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The Whispering Trees
“They call me a witch, Liv, and maybe I am, in a manner of speaking.”
Olivia doesn’t believe in magic. No sensible person does. So why, when the family moves to Devon after her dad’s accident, does the hill speak to her?
The hill’s guardian, Annie Tilke, can't – or won't – explain.
At school, sparky Sadie takes Olivia under her wing, but what about smouldering Robert Enticott and devoted but hopeless Wadsy? Are they friend or foe?
Olivia’s dad is not getting better and her mum wants to move back to the city. But for Olivia, telling her parents she wants to stay in Devon to become a vet is the least of her worries. Old Annie’s tormentors are becoming more menacing, the natural world is in trouble, and the mysterious voice on the hill has an urgent message that only Olivia can interpret.
Robert Macfarlane, author of 'The Old Ways', Underland', 'The Lost Words', etc. - said;
"The Whispering Trees is a terrific book: at once haunting, witty and witchy, with the tang of the real to it as well as the shiver of the uncanny. Here are shades of Susan Cooper, echoes of Michael Morpurgo, all in a living landscape set just askew from what might be expected."
Olivia doesn’t believe in magic. No sensible person does. So why, when the family moves to Devon after her dad’s accident, does the hill speak to her?
The hill’s guardian, Annie Tilke, can't – or won't – explain.
At school, sparky Sadie takes Olivia under her wing, but what about smouldering Robert Enticott and devoted but hopeless Wadsy? Are they friend or foe?
Olivia’s dad is not getting better and her mum wants to move back to the city. But for Olivia, telling her parents she wants to stay in Devon to become a vet is the least of her worries. Old Annie’s tormentors are becoming more menacing, the natural world is in trouble, and the mysterious voice on the hill has an urgent message that only Olivia can interpret.
Robert Macfarlane, author of 'The Old Ways', Underland', 'The Lost Words', etc. - said;
"The Whispering Trees is a terrific book: at once haunting, witty and witchy, with the tang of the real to it as well as the shiver of the uncanny. Here are shades of Susan Cooper, echoes of Michael Morpurgo, all in a living landscape set just askew from what might be expected."
248 pages, Paperback
Published July 18, 2024
6 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Alice Allan
3 books4 followersI grew up in rural Devon, England, but have lived all over the world with my husband and two daughters. I've worked as an actress and narrator, a public health specialist and a writer.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
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December 2, 2024I hadn’t heard too much about this book prior to picking it up, although I assume that will change now that it is available. I expected a coming-of-age story, and it is that- but in a way that is uplifting and empowering to females. It is a refreshing change, more so because it’s been done so creatively.
Liv, the main character, has moved to Devon. She’s a bit of a fish out of water at first, the way most teens are (I can relate. I look back on my teen years with something far from happy nostalgia). Her realest and most life-changing friendship comes in the form of an old woman named Annie. Once respected and now shunned, Annie and Liv discover an interesting commonality: a connection to the whispering trees that grow behind Annie’s cottage. From there, the plot picks up with side storylines joining in.
While the hint of magic is what originally drew me in, it was the relationships that kept me eagerly reading. I’m a sucker for strong character development, and The Whispering Trees had it in spades. The way the people around her influenced and shaped Liv’s personality was both believable and interesting to read.
The descriptions were wonderful and painted a vivid picture of a place that I’ve never been yet felt familiar with by the last page. The author told a story that was meaningful, one that I would recommend to readers who enjoy watching characters come into their own. The final takeaway from a book such as this is one of peace and hope. I highly recommend it.
Thank you to Blue Poppy Publishing for gifting me this review copy. It did not affect my review, which is honest. The Whispering Trees is available now.
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.hom...
Liv, the main character, has moved to Devon. She’s a bit of a fish out of water at first, the way most teens are (I can relate. I look back on my teen years with something far from happy nostalgia). Her realest and most life-changing friendship comes in the form of an old woman named Annie. Once respected and now shunned, Annie and Liv discover an interesting commonality: a connection to the whispering trees that grow behind Annie’s cottage. From there, the plot picks up with side storylines joining in.
