The story takes place in Derbyshire, England, during the time period 1861-1934. Take a glimpse into the lives of the colorful characters: coal miners, millworkers, and farmers, gypsies and housewives, who all dealt with life's challenges during those tumultuous years. From the tail end of the industrial revolution, through WW1, the roaring twenties and the mining strikes and mill closures of the "dirty thirties", few families emerged unscathed. This is a family saga spanning three generations, and follows the lives of the Freeman and Lambert families. Written as a book of fiction, it is strongly based on fact. Their lives were forever changed when a widow with seven children, married a widower with seven children. Three step sibling marriages are arranged to benefit from a dowry that was doubled by their filial unions. The way in which their lives intertwine is the grist for Twisted Trees. It is a story of one man's ambition to rise above the oppressive class system, where men were judged by their heritage and not their ability; where women often endured loveless marriages rather than face the stigma of divorce. Above all, it is Polly's story. A woman of great courage, who had the nerve to leave a loveless marriage, and fight for her children. A true Matriarch, who risked reputation and rebuke in order to escape a cruel, philandering husband and find true love and happiness.
About the Author: Sandy Latka was born in a century-old stone cottage in Derbyshire England. Her eclectic and interesting career spans both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Extremely well-travelled throughout the world, she received culinary course certificates from the School of Cordon Bleu in Paris and a Villa in Tuscany. She worked in the fields of interior design, real estate, banking, regional sales, inspirational seminars and government, and is the past owner of a British restaurant and pub and an interior design company. Sandy's first foray into the literary world was with the publication of an internal reference book for a major international credit bureau. This project allowed her to travel across Canada from coast to coast, conducting interviews with government officials and statisticians. For someone who loves to travel, enjoys interesting conversations and the challenge of being "put on the spot," this was a dream project. She's currently writing her second novel, part of a trilogy of books, based on the lives of two families joined together by fate and fortune. A member of Penticton Writers and Publishers, Sandy currently splits her time between a cliff-top home in Seba Beach, Alberta, overlooking Lake Wabamun, and a condominium on the lakefront in Osoyoos. Both of these locations are perfect sanctuaries for her research and writing.