The Highest Tree

An Evocative Story of the transcendency of love "The Highest Tree" is a dazzling story and self-realization set against the backdrop of lush, turbulent India in the 1960's. Claire Matthews is a beautiful American woman, living alone in India while writing her dissertation. India is on the edge of war with Pakistan; sexual, racial, and religious tensions are at a peak and Phillip Horster is a handsome multimillionaire who desires Claire. Using the relationship between Claire and Phillip as metaphor for the larger issue of war and the origins of conflict and commitment, illuminated by exquisite excerpts from Sanskrit love poetry, classical art history, and a profound understanding of the political climate, Esther Handler has created a first novel that offers a memorable understanding of the circumstances under which love can exist and thrive.