Raphael Sangorski is the pen-name of an English novelist and playwright who lives right up in the top left-hand corner of England – in Cumbria, near the beautiful Solway Coast and close to the Scottish border.
There are four books in the ‘Desolate Tree’ series. Covering the years from 1989 to 2011 the story follows the lives of Michael Radcliffe, his wife Jennifer and their two teenage daughters Rachael and Daisy. Michael has a poorly-paid job as a salesman and his wife works part-time to supplement their income, and the books tell how Michael’s brief affair with a former colleague leads to profound changes in all their lives. On the following pages you can find out more about the story, which charts the highs – and frequent lows – of Michael’s chaotic life. Please read ‘The books’ page first, then the sub-pages for details of the individual volumes.
Thanks, Raphael
Oh, and the picture at the top of the page? That is a view across Wimbledon Common, very similar to the view from ‘Hunters’, one of the houses featured in the books. The Common, and the road which runs along one side of it from Wimbledon Village towards Putney – Parkside – are the main setting for the story, and the home of much of the action.
The Desolate Tree 