The Christmas Field

<p class=ql-align-justify><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Rachel Knight was only seven when she decided to do her bit for the environment and plant her holiday spruce trees instead of discarding them when Christmas was over.</span></p><p><br></p><p class=ql-align-justify><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Much to her delight her uncle dedicated an unused field on his farm for the trees and it became a symbol of hope for her. The hope was not only for the trees to live on but for Rachel's family life to improve since it was coasting along on a cloud of alcoholism and discord.</span></p><p><br></p><p class=ql-align-justify><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Her father and uncle transported and planted every </span>Christmas tree after that to <em>The Christmas Field </em>representing the years as they passed.<em> </em>Some years were joyful and some were sorrowful. Several small crosses also lay amongst the replanted trees.</p><p><br></p><p class=ql-align-justify>As time went on life became a terrible struggle for Rachel and sometimes seemed insurmountable. She was brave and strong however and the path she carved for herself was a courageous one.</p><p><br></p><p class=ql-align-justify>Christmas is often depicted as a Hallmark card or movie full of celebrations laughter and making merry. But in reality this doesn't happen for a lot of people especially children who are caught in the crossfire of marital strife alcohol abuse and parental stress.</p><p><br></p><p class=ql-align-justify>This timeless story about old anger and childhood sorrow is also a story about holiday joy deep love and hard-won forgiveness all things that should comprise Christmas day and every day of our lives.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>(About the Author)</strong></p><p><br></p><p class=ql-align-justify>Barb Bissonette lives in the picturesque village of Washago Ontario. She is a retired nurse of forty years and has always enjoyed writing. This is her sixth novel.</p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> </span></p>