Daughter of the Tree brings together themes of nature, spirituality and justice. It is a mystical look at the childhood of Sojourner Truth based on the facts that at the age of 11 years old she created an outdoor prayer house made of willows and gathered herbs in the forest along the Hudson River in New York. Sojourner Truth says in her biography that it was a wild, out of doors life that suited her. We hope that children will be inspired to connect to nature and take charge of their spiritual journey like Sojourner did. Adults who read the book may appreciate the role that spirituality and nature play in helping liberators maintain personal equilibrium.
The refrain in the book: "If it matters to the tree, it matters to me" is a wisdom saying as well as a reference to Sojourner's father being nicknamed "the tree". The wisdom saying refers to the symbiotic relationship humans have with trees; as well as the spiritual concept of the tree of life found in Ghanian and Christian culture. Since Sojourner's parents were devout Christians and from the Ghanian culture, Rev Dele imagines how these worldviews may have blended in a way that speaks to the 7 generations.