FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Who doesn’t love a classic story that captivates the imagination, nourishes the soul, and enlightens the mind?
Debut author Melissa Parenty has long cherished exactly these kinds of tales. As a mother of seven, she delighted in reading stories aloud that built faith, shaped character, and created lasting family memories.
Melissa’s love affair with books began early. A voracious reader, she devoured every genre—from childhood classics to her father’s collection of WWII autobiographies. “For me, reading is a kind of virtual learning experience accessed through words on a page,” Melissa explains. “Stories don’t just entertain; they teach and transform us—which is exactly why Jesus used parables.”
Her passion for learning and teaching has guided her life. Melissa has served in children’s and women’s Ministry, taught religious education in schools, and currently works as a Trainer Assessor in Literacy.
The Inspiration Behind The Babushka Tree
The idea for The Babushka Tree grew from Melissa’s fascination with Babushka dolls—symbols of matrilineal lineage and generational connection. A remarkable truth inspired her: a female foetus at just twenty weeks’ gestation already carries the next generation within her, in the form of oocytes (eggs). “Think about it,” Melissa says. “You were present inside your mother’s developing body when she was carried within your grandmother’s womb. If you’ve carried daughters, you’ve also carried your future grandchildren.”
This profound concept became the seed for a story about healing, heritage, and hope. Melissa imagined Babushka dolls infused with supernatural healing power—a reflection of the biblical model of women as nurturers.
Set in the fictional village of Damseldorf, the story follows an elderly couple, Yousef and Mamie, who lovingly craft and gift their handmade babushka dolls to a community suffering from a failed harvest. When a blind girl named Flora receives one of these dolls, her life—and the lives of those around her—begin to change. Among them is David, a bitter-hearted school bully whose journey from cruelty to courage becomes one of redemption and grace.
A Celebration of Family, Faith, and Redemption
Married for thirty-five years, and a proud mother of seven, with nine grandchildren and number ten on the way, Melissa draws deeply from her own experiences of family life. She’s a strong advocate for traditional family values and sought to develop characters that embody the richness, resilience, and blessings of family relationships.
Themes of generosity, grace, healing, and redemption run through The Babushka Tree, creating a story that both delights and uplifts. Readers will find themselves turning the pages eagerly, drawn toward a heartwarming and satisfying conclusion.
To deepen the experience, Melissa includes a “Biblical Reflection Journal” at the back of the book—an invitation for readers to explore the scriptural truths woven throughout the story. “I wanted to create not just a good story,” she says, “but a space for readers to reflect on why it’s a good story—to connect the dots between narrative and biblical truth.”
A Life of Purpose and Hospitality
Melissa sees her greatest calling as being a wife, mother, and grandmother, while also embracing the Proverbs 31 vision of an industrious woman who engages meaningfully with her community. Her life has been a blend of family, ministry, mission, and business.
From 2007 to 2015, the Parenty family lived in France as missionaries with Pioneers, where they planted a church on the Atlantic coast—Surf Church Hossegor—and founded Surfhostels Biarritz and Bidart as part of their business-as-mission efforts. Melissa is fluent in French and still counts France as a beloved second home.
Hospitality has always been at the heart of the Parenty family. “We’ve always opened our home to guests,” Melissa shares. “Our family table has welcomed people from all around the world.”
Since moving back to Australia in 2015, the Parenty family have been owner operators of a café, ‘The Hungry Surfer’ and their current hospitality adventure is ‘Kanigan Mountain Retreat’ situated just over an hour north of the Sunshine Coast.
Melissa hopes to engage with her readers and this is possible through contacting her via social media (search The Babushka Tree on Facebook and Instagram) or writing her an email: thebabushkatree@gmail.com.
The Babushka Tree, published by Ark House, is now available globally.
