A Novel
By Thomas J. Smith
(c) 2006, 2008
Fruit Of The Banyan Tree is the story of a teenaged American girl whose unfortunate personal circumstances lead her to become entangled in a bitter public feud between a conservative small-city mayor and his socially activist daughter. Written in a thoughtful, engaging style, the story draws a picture of characters struggling to remain true to themselves while simultaneously doing what they feel is necessary to defend their most deeply held principles. Touching on some of the most controversial and divisive issues of our day, the novel casts a critical eye over the antagonistic and often self-destructive nature of what passes for political and social debate in modern America. Taking no sides and playing no favorites, this novel seeks above all to demonstrate that most important quality of all worthy fiction--the undeniable humanity of all of its characters.
From this site you may read my novel on-line for free, or print a single copy of the text for your own personal reading off-line, also for free. The novel is copyrighted, though, so all other uses of the work are prohibited. When, and if, this novel is published in either printed or e-book form, I will add links to this page to sites where it can be purchased.
Until then, please follow the Read The Book link to access the table of contents, which will then take you through the novel chapter by chapter. As an aid to discussion and a general guide to the reader, I have also provided introductory commentary to my story, along with chapter-level review questions. It is my hope that these thoughts will help the reader gain insight and added enjoyment from the book.
Feedback regarding the novel, the associated commentary, or the content of this site in general is always welcome. Agent/publisher inquiries about the novel are also welcome. Please feel free to email me at fruitofthebanyantree@yahoo.com or add a comment to my guestbook. And, as always, thank you for reading!