While the hint of magic is what originally drew me in, it was the relationships that kept me eagerly reading. I’m a sucker for strong character development, and The Whispering Trees had it in spades. The way the people around her influenced and shaped Liv’s personality was both believable and interesting to read.
The descriptions were wonderful and painted a vivid picture of a place that I’ve never been yet felt familiar with by the last page. The author told a story that was meaningful, one that I would recommend to readers who enjoy watching characters come into their own. The final takeaway from a book such as this is one of peace and hope. I highly recommend it.
Thank you to Blue Poppy Publishing for gifting me this review copy. It did not affect my review, which is honest. The Whispering Trees is available now.
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.hom...
December 13, 2024
What a glorious book that transported me to the green and vivid landscape of Devon.
Liv is a determined, feisty young woman to whom we can all relate I'm sure and I very much enjoyed her story.
Liv is a determined, feisty young woman to whom we can all relate I'm sure and I very much enjoyed her story.
July 31, 2024
I couldn’t put this book down. Liv’s narration had me captivated from the word go. The Devon countryside is beautifully described and provides a beautiful backdrop to a story of friendship, courage and ancient magic. There’s even a hint of romance thrown in. A lovely read and highly recommended.
July 13, 2024
This coming of age story has an ethereal quality, blending a story of the growth and maturing of Olivia (Livvy) and her peers, with a magical story of the old ways and how they meet the new. It is well-paced, the characters are interesting and the story carried me along. Standing in stone circles, or among old forests or out in nature we have all perhaps felt the power of the ages in the trees, rock and stone and how they channel through us? Reading this book those feelings came back to me and I felt the optimism of positive energy and humanity. At times touching, this is a story that reminded me of how belief in what is right and a strong connection to the earth enruches us all.
It is a delight to be supporting the launch of this book and it deserves to do well.
It is a delight to be supporting the launch of this book and it deserves to do well.
November 1, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's somehow both relatable and mysterious - the main character, Liv, wrestles with very real emotions and relationships, but set against a backdrop of secrets and past events shrouded in time. It's beautifully written - lovely descriptions and imagery, but also a strong plot means it is a real page turner. I loved it as an adult, but my 14 year old daughter is mid-way through and also loving it!
November 28, 2024
The Whispering Trees is a great read. I really enjoyed the magical atmospheric feeling reflecting a connection between the Devonshire countryside and rural folklore. Once I had started reading I was captivated and had to continue to discover how the plot would unfold. I recommend this book to those of all ages who still enjoy a bit of mystery and romance in their lives. I look forward to reading future books by Alice Allan.
November 28, 2024
I loved this book. Liv’s family move to Devon. Her mum hates being away from London but Liv instantly loves it. Soon, exploring, she discovers she has a pull towards nature and connection with the hill which speaks to her. The hill and its guardian Annie have long been waiting for someone special to learn their secrets. It’s a story of nature, magic, friendship and a gentle romance.
November 17, 2024
Well. I need a sequel! Liv all grown up! :-)
Loved this book! 4.5 stars. Really enjoyed the characters and story, well written and enjoyable.
Loved this book! 4.5 stars. Really enjoyed the characters and story, well written and enjoyable.
April 2, 2025
A thrilling and informative story set around a magical hill in DEVON
The Whispering Trees is a very well written and (up to a point) believable YA story.
Olivia’s Dad, a policeman, is seriously wounded when trying to apprehend two criminals in London. He suffers from PTSD. As a result most of the family, Dad, Mum, and Olivia, decide to move to a quieter life in Devon. A sister is left behind and Mum doesn’t really want to go. Olivia is pretty dubious about the whole idea – leaving her friends and old life behind. That is until she discovers a strange hill near their new house. When she explores, she feels the hill is talking to her and trying to tell her something… In a small cottage by the hill lives Annie, guardian of the hill and seen by many locals as a witch, but in fact a much misunderstood old lady. She takes Olivia under her wing and teaches her both about the hill and also about the healing potions that can be made from the plants living on and around it.
