A heart-warming, moving and brilliantly-told novel inspired by The Canterbury Tales, The Whispering Tree is a beautiful celebration of the power of storytelling for readers of all ages, from Michael Morpurgo, the best-selling and award winning author of beloved books including War Horse, Kensuke's Kingdom, and Private Peaceful.
By the end of the day, after it was all over, I could think only of the stories.
When the Chief Nurse tells the seventy patients who have filled her A&E waiting room that they won't be seen by a doctor for at least twelve hours, some of them leave ... and the rest decide to pass the time by telling stories to each other - just as the pilgrims in Chaucer's Canterbury Talesdid for each other.
And so they tell all kinds of tales - exciting stories, heartwarming stories, funny stories; stories about the past and the present; about family and friends; about history; about nature and the world around us.
The stories they tell do more than just pass the hours - they transport their audience to different times and places, connecting people who are separated by hundreds of years and thousand of miles, like an act of magic. Every story transforms not just the listener, but the storyteller, too - and they last a lifetime.
Beautifully written with Michael Morpurgo's warm, accessible and inimitable style, and stunning illustrated throughout by Michael Foreman, The Whispering Tree is a wonderful tribute to the magic of storytelling.