soldiers’ lives – setting in motion a fragile alliance between cultures. Back in Australia, the Army enlists anthropologist Tom Evans, who once lived with the Dayak, to assist in a rescue mission. Restless and eager to return to the people he admires, Tom plunges headfirst into the heart of the conflict – facing the unforgiving jungle, the Japanese army, and his own shifting loyalties. As John, Torak, and Tom’s worlds collide, survival becomes a test of courage, trust, and the boundaries of duty and friendship. The storyline focuses on the numerous obstacles and competing cultural ideals the men face as Torak and other Dayak warriors guide John, Tom and the surviving soldiers through the jungle to a predetermined extraction site.

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Paul Gregory’s lifelong fascination with science, history, and the people who shaped both inspired him to explore the shared threads of humanity across cultures. The Tree is his first novel. He lives in Coldstream, British Columbia, in the beautiful Okanagan Valley with his wonderful spouse.

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Contributors

Author

Paul Gregory