The Language of Trees

by Ilie Ruby

  When I flung open the door I knew I was in trouble. There, sitting in plain sight, were six manuscripts on top of my packing boxes.

  “Is that the book?” she asked me, excitedly, a wild look in her eyes.

  I was in shock. “Yes, but—”

  Things spiraled out of control from there.

  My friend grabbed a manuscript, Version 3, to be exact, and tore out of my house with it under her arm, me following, calling her back. She jumped into her car, waved goodbye, and drove out of the driveway, gone with my book, back to New York City with me standing there, outside on my lawn, feeling bereft.

  She called me two weeks later. “You stole my book,” I said.

  “Ilie, this is a beautiful story and it needs to be published. Get it to your agent right away.”

  I went through the manuscript word by word. It felt exactly right. At that point I realized that all these manuscripts were very much the same, with the exception of a few descriptions here and there. With a sense of relief, I finalized some minor changes and sent it promptly to my agent.

  Q & A with Ilie Ruby

  The setting of this story is very strong. Did you set out to make it that way?

  I grew up in Rochester, New York, and spent my summers in my family’s rented cottages on Canandaigua Lake, the birthplace of the Seneca Nation of Indians. Having always been fascinated by nature and the spiritual realm, I have become very attuned to place. The gorgeous setting of Canandaigua combined with the Native American folklore, in effect, created a setting that was irresistible, and in the book, became a character in and of itself. This sense of place was very important for me in creating the story, and before I knew it, the place became a force that propelled characters into action. Whenever I think of Canandaigua, what stands out most in my mind is an image of huge magnificent willows all around the lake, which of course, inspired the title of the book. I remember walking a dirt road with my younger sister, hand in hand, to our favorite destination point—a little country store where they sold penny candy and rock candy, which in the book became O’Connell’s Feed & Grain. I remember stopping to eat sweet peas by the side of the road. I am also a visual artist and have a love of poetry which I am told gives my prose a “painterly” quality. Many parts of this book began as poems about places I have been. In the writing of this story, some of these poems just stood out in my mind and became the fibers I used to weave this story together.

  Do you believe in ghosts and the spiritual realm?

  I have to give credit to writer Alice Sebold of The Lovely Bones for this answer, which I heard during one of her readings. She said something about having a raging optimism about the existence of an afterlife. I do, too. I like the idea that the spirits of people live on and that there is a greater purpose to our lives. Perhaps it is not so much a belief in ghosts but a raging desire to believe in something more. As a child I felt this way. I was always fascinated with folklore and the ghost stories people told. One of the cottages my family rented on Canandaigua Lake was said to have been built on an Indian burial ground. This was likely just fiction. We won’t ever know if it was the case for sure, but it sure gave us children a lot of fodder for ghost stories each night around the campfire. The cottage next door was owned by a woman who had thirteen cats. She inspired the character of Clarisse Mellon. She talked often about the history of the place, and told us that someone had died in our cottage long ago, and that the spirit was still in the house. I remember being unafraid of this “ghost.” It actually made the place more fascinating to me.

  How did you learn about the Seneca Nation of Indians?

  You can’t live in Canandaigua and not know about Ganondagan and the Seneca Nation of Indians. My family attended festivals and tours there every summer for years. When researching the backstory for this book, I visited the site again. It was interesting to see it from an adult perspective and learn about the issues facing the Seneca, as well as begin to separate fact from fiction. However, there are many versions of the folklore and stories and how this played out around the area where this book takes place.

  Why are so many of the male characters so “motherly”?

  When first writing this book, in many workshops and writers’ groups, it never failed that a man would ask me why most of my male characters were so darn good and nurturing. I had many long discussions with these inquisitors and told them that I could only speak from my own experience. Everything I learned about mothering I learned from the warm and nurturing men I’ve known throughout my life. For me, the idea of “motherlessness” will always be compelling. The character of Joseph was inspired by a dear friend of mine, Jim, who actually studied in Africa to be a priest, and later met his wife while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Though he left the priesthood, he was one of the most sensitive and wise people I have ever known. In many ways he was like a father to me, and his belief in the power of the human spirit was unshakable.

  What’s with all the hands-on healing and talk about beliefs?

  I have always been fascinated with the idea of healers and healing. Growing up, a chronic illness plagued someone close to me and I always wanted to help. I have met many talented people who are capable of amazing things, and I see this fascination only growing over time. Also, I like the idea of a spirit caught between worlds, and am interested in the power of belief. I was a teacher in Los Angeles after the Rodney King race riots of 1992, where I learned that children become what you tell them they are. In The Language of Trees, Joseph says, “You ever see a tree that’s dying, it’s nothing but a bunch of dried-out branches? You can talk to this tree, tell it all about how its leaves are growing green and healthy. Then you sit back and watch how it changes.” This statement embodies one of my philosophies in life. In other words, people grow into their beliefs about themselves, and if things don’t go right on the first try, well, as you well know by now, I am a firm believer in second chances.