All is far from well with Annie. She is tormented by cruel ‘pranks’ presumably orchestrated by suspicious locals. At the same time the natural world is getting out of kilter and the hill is trying to explain the perilous position to Olivia.
The Whispering Trees is a good story, well told. It is mysterious but also offers really insights into the worlds of nature and natural healing. It is at times a pretty thinly disguised and negative commentary on modern farming practices. Olivia and her friend Sadie at one stage break into a mass production egg farm. They are appalled by what they see and perhaps even more appalled when they discover that the lack of welfare in the ‘factory’ is perfectly legal. Similarly one of the characters is talking about an intensive pig farm where everything is controlled by computer, but where the animals are kept in close (but legal) proximity to each other – unable to forage in the open air.
A good book, and one that will hopefully make some Young Adults think a bit about our world.
The Whispering Trees is a very well written and (up to a point) believable YA story.
Olivia’s Dad, a policeman, is seriously wounded when trying to apprehend two criminals in London. He suffers from PTSD. As a result most of the family, Dad, Mum, and Olivia, decide to move to a quieter life in Devon. A sister is left behind and Mum doesn’t really want to go. Olivia is pretty dubious about the whole idea – leaving her friends and old life behind. That is until she discovers a strange hill near their new house. When she explores, she feels the hill is talking to her and trying to tell her something… In a small cottage by the hill lives Annie, guardian of the hill and seen by many locals as a witch, but in fact a much misunderstood old lady. She takes Olivia under her wing and teaches her both about the hill and also about the healing potions that can be made from the plants living on and around it.
All is far from well with Annie. She is tormented by cruel ‘pranks’ presumably orchestrated by suspicious locals. At the same time the natural world is getting out of kilter and the hill is trying to explain the perilous position to Olivia.
The Whispering Trees is a good story, well told. It is mysterious but also offers really insights into the worlds of nature and natural healing. It is at times a pretty thinly disguised and negative commentary on modern farming practices. Olivia and her friend Sadie at one stage break into a mass production egg farm. They are appalled by what they see and perhaps even more appalled when they discover that the lack of welfare in the ‘factory’ is perfectly legal. Similarly one of the characters is talking about an intensive pig farm where everything is controlled by computer, but where the animals are kept in close (but legal) proximity to each other – unable to forage in the open air.
A good book, and one that will hopefully make some Young Adults think a bit about our world.
January 14, 2025
Alice Allan’s The Whispering Trees is a triumph of storytelling—a compelling page-turner with a powerful and timely message told from the perspective of a relatable teen about the land, how we farm it, and the vital connection between humanity and nature. Through its richly woven narrative, Allan has crafted not only an ode to the countryside and traditional ways of life but also a compassionate exploration of aging, resilience, and the ties that bind us to the earth and to each other.
The story is centered around two women of vastly different ages—Liv, an intelligent and slightly awkward teenager who arrives from London to the Devon countryside in a fulfilment of an unhoped for dream and Annie, a mysterious elderly lady with ancient healing skills. Annie’s character deeply resonated with me, particularly as someone with a mother who, at 86, still clings to her house and garden with fierce determination. Annie’s journey is both personal and universal, blending themes of legacy, family, and the urgent need to rethink how we live in harmony with the natural world.
Allan’s writing is vivid and immersive, painting the countryside with reverence and longing while balancing it with a plot full of suspense. The twists and turns kept me hooked, making it impossible to put the book down. It’s rare to find a novel that combines such a gripping story with an alarm call for young people about the challenges facing our planet.
