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A Tale in the Wind
by Wendy Mills
A Tale in the Wind, the third installment in Wendy Mills’ The Soul Travellers series, begins on what seems like an ordinary summer morning that quickly turns into an extraordinary journey for Bwang, the Esteemed Keeper of the Roots of the Tree which links Heaven and Earth. This tree, a mystical nexus of cosmic balance, is suddenly threatened by the unexpected appearance of two Bushmen from the southern part of the continent, who were never meant to discover its sacred location.
The narrative unfolds into a quest filled with danger and discovery, as Bwang must confront not only the breach of the sacred by the outsiders but also his own understanding of his duties and destiny. As he travels with these unlikely companions, the trio seeks to restore what has been disturbed and bring healing to places and people desolate and in despair.
Mills weaves a rich tapestry of myth and adventure, exploring themes of responsibility, cultural heritage, and the interconnectedness of all life. The journey is not just a physical one but a profound exploration of spiritual healing and the power of unity in confronting and overcoming great adversities.
A Tale in the Wind is more than just a continuation of a fantasy series; it is a poignant story about facing unexpected challenges and finding hope and purpose in the midst of fear. This book will resonate with readers who appreciate a deep, thoughtful narrative infused with elements of magic and the mystic, set within a world as perilous as it is enchanting.
Published by Root & Cradle Press on 2020
The Soul Travellers
Wendy Mills was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and moved to Cape Town when she was seven years old. She later studied Philosophy and English Literature at the University of Cape Town (UCT), followed by a postgraduate degree in Philosophy at the University of Stellenbosch. She taught Philosophy at UCT and later moved to England where for a period, she taught Philosophy at A Level and for the European Baccalaureate.
Both of Wendy’s grandfathers were refugee children from Eastern Europe who fled to South Africa with their families. The resulting instabilities that this caused for successive generations, coupled with growing up in a society fractured and torn apart by the Apartheid regime, led her to a lifelong quest for truth and meaning. For Wendy, such a quest was beautifully illustrated in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave (The Republic) which became for her one of her deepest and long held metaphors and guides for life. For her, all of these concerns coalesced in a search for roots and a deeper sense of belonging on this planet, both of which themes lie at the heart of Hugill’s Message and the next story to come, A Tale in the Wind. They are ‘wisdom stories’, mythological tales which follow the Quest genre, because for her that form of narrative is the model for human life: a journey in search of deeper meaning.
Wendy has now retired from formal teaching but in a world where spiritual values are increasingly subsumed by materialism, she continues to encourage her children to give Philosophy a central role in their lives. She now lives in South Oxfordshire with her husband and three dogs.
