The Boy Who Hugs Trees

A story of impossible choices, buried secrets, and the courage to rebuild.

When Georgia removes her autistic son, Dylan, from a prestigious Edinburgh school, she seeks refuge in her family's ancestral home on the sunlit shores of the Greek island of Corfu. Among the olive trees and cicadas, she discovers her late mother's diary—an intimate glimpse into a marriage shaped by love, betrayal, and tragedy. The diary's revelations challenge everything Georgia thought she knew about her parents—and herself.

Adam's life is stagnant, his days blending into one another. When he answers an advert to tutor a boy with autism, he hopes to find purpose. What he doesn't expect is Georgia—complicated, guarded, and deeply compelling. As their bond grows, Adam and Georgia must confront their own fears, even as the echoes of the past threaten their fragile connection.

But the diary holds a final, devastating secret, forcing Georgia to reckon with the choices that shaped her family's fate—and her own.

The Boy Who Hugs Trees is part of Dougie McHale's Hellenic Collection. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Corfu, it is a poignant tale of love, sacrifice, and the enduring quest for forgiveness.

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Praise for The Hellenic Collection:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ... you feel the heat from the sun, smell the sea, flowers, herbs as it catches your imagination.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Had to stay awake till the early hours to finish.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The way Dougie writes about Greece, I was wishing I was there.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The characters were relatable and the insight into Autism was very good.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ You can feel the heat, smell the herbs and connect with the characters.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ... really insightful look at love, life and all its fragility.