My feeling is that this book needs to be in the hands of young readers, especially in the UK, as its message is both urgent and hopeful about the planet. Promoting The Whispering Trees in schools, perhaps through reading programs or environmental clubs, could ignite meaningful conversations among students about sustainability and the value of older generations’ wisdom. It’s a perfect candidate for inclusion in curriculums focusing on literature, geography, or environmental studies.
One final question: Who holds the movie rights? With its cinematic storytelling and rich themes, this book is crying out for adaptation to the big screen.
The story is centered around two women of vastly different ages—Liv, an intelligent and slightly awkward teenager who arrives from London to the Devon countryside in a fulfilment of an unhoped for dream and Annie, a mysterious elderly lady with ancient healing skills. Annie’s character deeply resonated with me, particularly as someone with a mother who, at 86, still clings to her house and garden with fierce determination. Annie’s journey is both personal and universal, blending themes of legacy, family, and the urgent need to rethink how we live in harmony with the natural world.
Allan’s writing is vivid and immersive, painting the countryside with reverence and longing while balancing it with a plot full of suspense. The twists and turns kept me hooked, making it impossible to put the book down. It’s rare to find a novel that combines such a gripping story with an alarm call for young people about the challenges facing our planet.
My feeling is that this book needs to be in the hands of young readers, especially in the UK, as its message is both urgent and hopeful about the planet. Promoting The Whispering Trees in schools, perhaps through reading programs or environmental clubs, could ignite meaningful conversations among students about sustainability and the value of older generations’ wisdom. It’s a perfect candidate for inclusion in curriculums focusing on literature, geography, or environmental studies.
One final question: Who holds the movie rights? With its cinematic storytelling and rich themes, this book is crying out for adaptation to the big screen.
June 3, 2024
A thrilling tale about growing up, finding your own path, connecting with nature, and respecting our planet. Set in the Devon countryside, it involves nighttime adventures, the magic of nature and the bonds of intergenerational friendship.
I was excited to read this book as I love stories about magic, and I love teen books. I didn’t expect the book to speak to me on so many levels as an older woman.
Liv, the main protagonist, is a teenage girl who has moved to Devon with her family. She forms a friendship with Annie, an archetypal old crone, who specialises in herbalism and hedge witchcraft. Annie used to be respected as a wisewoman and midwife, but is now shunned and disparaged due to malicious rumours. Annie has a connection with the titular whispering trees on the hill behind her cottage, and is surprised to discover that Liv has this connection too.
The plot races along as Liv discovers more about the magic of the hill, stands up to her parents, raids a chicken farm and forms a relationship with a local young farmer.
For me, it was the relationship between women and nature that really drew me in. Liv is late to start her first period, but it arrives with the full moon. Annie knows that only another woman should rightfully inherit her hill. And it is the ‘masculine’ attitude to farming, of stripping the land of resources without respecting the need for balance, that is called into question throughout the book.
Historically, wisewomen were treated with respect and held positions of influence in the community. However, in recent generations, older women have been treated as worthless when their childbearing days are behind them, and Annie fights back against this. I love this empowering book for girls, showing two headstrong women from different generations, who won’t allow others to make decisions for them.
Thank you to Blue Poppy publishing for providing an ARC, this is my honest review.
I was excited to read this book as I love stories about magic, and I love teen books. I didn’t expect the book to speak to me on so many levels as an older woman.
Liv, the main protagonist, is a teenage girl who has moved to Devon with her family. She forms a friendship with Annie, an archetypal old crone, who specialises in herbalism and hedge witchcraft. Annie used to be respected as a wisewoman and midwife, but is now shunned and disparaged due to malicious rumours. Annie has a connection with the titular whispering trees on the hill behind her cottage, and is surprised to discover that Liv has this connection too.
The plot races along as Liv discovers more about the magic of the hill, stands up to her parents, raids a chicken farm and forms a relationship with a local young farmer.
For me, it was the relationship between women and nature that really drew me in. Liv is late to start her first period, but it arrives with the full moon. Annie knows that only another woman should rightfully inherit her hill. And it is the ‘masculine’ attitude to farming, of stripping the land of resources without respecting the need for balance, that is called into question throughout the book.