  Some History and Folklore

  Ganondagan

  Located ten miles north of the city of Canandaigua in Victor, New York, Ganondagan State Historic Site claims 611 acres of sacred lands. Dedicated to the education and preservation of Seneca history and culture, the site holds yearly festivals and tours. Along with workshops and lectures, there is a replica bark longhouse that has been constructed in order to mark the site of the French raid of 1687, the spot where 150 longhouses once stood and were decimated in a battle over fur trade. Visitors are welcome any time of year, but summer and fall are the most popular.

  To find out more about Ganondagan, please visit their Web site at www.ganonda gan.org.

  Facts and Legends

  The name Canandaigua comes from the Seneca word Kanan-darque, which means the “Chosen Spot.” The area surrounds the deep and narrow lake, where two sacred hills—South Hill and Bare Hill—stand near the south end. According to legend, the Seneca Nation of Indians was born in a gorge near Clark’s Gully, a deeply cut ravine lined with lacy ferns that creep out of the layered shale walls at the foot of South Hill, which rises 1,100 feet above the lake. The gully is little known and unmarked but for the pine, beech, and maple branches that capture the sunlight. The Seneca call South Hill Nundawao, where their ancestors emerged, giving birth to a world far more mystical. The Seneca refer to themselves as Onondowaga, “people of the great hill.” It is said that Canandaigua Lake and the other Finger Lakes were formed when the Creator placed his hand on the earth designating this as the chosen place to live. The region became known as the Finger Lakes, and Canandaigua, in Western New York, was the “little finger.”

  The legend of Bare Hill is widely known. This 865-foot hill marks the place where a little boy in a Seneca village raised a pet serpent that grew to a monstrous size, eventually devouring all the men and women there. When the young boy shot the serpent with an arrow, it wriggled and writhed down the path in a death struggle, wearing away all the vegetation. As it fell to the shore, it spit out the heads of its victims into the lake. Folks say the large sm
ooth white stones found in the lake today are the skulls of the Seneca people. Geologists call these stones septaria.

  For years, nothing grew on Bare Hill, not a single tree, bush, or blade of grass. Today, though the snake’s path is still clear, the summit is so thick with brush the lake can hardly be seen. A flurry of wildflowers appears in autumn: goldenrod, asters, sweet pea, Queen Anne’s lace, daisy fleabane.

  The Canandaigua snake monster is another legend, and may well be linked to the Seneca legend of the serpent. Years ago, a steamboat captain was rumored to carry a shotgun on board whenever he sailed Canandaigua. The arcade manager at Roseland Amusement Park told the local newspaper that the snake’s head looked like a huge pickle barrel. Then there were countless others who saw it, but never spoke of what they’d seen.

  The Seneca

  The Seneca Nation is part of the Iroquois Confederacy. Legend has it that several hundred years ago, a Huron prophet sailed across Lake Ontario in a white stone canoe spreading his message of peace to five warring tribes—Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk—uniting them all under one roof. They became known as the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois. The Seneca, a matriarchal society, were the Keepers of the Western Door, and the Confederacy chose the white pine as its symbol because its needles grow in bunches of five to represent the five tribes. Later, the Tuscarora joined them. They placed the eagle on top of the pine symbol because it could see farthest and yell the loudest. If anyone tried to disturb the great law of peace they’d be warned by its screaming.

  Book Group Questions

  The idea of being “orphaned” and the concept of rootedness are themes in this book. Echo talks about her fear of not being tethered to the world and to her life. What are the things that “tether” a person to his or her life? How important do you think rootedness is? Is it created by family ties, or are there other ways to create it? What other characters in the story have similar feelings?

  How important is setting in this story? The Indian folklore and the history of Canandaigua contribute to the sense of place, almost making the lake become a character in and of itself. How does this affect the mood of the story, and what effect, if any, does the lake have on the people who live there?

  Joseph says that sometimes you have to tell a dying tree that its leaves are growing and see how it changes. Some might call this lying. What are your thoughts on this? In what ways and to whom does Joseph demonstrate his theory?

  In the beginning of the book, Echo believes that wishes are dangerous things. Why might she believe this? Do you think that by the end of the story, she still believes this?

  The theme of second chances is central to this book. Who is given a second chance in the story and how?

  Echo pushed Grant away when she was seventeen. Why did she do this? How did her past affect her actions and how did time and experience convince her to try again with him? Why does Grant give her a second chance?

