Thornyhold

Rating:
Summary: Sweet, idyllic read
Review: Heroine: everywoman

Life can be difficult for an only child raised by strict religious parents, and this was certainly the case for Geillis Ramsey who had no friends (not even a pet) to call her own for most of her young life.

Fortunately what Jilly does have is a fairy Godmother of sorts; her mother's cousin who keeps an eye out for her interests even as she is traveling the globe. She makes certain that young Jilly is provided for when her parents leave her alone in the world as a young woman with no real prospects. She gives her Thornyhold, a beautiful old Georgian House that once belonged to a witch named Goody Gostelow, which becomes a refuge for the poor young Geillis.

But how truly safe is she at her new shelter? A disturbing dream, messages from the great beyond, and neighbors who send out mixed signals as to whether or not they want her there leave Geillis wondering about the sanctity of her new home and the sanity of her mind.

What worked for me:

For the most part this is a very gentle pastoral story filled with lovely descriptions of a time gone by in the countryside of England 50+ years ago when not all houses had phones, neighbors dropped in to clean your house with you, and herbal remedies were more trusted than doctor's prescriptions. But the first few chapters about Geillis as a child, which were necessary to show why she is the way she is and add depth to the story, were decidedly sad in several places.

Size-wise Geillis wasn't really described, but her neighbor was a fairly large woman.

What didn't work for me:

Because of its idyllic pace it didn't have me on the edge of my seat the way I expect a gothic romance should. In fact the romance and even the suspense in "Thornyhold" were very mild, almost secondary even, so that I think the book seems more like a light paranormal fiction than a gothic.

Overall:

A very sweet story worth indulging in, especially if you are a fan of witches and/or gardening.

Warning: There are a few references to the occult in this novel.

If you liked "Thornyhold" you might also enjoy "The Dancing Floor".

Rating:
Summary: Sweet, idyllic read
Review: Heroine: everywoman

Life can be difficult for an only child raised by strict religious parents, and this was certainly the case for Geillis Ramsey who had no friends (not even a pet) to call her own for most of her young life.

Fortunately what Jilly does have is a fairy Godmother of sorts; her mother's cousin who keeps an eye out for her interests even as she is traveling the globe. She makes certain that young Jilly is provided for when her parents leave her alone in the world as a young woman with no real prospects. She gives her Thornyhold, a beautiful old Georgian House that once belonged to a witch named Goody Gostelow, which becomes a refuge for the poor young Geillis.

But how truly safe is she at her new shelter? A disturbing dream, messages from the great beyond, and neighbors who send out mixed signals as to whether or not they want her there leave Geillis wondering about the sanctity of her new home and the sanity of her mind.

What worked for me:

For the most part this is a very gentle pastoral story filled with lovely descriptions of a time gone by in the countryside of England 50+ years ago when not all houses had phones, neighbors dropped in to clean your house with you, and herbal remedies were more trusted than doctor's prescriptions. But the first few chapters about Geillis as a child, which were necessary to show why she is the way she is and add depth to the story, were decidedly sad in several places.

Size-wise Geillis wasn't really described, but her neighbor was a fairly large woman.

What didn't work for me:

Because of its idyllic pace it didn't have me on the edge of my seat the way I expect a gothic romance should. In fact the romance and even the suspense in "Thornyhold" were very mild, almost secondary even, so that I think the book seems more like a light paranormal fiction than a gothic.

Overall:

A very sweet story worth indulging in, especially if you are a fan of witches and/or gardening.

Warning: There are a few references to the occult in this novel.

If you liked "Thornyhold" you might also enjoy "The Dancing Floor".

Rating:
Summary: herbs or drugs? 2nd sight or psychology? magical, either way
Review: I generally prefer Mary Stewart's less ambiguous romantic suspense novels. Thornyhold was a dower house inhabited by the upright wife of a wicked rake of the Victorian era. Sybil was succeeded by our heroine's mother's cousin, Geillis, and, in turn, by our heroine, another Geillis. The three "witches" are not quite the same, but share a taste for healing, and a love of animals. As our Geillis' talent is nurtured in the house in the woods, she finds herself in need of more than herbal wards to protect herself from the unwanted attentions of another woman in the area who considers herself something of a witch -- and not precisely a white one at that.

