"... an exquisite, unique story that's compellingly hard to put down."
-- Diane Donovan, The Midwest Book Review
Available now from Barnes and Noble and Amazon!
"[Dehmelt] displays a wonderful ear for dialogue in this novel ... He can turn a good phrase, too ..." -- Kirkus Reviews
"The writing is poetic, I found myself rooting for the intriguing characters ... the descriptions of life with mental illness are authentic ... 4 out of 4 stars." -- OnlineBookClub official review
"Simultaneously subtle and powerful ... it is this dance between the known and unknown that humanizes The Theory of Talking to Trees in a profound way." -- Tanya J. Peterson, author of Twenty-Four Shadows
Stephen Christiansen's life has been defined by tragedy and achievement; after experiencing horrors in his youth, he's gone on to publish three novels and works as an editor at the prestigious Bessemer Press of Baltimore. He and his fiance, Phoebe Walker, seem to have an impeccable relationship in the 8th year of their engagement.
Stephen's affluence, however, is shattered when he's shot trying to stop a robbery on the street. The stranger for whom he intervenes, Isaac Sellers, is a disenfranchised, vibrant man who shares Stephen's love of writing. As demons from Stephen's past return to him and new hardship abounds, his friendship with Isaac acts as an anchor by which Stephen tries to right himself in the middle of a personal storm threatening to consume him.
Exploring the unlikely bond between two men from completely different worlds while unapologetically detailing realities of modern America, The Theory of Talking to Trees showcases how the smallest lights shine in the darkest nights, and that compassion is a timeless, universal language.