Book 27: The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge

Apr 17, 2016 18:33


Book 27: The Lie Tree.
Author: Frances Hardinge, 2015.
Genre: Historical Fiction. Gothic. Horror. Young Adult.
Other Details: ebook. 417 pages.

Faith's father has been found dead under mysterious circumstances, and as she is searching through his belongings for clues she discovers a strange tree. The tree only grows healthy and bears fruit if you whisper a lie to it. The fruit of the tree, when eaten, will deliver a hidden truth to the person who consumes it. The bigger the lie, the more people who believe it, the bigger the truth that is uncovered.

The girl realizes that she is good at lying and that the tree might hold the key to her father's murder, so she begins to spread untruths far and wide across her small island community. But as her tales spiral out of control, she discovers that where lies seduce, truths shatter . . . - synopsis from UK publisher's website.

I knew very little about this novel when it was chosen for our reading group apart from it having won the Costa Award. I found it a haunting tale with a strong underlying ethical theme of the insidious nature of lying. It and a very compelling lead character in Faith with her quest to uncover the truth about her father's death. The tree itself presented an atavistic horror as it exerted its influence upon Faith and others. There were some interesting twists to the tale that proved very satisfying.

I was surprised when it was not as well received by some group members who said that they did not get drawn into the tale. Perhaps the element of magical realism that gave a somewhat fantastical aspect was the issue? However, those of us who did read it all were full of praise.

gothic novels, historical fiction, young adult

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