The Apple Tree

by Elvi Rhodes

When Frances, recovering from a broken love affair, moves with her mother to lonely Beck Farm in the Yorkshire Dales, she is hoping to turn it into a thriving guesthouse. The villagers are friendly and she is made aware of the mystery surrounding the previous owner of her house, Ben Thornton. As Frances brings both the ancient house and its magnificent apple tree back to life, she finds out more about the house and its previous occupants - and at the same time begins to rebuild her own life.

Genres: Fiction

444 pages, Hardcover

First published January 11, 2004

Reviews

[poppie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely gentle read (pity about the spelling errors!). No sex, violence or bad language. What a pleasant change.

[Maureen Vincent-Northam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in the Yorkshire Dales, the first part of The Apple Tree centres on Frances and her mother who move from Brighton to renovate and run a B&B. A bit of a mystery surrounds the former owner, Ben Thornton, and his two wives. When Frances discovers a plaque hidden in the garden carved with a name, which turns out to be the former owner's almost universally disliked second wife, Lottie, the mystery deepens.

We get to know more about Ben and Lottie in the middle section of the book where the mystery unfolds and the book picks up a pace. Lottie is a rather sad character, though our sympathies are with Ben who is ultimately the loser.

For the final quarter the novel returns to Frances’s story which again is rather slower-paced but, although not without its sadder notes, does end with a positive conclusion. All in all an enjoyable read.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast, easy read perfect for the warm days we’ve just had. Nice writing & a bit of a mystery in the middle.

[Tania · Rating 3 out of 5]

quotes#060802

Her mother was full of folklore like that. Break two of anything on the same day, for instance, and you must then prevent a third breakage of something precious by snapping a match in half. p62

After lunch, Madge said, "I think I'll go and have my little nap. I've missed it the last day or two and I always feel better for it. Just to lose myself for a little while." p52
[comment: nothing literary, but I do like the sentiment]

... I know what your generation is like. My mother is the same. Always on the go. I think it's partly having gone through World War Two. You had so much responsibility then, you ladies. You can't seem to shake it off." He got up to go. "Do you enjoy reading?" he asked.
"When I have time," Madge said.
"Well, now you have," he pointed out. "Get a pile of books from the library van and lie back and read them all. And if you fall asleep reading, so much the better." p278
[hee, hee - not literary but I like it anyhow]

[Barkha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing wasnt very smooth. The conversation seemed unnatural and fake. Things were overexplained.

One of those poignant sort of books that look at people's life from a step back. Don't know how to explain it.

Sad story though about Ben and Lottie

[Charlie Trafford · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gentle, quiet little story, one for reading on a cold afternoon, I love this author. Nice easy read.

[G. Gore · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not find this book enjoyable. It seemed as if two different authors were writing it. Within the first few chapters I almost connected with Frances and her mother, then it abruptly changed to the story of Lottie which seemed so immaturely written. I never became involved enough in her story that I cared at all what happened to any of the characters. Then by the time the book came back to Frances in the last few chapters, I had almost forgotten about her, as it rushed to the end. It would have been a better book if it focused more on Frances' likable character rather than the so completely out-of-place sad figure Lottie. I prefer to be uplifted when reading and this book did not do that.

[Julie Monzi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't finish this. The author kept changing point of view, sometimes on one page, which I found extremely annoying. It also made it a confusing read. She used a great deal of descriptive language which bogged down the book.

[RJC · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too many words, bad editing. Long winded. Not great.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring -

[Sandy Aragon]

Awesome!

What a wonderful tale; sometimes sad and bittersweet. Loved the descriptions of the land and the people. Would probably read more from this author.

[Elaine M. Gossfeld]

The sending was anti climax

[E.L.Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous Elvi

Once again a brilliant story she just has such a marvelous way of writing I liked the description of where the story was set and the way it it went into to different lives of the people wh owned the house superb

[Eileen133 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story of a woman who bought a house, and she learns about the man who owned it before her.