Historically, wisewomen were treated with respect and held positions of influence in the community. However, in recent generations, older women have been treated as worthless when their childbearing days are behind them, and Annie fights back against this. I love this empowering book for girls, showing two headstrong women from different generations, who won’t allow others to make decisions for them.
Thank you to Blue Poppy publishing for providing an ARC, this is my honest review.
May 31, 2024
Full disclosure, I am the publisher of this book, but I genuinely think it deserves five stars. Go see my other reviews where I have given my OWN book less than five stars if you don't believe me.
Of course I am biased, the author sent me this book as a submission and I immediately loved everything about the story, the characters and the message of caring for the environment.
It's a sign of a really good book if I am crying at least once and this book had me in bits multiple times.
I HAD to have it, had to be the publisher. My budget was not huge and I stretched myself to the limit to get the rights.
I then spent extra on the editing stage for a real polish and by the gods that cover is gorgeous innit? It should be! £££ Worth it though.
So now, PLEASE, do me the honour of having a little faith in me. The ARC reviews are all stupendous, I couldn't have asked for nicer comments if I had paid the reviewers, which I didn't.
Robert Macfarlane has even reviewed it for-flips-sakes! Robert Mac-flipping-farlane, I tells ya!
Regrettably, those of you in the USA Canada etc., or anyone wanting it on Kindle or EPUB, will have to wait until 2025 to get hold of a copy. The first edition is exclusive to UK bookshops and my website.
Of course I am biased, the author sent me this book as a submission and I immediately loved everything about the story, the characters and the message of caring for the environment.
It's a sign of a really good book if I am crying at least once and this book had me in bits multiple times.
I HAD to have it, had to be the publisher. My budget was not huge and I stretched myself to the limit to get the rights.
I then spent extra on the editing stage for a real polish and by the gods that cover is gorgeous innit? It should be! £££ Worth it though.
So now, PLEASE, do me the honour of having a little faith in me. The ARC reviews are all stupendous, I couldn't have asked for nicer comments if I had paid the reviewers, which I didn't.
Robert Macfarlane has even reviewed it for-flips-sakes! Robert Mac-flipping-farlane, I tells ya!
Regrettably, those of you in the USA Canada etc., or anyone wanting it on Kindle or EPUB, will have to wait until 2025 to get hold of a copy. The first edition is exclusive to UK bookshops and my website.
June 1, 2024
📚 Book Review 📚
The Whispering Trees by Alice Allen
Blue Poppy Publishing, 26th July 2024
“They call me a witch, Liv, and maybe I am, in a manner of speaking.” This first sentence of the synopsis was all it took to entice me into the mysterious branches of The Whispering Trees.
A compelling, emotive, and beautifully written tale of friendship between protagonist Liv and shunned recluse Annie, this book is forged in nature. Sights and smells of the Devon hedgerows and countryside come alive from the pages.
Perfectly portrayed teen angst offsets an evocative riddle which sees Liv playing Nancy Drew, and there's family drama too! This is one of the most original books I have read in a long while, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Olli at Blue Poppy Publishing for providing an ARC; this is my honest review.
The Whispering Trees by Alice Allen
Blue Poppy Publishing, 26th July 2024
“They call me a witch, Liv, and maybe I am, in a manner of speaking.” This first sentence of the synopsis was all it took to entice me into the mysterious branches of The Whispering Trees.
A compelling, emotive, and beautifully written tale of friendship between protagonist Liv and shunned recluse Annie, this book is forged in nature. Sights and smells of the Devon hedgerows and countryside come alive from the pages.
Perfectly portrayed teen angst offsets an evocative riddle which sees Liv playing Nancy Drew, and there's family drama too! This is one of the most original books I have read in a long while, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Olli at Blue Poppy Publishing for providing an ARC; this is my honest review.
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