Cambridge author's The Parrot Tree takes us on a journey from New York to the Amazon rainforest.
Barbara Kastelin, from Comberton, Cambridge, has published her debut novel, a tale of enticing, exotic places, inspired by the experiences she has had throughout her own life.
“Named Barbara, meaning ‘stranger’, I grew up in an international family speaking four languages all at once. In every setting, I was not quite part of it, never fitting in, not having a mother tongue,” explains Barbara. “What this gave me was a fascinating life to observe and, ever since I was taught to write, I kept a journal and made drawings of people.”
The Parrot Tree tells the story of Vivien, a talented young Englishwoman in 1980’s suburbia who escapes the loveless marriage which suffocates her creativity, to find professional fulfilment and romance in Madison Avenue.
“Along the journey of my life in many countries, capturing experiences and making many different friends, I was compelled to note it all down – the ever present humorous angle, the sadness, the exuberance – as if to preserve them,” observes Barbara. “Now a grandmother, I believe it is the time to give back this richness in the form of stories for others to read. With The Parrot Tree, I hope to communicate my feeling of awe for the rainforest, my enthusiasm for the creativity of the advertising profession, and my affectionate memories of many people and places.”
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