  In the story, many characters, both living and not, return to their past before they can move on. Do you think it is always necessary to go back in order to move on?

  Leila says that people in a family develop personality traits to compensate for each other. She says Melanie became impulsive because Leila had been so passive. What other characters in the book do you think became who they are to “balance out” their family members?

  Much has been written about children who are forced to “parent” their parents during times of family hardship. As the primary caretaker of Leila after Luke’s death and as the one who dealt with her alcoholic father, Melanie suffered, according to Leila. How do you think this role affected Melanie in both positive and negative ways?

  Many characters in this book exhibit “magical thinking” or superstitious behavior. For example, Leila believes that if a person wants anything bad enough it is possible to turn the wish into a memory through the repetition of thought, sometimes to the point of no longer wanting it at all. Why might she feel this way? Why do you think certain people develop these ways of thinking? What are some examples of this in the book?

  While Luke is alive, what is it about Luke that Victor fears the most? When Luke is sleeping in the car after being lost in the woods, the author writes: “The child possessed so peaceful a presence that it made Victor hurt.” What is meant by this?

  Many characters in the story are lonely or afraid to be alone. This, in turn, causes them to make choices that may not be in their best interests. What are some examples of this?

  Some of the characters in the book view Emily Shongo as strong. Others view her as weak. What is your opinion? Do you agree that waiting and patience are a life’s work?

  As the “wisdom keeper” in the story, Joseph makes the following statements to Echo: people on earth can do more for each other than spirits can; birds see the world as perfection—that is the reason they can fly; when you’re older and look at your life, you can see that everything happened as it was supposed to. Which statement do you agree with the most? How might each of these statements help a person?

  What does Charlie mean when he says to Leila, “I wasn’t a lot of places that I should have been?” Do you think he is referring to being with Candice or being with Leila?

  Charlie talks about how the Florence Nightingale syndrome ruins the lives of young girls. Do you think many young girls possess this quality? If so, what might cause young girls to feel that they need to fulfill this role? How did it affect Melanie?

  By not telling Grant about his abilities, was Ben Shongo really protecting Grant from failure, as Joseph says? What would you have advised Ben Shongo to tell Grant?

  In the story, there is a place between life and death where spirits cross paths, as happens at the end of the book, when Luke, Melanie, and Joseph say their final good-byes. Do you believe in a place such as this?

  Clarisse says, “Not everything is meant to happen. Some things should stay as they are, just like that, full of possibility. It’s wanting them that gives you something to hope for, a reason to get up in the morning and put on a fancy dress.” Do you agree?

  Both Clarisse and Leila say they were ruined by love. Do you agree?

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I WOULD LIKE TO thank the following people who have taught me such insightful things about writing over the years: Tony DeFusto, Dr. James Ragan, Shelly Lowenkopf, James W. Brown, the late James O’Connell, Dan Smetanka, and the community at Grub Street Writers in Boston.

  MANY EYES HAVE PASSED across these pages, and I am grateful to all, but for their enduring friendship and unwavering belief in me and this book: David Flynn, James Fedolfi, Stephen Bourassa, and Jill Rosenfeld. Thanks to George V. Barden and the people of Canandaigua for verifying facts and folklore, and the good folks at Ganondagan State Historic Site for letting me explore just a little bit of their beautiful land. Thanks to Sally Wofford-Girand of Brick House Literary Agents for keeping the faith, and to Lucia Macro and her team at Avon/Harper Collins, for their vision and enthusiasm in making this a reality.

  THANKS FINALLY TO MY husband, who will travel to distant lands with me and take momentous leaps to make visions come true, and to my three children, now home from Africa, for teaching me the true meaning of resiliency and second chances.

  About the Author

  ILIE RUBY is a painter and short story author. She lives near Boston, Massachusetts, with her husband and the three children they adopted from Africa.

  Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

  By Ilie Ruby

  THE LANGUAGE OF TREES

  Credits

  Cover design by Amanda Kain

  Cover photograph of trees by Lloyd Ziff/Gallery Stock

  Cover photograph of figure in water by Richard Jenkins

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, li
ving or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  THE LANGUAGE OF TREES. Copyright © 2010 by Ilie Ruby. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  FIRST AVON PAPERBACK EDITION PUBLISHED 2010.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Ruby, Ilie.

  The language of trees / Ilie Ruby.—1st Avon pbk. ed.

  p. cm.

  ISBN 978-0-06-189864-8 (pbk.)

  1. Young women—Fiction. 2. Self-realization in women—Fiction. I. Title.

  PS3618.U324L36 2010

  813'.6—dc22 2009045027

  EPub Edition © June 2010 ISBN: 978-0-06-200655-4