Time and the Tree

by Róisín Sorahan

Time and the Tree is a modern fable about the nature of time and the quest for happiness. It's darkly funny, deceptively simple, and a necessary read for testing times.

It was awarded the 2022 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal for Inspirational Fiction.
 
"A genre-busting masterpiece, full of pacy storytelling, wry dialogue and philosophical challenge..."
- Declan Kiberd  - Author, Professor Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame, and leading authority on modern Irish literature
 
"Time and the Tree by Roisin Sorahan is truly a masterpiece..."
-San Francisco Book Review 
 
"(The) most beautiful book I have ever read."
-Patricia Scanlan , Author

"...its simple and crisp plot can only be described as sublime."
-Readers' Favorite
 
"Time and the Tree is unlike anything I've read in contemporary literature - a beautiful fable fit for difficult and confusing days."
-Luke Gerwe , Associate Editor, PBS NewsHour
 
In this gripping philosophical novel, an unlikely cast grapple with choices and grope towards self-knowledge in a world where compassion is interwoven with menace. Lyrical, honest and heart-breaking, Time and the Tree confronts readers with a unique perspective on the challenges life presents.
 
A cross between Samuel Beckett and Aesop's Fables, this wise and hopeful book is uplifting and unsettling by turns.
 
Róisín Sorahan is an Irish author currently living in Vermont. She has published numerous stories about her adventures on the road. Prior to becoming a nomad writer, she pursued a decade-long career in public relations. She holds a Master of Letters from Trinity College Dublin, specializing in Samuel Beckett. 
 
Time and the Tree,  her debut novel, was awarded the 2022 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal for Inspirational Fiction.

For travel essays, reviews, interviews and more, visit roisinsorahan.com

282 pages, Hardcover

First published September 6, 2021

About the author

Róisín Sorahan is an Irish author currently living in the United States. She has published numerous stories about her adventures on the road, as well as life as an English teacher in China. Prior to becoming a nomad writer, she pursued a decade-long career in public relations. She holds a Master of Letters from Trinity College Dublin, specializing in Samuel Beckett.

Time and the Tree, her debut novel, has won numerous accolades, including, the Readers' Favorite Gold Medal for Inspirational Fiction; the 2025 Eric Hoffer da Vinci Eye Book Award; the 2025 Next Generation Indie Book Award for Inspirational Fiction; and it was named a Nautilus Book Awards Gold Winner.

For travel essays, interviews, reviews and more on Time and the Tree, visit https://www.roisinsorahan.com

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time and the Tree is a beautifully written debut. Making the reader reflect on one's own live and what it means to be alive. We all seek happiness and for many they are chasing after tomorrow without living in the present.

Told in spand of year, starting in the summer we meet a boy and the Tree. Throughout book and as the seasons change, we see Time pass by. Time is an actual character, he is shadowed by a slave. Which is a representation of so many people, who are in fact slaves to time. He says he is most loved in the cities, exchanging promises to those who need more minutes and hours, to those chasing after tomorrow.

We also meet other characters as they make their way to the Tree, not all have good intentions. But the Tree does not dispare or turn anyone away, even those who mean it harm.

As the seasons change, we see the boy grow just in inches but it still change as time changes us all. The Tree is his mentor so to speak. As the different events and characters appear the boy is told much wisdom and advice. So as he is learning, us the reader should also learn and care to the different messages through out, from being present in the present. Looking back is okay, that is the beauty of memories. Preparing today for tomorrow is okay but pushing yourself the future that is not promised while not living in now is also not good.

Some of these lessons are hard and they hurt. Especially death but it is part of being alive. That is why chasing after tomorrow is never good.

From thr moment I started reading I knew this book was going to be special and I am so very grateful for having gotten the opportunity to read it.

"The future is a phantom, Time. It only exists in your cravings. All we have are our memories, and the moment and the motivation to get up when we've fallen, to try again and do better."

Originally posted on I Can Has Books as part of the book tour for it.

[Amwoma · Rating 5 out of 5]

They say time waits for no man. Well, what actions is this phrase meant to elicit? Does it imply that man should be on his toes chasing time? No, it is the “Dogs that chase cars (that) most often end up under wheels.” Sometimes time can be harsh.

Then what? While it is true that time waits for no man, it is definitely not up for grapple. But it is there to be lived and enjoyed. Time and the tree explore this time concept and emphasizes why we need to live the moment. As Sorahan insists, “Time is nothing more than a tool to help us understand the importance of the present.”

At first sight, the book felt like a self-motivation piece, but as I read deep into the pages, it turned out that Time and the Tree is more than the average motivation text you have read before. It is a beautiful story retold in fables that make you rethink your life and connect with the story plot as it flows from page to page.

I was so impressed by her idiomatic creativity and representation of characters. This makes the story exceptionally funny and engages the readers in mysterious ways. The story is set up such that you are reading the story for aesthetics and thinking and connecting with the storyline simultaneously.

Like the tree, we abound and prosper free of the untenable future and the chains of the past. The novel is thoroughly thought-provoking. I will highly recommend it to someone looking for something captivating.

[Teddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Time and the Tree’ is a modern fable however, it reminds me of the fables I read and loved as a child.

The story takes place in the forest and has two main characters, the Boy and the Tree. It takes place over a year’s time and is divided by seasons, starting with Summer. The boy, wakes from under the tree and they talk about simple things but are then joined by other characters such as Time and his slave, Weaver, and others. Time is the physical manifestation of the concept of time. It really is about life and what it means.

Time comes across as a mean old man and really embodies the concept of time. As I get older, not only does time seem to move faster but I understand the meaning more. We are all only here for a limited time, some of us longer than others. It really is a complex concept but Sorahan deals with it expertly.

