The Black Walnut Tree
by Elizabeth Brasier

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Sylvie Linden has endured a lifetime of family and intimate partner violence both in her young life in Montreal and her marriage relationship in Waterloo. Her six-year-old daughter Dana, a witness to the violence in their household, is Sylvie’s greatest concern. When a series of crises—including a natural disaster and ensuing homelessness—brings them to an Old Order Mennonite farming family in rural Ontario, new challenges unfold. Members of the Thomas Martin family try to maintain their usual home and faith life while striving to help these outsiders suddenly in their midst. Distraught and vulnerable, Sylvie grapples with fear as she struggles to recover from trauma. Sylvie fights ghosts of chaos, mistrust, and secrecy in this unfamiliar setting of orderly household tasks, farm chores, livestock, and farm equipment—feeling beckoned at times by family warmth and affection, patience, generosity, and gentle teasing—while watching Dana find her own way. Henry Martin develops a strong friendship with both mother and daughter, which brings him face to face with anguish of his own. Feeling called to help Sylvie and Dana, Henry must deal at the same time with mistaken assumptions, scorn, and misunderstanding within both his family and his wider Mennonite brotherhood. The Black Walnut Tree will touch the minds and hearts of adult and young adult readers of any background—including those who have survived trauma and those who are trying to support others healing from it. Many readers will relate to the struggles of living a life of faith while trying to deal with others' judgment of, or assumptions about their choices.

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Elizabeth Brasier is a Mennonite minister. She lived in Old Order Mennonite country in the early 1990s and was moved to write The Black Walnut Tree. Elizabeth’s research for the story led to many long and supportive friendships among Old Order Mennonites. She has experience of domestic abuse through close friendships and family relationships. She trained to help survivors of partner and family violence in volunteer work with victim-centered police services and as part of her study toward a Masters of Divinity majoring in Counselling. Elizabeth has written chaplaincy and ethics columns for two national magazines, Blue Line Magazine and Senior Care Canada, and subscribes to the Brotherhood Journal, an Old Order Mennonite newsletter. She enjoys discovering local Mennonite heritage, history, and culture and visiting with Mennonite friends, old and new, in Ontario and Manitoba. Coming from a family with talented writers, Elizabeth Brasier loved to hear family stories as a child and began writing short stories and poetry as a young teen. She began working on novels in her mid-twenties. She started on The Black Walnut Tree in her thirties and now has four novels in progress. Elizabeth’s other creative work includes sculpting in clay and drawing. She enjoys reading, travel, singing, and walking. She has recently been creating sculptures that reflect people and scenes in the novel. Elizabeth lives in Manitoba. Readers can follow and connect with her online at Facebook (The Black Walnut Tree and other stories) and Instagram (@theblackwalnuttree).

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Contributors

Author

Elizabeth Brasier