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ClareR (5991 KP) rated The Witch Elm: A Novel in Books

Oct 16, 2019 (Updated Oct 16, 2019)

The Witch Elm: A Novel

Tana French | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry

6.8

(5 Ratings)

Book Rating

A psychological thriller that had me guessing along with the main character!

After a night out with his friends in Dublin, Toby Hennessy walks home alone and goes to bed. He’s woken up in the early hours by two men burgling his flat and when he confronts them, they attack him viciously and leave him for dead. He doesn’t die, and after a long period of time in hospital, he returns to his flat, clearly suffering from PTSD and a brain injury. Luckily for him (but not so lucky for his uncle) his uncle, Hugo, is diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. So Toby and his girlfriend Melissa move in to help keep him company, and ultimately to care for him.

They’re a close family, who meet every Sunday for dinner, and Toby and his cousins Leon and Susanna spent every summer at their Uncles house, living pretty much unchecked - every teenagers dream.

This idyllic life is brought abruptly to an end when a skeleton is found inside the trunk of one of the Wych elms in the back garden. It’s complicated further by the fact that Toby’s head injury from the burglary means that his memories are ropey, to say the least.

I really liked this book: I liked the slow build up and learning about the family and the relationship between the cousins. As for the skeleton, well that mystery had me guessing right up to the end.

Incidentally, this is sold as ‘The Wych Elm’ in the UK - ‘Wych’ is an alternative spelling in old English of ‘witch’, and it also means pliant or supple. The words ‘wicker’ and ‘weak’ come from this word too (yes, I looked it up, and this will join all of the terribly interesting, yet relatively useless, information that accumulates in my head 🤷🏼‍♀️).

This is my first Tana French novel, and based on this book, it won’t be my last.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for my copy of this book.

Kudos

MaryAnn (14 KP) rated Moments We Forget (Thatcher Sisters, #2) in Books

Nov 4, 2019

illian Thatcher has spent most of her life playing the family peacemaker, caught in the middle between her driven, talented older sister and her younger, spotlight-stealing twin sisters. Then on the night of her engagement party, a cancer diagnosis threatens to once again steal her chance to shine. Now, Jillians on the road to recovery after finally finishing chemo and radiation, but residual effects of the treatment keep her from reclaiming her life as shed hoped. And just when her dreams might be falling into place, a life-altering revelation from her husband sends her reeling again. Will Jillian ever achieve her own dreams, or will she always be just Jillian, the less-than Thatcher sister? Can she count on her sisters as she tries to step into a stronger place, or are they stuck in their childhood roles forever?

My Thoughts: This is a compelling story about three sisters who all have the difficulties that they are overcoming. Each one is on a journey that brings them back together again. This is a story that the readers can get lost in, that can connect and relate to in each of their own lives. The characters are real, with down to earth troubles that can happen at any time in our lives. This is a story about coming together, letting the past go, looking forward to the future and of course, there is an element of forgiveness.

I do like that the gospel is given in this novel, the fact that we do need God in our lives is foremost to living a life worth living. To those who don't know Christ, they can become lost or bitter during some of the circumstances that these sisters faced.

The writer has written a novel that is easy to read, the storyline flows well and she brings the reader into the story that makes it personal to the reader.

I truly enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading more from Beth K. Vogt.