The Hole in the Livia Tree

Immerse yourself in a fantastical modern-day fairytale featuring a mystical fungus. When armed men ransack her grandmother's home, knock her down and steal an old bonsai tree, Yarrow escapes unseen and makes her way to a little cabin in the woods. There she meets Ambrose and Gaia, orphaned siblings who live nearby with their somewhat senile grandfather and a rescued bear. The children discover they are cousins and that the missing bonsai tree played a crucial part in the deaths of the siblings' parents. Since then, family members have been estranged. Now that the kids have met, they are drawn into a dangerous mystery that spans time and space. Thus begins a quest to help bring healing and insight to their relatives and to the world at large. Eventually, other members of their family join in the perilous adventure.The Hole in the Livia Tree is set in Ontario, Canada and has a diverse multigenerational cast of human and nonhuman characters. There is an underlying theme of social and environmental justice, as well as animal rights. The Radiance Chronicles is ultimately a hopeful series, in the Solar Punk genre, that incorporates ideas and themes that may help readers to envision a more peaceful and sustainable future Maria Taylor is a dual citizen of Canada and the USA. She currently lives in Asheville, North Carolina with her husband Will, their two cats and a dog. Her early childhood was spent in Toronto. When she was nine her family moved to the Yukon to join a fledgling Buddhist community. As a teenager in the 1970's, she hitch-hiked around Alaska and Canada several times and attended various progressive alternative schools before entering the University of Manitoba to study art and theater. She loves to travel and has worked as an event and festival organizer. Maria is also a vegan chef. For many years she's supported and cared for rescued farm animals. With her husband and others, including former Atlanta mayor and civil rights icon Ambassador Andrew Young, she helped develop an international NGO focused on nutritional support for people living with HIV/AIDS. She is known as a trailblazer for unschooling her four children; among other distinctions, two have garnered American Book Awards. Her eldest, Astra, was the CBC Massey Lecturer for 2023.