With the battle for the forest over, book 3 and the second half of this four-book modern epic fable switches gears to focus on a battle for the identity of the Tree Man.
With a little, or a lot, of help from his friends, the Tree Man has figured some things out about his past, but he still has some questions that need answers. Yet now, he must center his attention on wrestling with what kind of human being he is to become in his present. And just how is a guy who lived as a tree for several years supposed to absorb himself into the culture of the United States in the early years of the third millenium without becoming absorbed by it?
And how much of the truth of his story can he reveal to others? How much will he be believed? Does their belief even matter? Is it even worth telling the truth and risking being misunderstood, or is a lie to fit into society better? Is that what it will take to get by in this regimented world of work, propaganda and endless rules? And can he find some new allies along the way? Is he supposed to share his amazing story with the world, to speak for Nature? And will he lose his connection to Nature as he enters the disconnected modern world? So many questions!
Meanwhile, events on the world stage heat up throughout the book as the United States marches toward war against Iraq for reasons that are not all that well understood but nevertheless believed by many. Both the Teacher and the Tree Man are struggling with how to stop this war and the Teacher is still dealing with battles with co-workers about just what his country is becoming.
Book Three of “The Teacher and the Tree Man” explores these issues and many more.