Stewart does a nice job of preserving ambiguity, allowing dual explanations for nearly every event in the book, without it becoming mechanical or some sort of apology. The characters are pleasant, especially the animals. On the whole, an enjoyable read.

Rating:
Summary: Thornyhold
Review: I love this book. It's the story of a young lady who loses everything, but finds it all. Her mysterious Aunt has impeccable timing, even after she has died. The young lady in the story discovrs herself as she is trying to sort out her Aunt's life. You will love this book!

Rating:
Summary: Thornyhold
Review: I received this book as a Christmas present when in elementary school, and I confess that it took a while for me to open it up. Once I read it, however, I had to read it again. And again. And again. Fifteen years later, I am still reading this touching tale. This novel is an excellent example of loving and being sure of oneself. The descriptions are beautiful but not overbearing, and the simple story touched with magic is engaging. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Rating:
Summary: Thornyhold
Review: I've been reading Mary Stewart since high school, which was a long time ago. I've always been taken with her ability to evoke a sense of place and atmosphere. In THORNYHOLD she does this superbly. In STORMY PETRAL and ROSE COTTAGE I, very sadly, felt her advanced age was affecting her writing. I was afraid I'd read my last really good Mary Stewart book. However, THORNYHOLD is wonderful; a lovely place to escape to when you need a break from this hectic modern world, and feel the need to spend some time in a romantic cottage full of magic. I recommend you visit soon and often.

Rating:
Summary: A Magical Place To Go
Review: I've been reading Mary Stewart since high school, which was a long time ago. I've always been taken with her ability to evoke a sense of place and atmosphere. In THORNYHOLD she does this superbly. In STORMY PETRAL and ROSE COTTAGE I, very sadly, felt her advanced age was affecting her writing. I was afraid I'd read my last really good Mary Stewart book. However, THORNYHOLD is wonderful; a lovely place to escape to when you need a break from this hectic modern world, and feel the need to spend some time in a romantic cottage full of magic. I recommend you visit soon and often.

Rating:
Summary: Loneliness Finds Love
Review: My first response to this novel, when it was originally published, was to compare it negatively to Mary Stewart's earlier thrillers. I thought the plot trivial, the heroine insipid and overall wondered if the author, always one of my favorites,was losing her magical touch that had inspired me for over 20 years. Now, upon listening to the audio book version read by the talented Jane Asher, I believe my first impressions was wrong.

Granted Geillis Ramsey is not Mary Stewart's typical heroine: the career girl on vacation or on the new job who through a set of odd happenstances literally must fend for her life. Geillis is reflective. While Ms Stewart's other heroines, report and record the vivid locales through the sense-provoking medium of the author's glorious prose, Geillis Ramsey revels in it. She is an older contemplative Ms Stewart telling of her love of home, relating small yet monumentally beautiful occurrences of her own life, set in the green splendour of the UK. At the same time, she weaves these "little things" into a feasible fictional story of a lonely girl who with the help of an older unorthodox cousin finds her special niche in terms of self, community and finally love. The elan of witchcraft interjects a minor touch of the old Stewart suspense, but, on the whole, I believe this is Ms Stewart's tribute to life, love, and nature.

Lyrically beautiful and highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: This book is charming
Review: This book is so charming....it makes me wish for a place like Thornyhold for myself. The main character is someone you can really come to care about and I have a feeling that I will be re-reading this one again and again.

Rating:
Summary: Favorite Book
Review: This is a book I find myself picking up at least once a year to sit down and savor all over again. I return to this book not only for the excellent writing, but for it's peaceful tone with strong hints of otherworldly drama and its undercurrents of romance as well as its richly woven descriptions. While I love all of Mary Stewarts books, this is by far my favorite. I highly recommend it.