Today we talk about The Witness Tree, a book by Marianne Roux & Juliette Roux published with our publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the authors, Marianne Roux & Juliette Roux, to get to know them better, the inspiration behind their book The Witness Tree, the creative exchange between mother and daughter, and the historic places that continue to spark new stories.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- What inspired you to write your book?
Marianne: I have always travelled with my family and come from a long line of storytellers. When I visit ancient places, I imagine the people who once lived there—their joys, pain, dreams, and struggles.
Marianne and Juliette: When we moved to Ireland, we fell in love with its forests and deer, its people, and its folklore—especially the druids, festivals, and faeries. The Irish sense of humour, warmth, and devotion to culture and language, despite centuries of invasion and occupation, deeply inspired us. We have also both always loved writing.
Marianne: I have a particular passion for history. After reading Dublin by Edward Rutherfurd, I knew I wanted to write historical fiction. On the estate where we live stands a 200-year-old oak—the most beautiful tree we have ever seen. I felt as though it were whispering, ‘Write my stories. Write my stories.’ While caring for my parents in South Africa, I began shaping the novel. I enrolled in Ken Follett’s BBC Maestro course and threw myself into the work. I then asked Juliette, an aspiring writer and actor, to read the manuscript and help develop the characters and storyline.
Marianne and Juliette: What began as a request for feedback grew naturally into a collaboration between mother and daughter.
- What would you most like to hear from your readers?
Marianne and Juliette: We would love to hear that they, too, fell in love with Ireland—its people and the magic of the land. We also hope they recognise something of themselves in the characters’ struggles, perseverance, and pride.
- What was it like to work together?
Marianne and Juliette: It was a complete role reversal. Marianne has always been the mother and Juliette the daughter, but during this process Marianne became the learner and Juliette the teacher. Juliette brought gentle feedback, thoughtful corrections, and brilliant ideas. We would do it again in a heartbeat.
- Is there a book—or an author—to which you feel particularly attached?
Marianne: I am drawn to philosophical, poetic, and historical writing, especially the work of Paulo Coelho, Isabel Allende, Ken Follett, James A. Michener, Louis de Bernières, Edward Rutherfurd, and Umberto Eco. Their books uncover distinctive stories and tell them beautifully. Reading them helped me recognise that storytelling is my calling.
- Are you planning more books? What can you tell us about them?
Marianne: Yes. I am currently writing a trilogy set in 14th-century Ragusa, the former independent republic now known as Dubrovnik. It follows merchant and noble families whose lives become entangled with Venetian and Hungarian interests. The city captivated me because so little of its history is widely known.
Marianne and Juliette: Our aim is to keep telling the stories of places and people that have been overlooked or undertold—and to bring those worlds vividly to life.
Europe Books thanks the authors, Marianne Roux & Juliette Roux, once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside them on the editorial path that led to the publication of their book The Witness Tree. We wish them the best of luck for their future works.
To you, my readers, may this book allow you to discover Ireland and inspire you to plan a trip to this magical land as soon as possible.
So, my dear reader, all I have to say is to enjoy your reading!
Your editor!