Trees Whisper | Abigayle Ellen Books

This story starts with a little girl, Rain. She's 10-years-old in 1927 when she's required to find a home in the jungle to escape a drug lord, Eduardo. She's able to carve a life for herself out of the nature around her. Though the Amazon Rainforest is one of the most dangerous places on earth, it appears that she's safer there than in the village of Simte (White Owl), where she's lived her whole life.

True, this book begins its story in 1927, but the history that this story is built on begins in 1450---The formation of the Muisca confederation. The Muisca are an aboriginal tribe of Colombia who settled on the eastern range of the Andes Mountains. Rain is from a line older than the first zipa (leader of the southern nation that inhabited the Altiplano plateau).

The Spanish invaded in 1537, causing genocide. No way to take a census of the Muisca at the time, their estimated number was between 500,000 and 3 million within 9,700 sq mi at that time. Possibly relative to New Hampshire. Don't let the intervening 390 years between the end of the confederation and the beginning of this book convince you that everything changes with time.

Meet A Few Of My People

Tía Nora

She is a scientist who makes medicine for the people of Simte. She was supposed to lead her people when her parents died, but abdicated to her younger sister who was better at governing. When her sister died, the leadership role went to her daughter, Rain.

She took in Rain without hesitation, despite knowing the risk. When the story begins, she's been raising Cabello as her own for 11 years.

Rain/Lluvia

She starts the story as a spoiled and frightened ten-year-old, recently orphaned, who lives with her aunt (Tía). She overcomes many dangers after running away from her village, Simte (White Owl), into the Amazon rain forest, narrowly escaping a drug lord.

She is the last in the line of Muisca rulers. Therefore, the people in her village are her responsibility. She has to return to Simte when she's 15 and, there, learns that a Muisca leader isn't all she is.

Cabello

He begins as Rain's best friend, a year and a half older than she. Eleven when helps her to escape, then to survive, until they find her home in the jungle. Extremely strong, extremely intelligent, and extremely selfless, he's as perfect as a perfect circle. Though he overthinks the simple things, he's sure of his love for Rain, and they learns that they were destined for each other since before time.

Samuel

Nora's estranged husband. The drug lord, Eduardo threatened Nora if he didn't leave Simte. His influence over the people was too great.

He was going to be a father to Cabello---his protector, but was forced to leave when Cabello was only a month old.

Sean

Rain's Irish/American father who came to Simte from America to be a partner in the drug business and quickly fell in love with the village leader, Mariana

Eduardo

Eduardo is discussed during 3 stages over a duration of 16 years. The reason for his physical transformation, other than a passion for food, is further explained in stories that will be related to the Rain series but not a part of it.

His reign of tyranny over the Muisca as a money-hungry drug lord begins subtly 4 yrs before Rain is born and is complete 2 years before the book begins. He's the epitome of evil, though, there's a reason for that too.

Penny

Penny is Rain's "primary mate." She doesn't play a big role in the first book. Rain finds her and a few of her family members on an expedition through the jungle when she's bored. Her role, and those of her family, get gradually bigger, though.

Oro (Gold)

Oro is a Golden Poisonous Dart (Arrow) Frog. Bright colored skin warn predators that these frogs are toxic. If one is eaten, it kills whatever ate it instantly. Their poison is excreted through swear glands. Most aren't poisonous to touch, but the Golden Frogs, or ones classified by that name, are so toxic that handling one is either really ballsy or really stupid... Contact with this frog can kill 10 men or 1 African bull elephant in 10 min. Goldens are THE most toxic creature on the planet.

Amazonian Animals Mentioned in Trees Whisper

From left to right:

Finger Monkey, Aye Aye, New Zealand Cave Glow Worms, some fish that I imagined and proceeded to google, Green Bio luminescent Algae, Harpy Eagle, Tarsier, Poisonous Dart Frog, Black Panther, and Pink bio luminescent Algae.