Beloved and the Pepper Tree is a story about a little girl’s friendship with a tree. One day her mother tells her they will be moving, and Beloved must face moving forward and saying goodbye to her friend. Beloved is best friends with the Pepper Tree who lives down the hill from her house. She loves the Pepper Tree because it gives her shade to read in and branches to climb. When Mama tells Beloved they are moving away, Beloved is heartbroken. But the Pepper Tree has one last gift: a gift to help Beloved cope when everything changes.
How the Book Came to Be…
Beloved and the Pepper Tree was written in India. I was on a spiritual quest, staying in an ashram in a little town called Thirumalaikodi. I spent my days meditating, chanting, and attending devotional ceremonies. I felt closer to my Creator in this mystical land than ever before. One night I received a blessing from a spiritual teacher. The next morning I bolted upright in bed, grabbed my journal, and the story of Beloved and the Peppertree came spilling out in one sitting. It felt more like I was scribing the story than writing. It happened so quickly.
Beloved is a beautiful story on many levels. I am so grateful to be able to bring it to you. It’s about friendship, facing challenges, growing and growing up, and saying goodbye. It’s about finding ways to cope with change. It’s about understanding that we never really say good bye because we carry those we love in our hearts forever.
Beloved is every girl, yet I confess to having loved a tree dearly when I was a child. It was a Pepper Tree, like Beloved’s. And I had to leave it when our family moved away. Luckily, I moved to a home on an avocado orchard where I had many, many tree friends. I believe children are uniquely qualified to appreciate their emotional connection with the natural world.
Writing Beloved and the Pepper Tree helped me clarify the message I want to share with the world. Specifically, I want children to know that THEY are beloved. I want them to understand there is something greater out there that truly listens and helps us when we ask. Spirituality is a powerful key to emotional health and happiness, and I hope sharing this message with children helps them root a healthy foundation and reminds adults what lessons are also available to them in this story.
With love,
Ann