With each visitor and each season, the Boy learns more and physically grows. As with all fables, there are many lessons to be learned and contemplated. It is a great fable for both children and adults. It may even help parents answer the more complex questions that children sometimes ask with a real answer rather than “because”.

“Time and the Tree’ is destined to be a classic and go to fable to read and discuss with your children. It truly is special and I highly recommend it!

[Gud Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite being the most commonly used noun in the English language time still tends to be a hard-to-understand concept. For my part having read a great deal of books relating to the concept of time, I have to admit that 'Time and the Tree' is the best I have read so far.
This entertaining and lush debut by Roisin Sorahan revolves around the life of a young boy, a wise old tree, and Time which is an actual character in the book. The story plays out in different seasons where we witness the growth of the young boy as time also takes a toll. However, as the boy grows, he is mentored by the wise old tree which provides snippets of wisdom. Also, one cannot ignore the slaves who are always trailing time which represents the various people who find time as always being limited this acting as the 'slaves' of time.
On my part, Roisin does a marvelous job of creating an outstanding fable out there to help educate the masses on the concept of time. The author's mastery of idiomatic creativity while also making her otherwise abstract characters look real is just out of this world. A well thought out novel that can be hailed as a guide for living life while living for the present.

[katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘i am beauty and i am pain. i am the celebration and i am the stale room the morning after the party. knowing who i am, how can i be a warrior?’



time and the tree is a gorgeous, genreless fairytale with magic woven into its every word. the beautiful simplicities of life are explored and personified in such a breathtaking way. the love roisin has for her work is extremely apparent and i thoroughly enjoyed this incredible book.

[Gracie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“She caught the child’s horrified gaze, cradled the fear and stroked the loathing. Then counseled herself towards stealth and guile. All the while dripping words that were carried on the wind and lodged, unwanted, in the minds of innocent listeners. Her wintery smile stretched wide.” - 'Time and the Tree,' by Róisín Sorahan.

The story of a boy, a tree and the magical adventures that they go on together. Or, should I say, the magical adventures that happen to wander toward them. This is a book that brings the reader along on a journey that has elements of fairy tales, with that little bit of darkness that all good tales have to include.

The boy, as he's called in the book, is great friends with a tree and they live in the forest together, weathering the cold and the heat and enjoying the Spring and the beautiful Autumns. Every so often, however, a traveler wanders by to throw their world into chaos and change things around for better or worse.

This is a story told in four sections, each labeled with a different season. Each section contains a different problem that the boy and the tree must overcome together, and each section has a different new person to meet. One of the common reoccurring characters is Time, who is the physical embodiment of the passage of time. A crabby man, who is constantly being followed around by a slave that he calls, 'The Shadow,' Time is portrayed just as those of us who have been annoyed by him all of our lives would expect.

This book is captivating in the best way. Just as the Tree says midway through, “A good story, well told, will keep the listener fixed on the dancing shadows, oblivious to the real drama unfolding behind their back.” I highly recommend it!

[Bookgirl86 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure magic in book form. 'Time and the Tree,' by Róisín Sorahan starts where any good fairy-tale should: at the beginning.
When we meet the Boy, he is waking up underneath the cover of a dense forest, next to a wise, old tree. The Boy and the Tree soon become friends, but, of course, as with any good fairy story, things soon take a turn and become more and more curious.
Many different eclectic characters are introduced throughout this story, and since much of the story focuses on these characters, it would be prudent to introduce them, I think.
First, there is Time and Shadow. Time is a man, but he is also the physical embodiment of the concept of time itself. And, he's also a bit of a nuisance. With him is his slave, Shadow, a creature who follows and worships him to the ends of the earth—or so it seems.
After him, we meet the Weaver, a frightening old witch who weaves rhymes like she does sweaters, mixing up words in order to confuse and confound the Boy (and we better hope that that's all she intends to do!).
Next, the Wanderer is introduced, a woman who stops by the tree in the dead of winter in order to rest her weary bones. This season represents the end of the Wanderer's journey, but where will she go next?
Last up, the Woodcutters, two men who live in a cottage in the woods and decide to help the Boy when Time returns with a new complication that he needs help to solve.
Each section of the book is divided up by the different seasons of the year and each one is more engaging and more bewitching than the last. As this story develops, it really turns into something unexpected and special that is brought to life by Róisín Sorahan's capable hand.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Róisín Sorahan's excellent modern day folk tale has more twists and turns than anything the Grimm brothers could have dreamed up. 'Time and the Tree,' has that perfect blend of whimsy and pure darkness that is present in so many of the classic fairy tales that we all know and love.
Reminiscent of 'Alice and Wonderland,' and 'The Giving Tree,' this story takes place in a dense forest, and portrays the friendship between a boy and a very wise, very old tree. The life of a tree may be something that we all secretly envy. Standing in one place, stoically holding our own against the bitterest winter winds, our roots warmed by the earth, but this story is about a tree whose peace is regularly shaken.

Not by the Boy, of course, but by the many wanderers who happen to come through the forest and present problems that the Boy and the Tree have to put their heads (metaphorical head for the tree, of course) together to solve.

Mostly, the peace is disturbed by the blustering of Time. Time is, of course, the concept of time as represented by a man who wears a brass cap and a waistcoat. Time is generally shadowed by Shadow, a creature that he calls his slave who worships and serves him.

Of course, things aren't all that simple between the pair, but telling too much about that would spoil the book, and this is one that you should definitely read in your own time (see what I did there?)

Every aspect of this story positively drips with magic and wonder. Sorahan's writing is beautiful and almost otherworldly in the way it transports the reader. Every sentence seems to sing across the page. This book is something special that has to be experienced to be believed.

[Fern · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing sings. The conversation flows. I loved it. It’s different and it’s thought provoking. The sort of book I want my friends to read so that we can think and talk about it.