Jonathan, a confused mathematical genius and skilled computer hacker, with a potentially bright future, wakes up to realise his life has fast spun out of control. He finds himself in the brutally real world of Rooksdown Lodge, a secure psychiatric unit. He instantly bonds with fellow patient, the charismatic and vulnerable Hal. As retribution for Hal’s suffering, Jonathan hacks into the computer system of MI6, where Hal’s uncaring father works. In the chaos that ensues Jonathan discovers more about human nature than he bargains for and finds himself on a rollercoaster ride of self-discovery.
Told through Jonathan’s eyes, who returns to the hospital by chance twenty years later, older and wiser, We Don’t Grow on Trees, is a story narrated with honesty, humour and pathos. You will be taken on a journey from stark hospital wards, to the upmarket streets of London, to high drama in Middle East and back again. This unique and exciting thriller-with-a-message from Henry Neild, written in the author’s inimitable documentary style, is not only a survivor’s tale but also speaks to us clearly about the frailty of the human condition.