The Cinnamon Tree

Reviews
‘Yola’s adventures in Africa and Ireland read like a thriller – there’s just so much going on in this beautifully written story.’ — RTE Guide

‘Aubrey Flegg, who recently won the Peter Pan Prize 2000 for his first book, Katie’s War, has again come up with a very likeable heroine in The Cinnamon Tree.’ — Margrit Cruickshank – The Irish Times

‘A thought-provoking book which addresses the issue of illegal arms trading with the West, and also demonstrates how adversity can lead to empowerment.’ — Book Fest 2000

‘This powerful story, set largely in a fictional Africal state resembling Angola, takes a strong anti-war stance. From a dramatic opening chapter in which 14-year-old Yola loses her leg in a landmine explosion, through to the tense final pages … It tackles difficult and complex issues with unflinching rigour. Characters and readers alike are forced to examine the attitude of supposedly peaceful nations and individuals to the arms trade, ineluctably drawn to the conclusion that it is not enough for good men to do nothing.’ — Kate Agnew – The Guardian The Guardian Product Description

Yola’s leg is blown off by a landmine and her life in Africa is changed forever. When Yola travels to Ireland to be fitted with an artificial leg and meets seventeen-year-old Fintan, she little realises that they will soon be involved in an international arms intrigue, and an adventure that will bring them both close to death.