The Tree of Hands

by Ruth Rendell

Mopsa, driven by a past scarred by madness and violence. Benet, stricken by the most grievous loss any woman can bear. Carol, trapped in a life of crushing drabness no lover can change. Three mothers joined by a single thread of terror, whirled into a spiral of kidnapping, murder, and a final, reckless affirmation of love.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Thriller, Suspense, British Literature, Mystery Thriller

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 15, 1984

About the author

A.K.A. Barbara Vine

Ruth Barbara Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, CBE, who also wrote under the pseudonym Barbara Vine, was an acclaimed English crime writer, known for her many psychological thrillers and murder mysteries and above all for Inspector Wexford.

Reviews

[Vicki Seldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I have stated elsewhere, I am a fan of Rendell's books although I have to tread warily with them as they are often extremely unsettling in a way different from most psychological thrillers. I had read this book many years ago and another Goodreads friend (have forgotten who) was mentioning Rendell so I pulled this one off my shelf for a reread. At the moment, I think that Tree of Hands is one of her best. It has all the twists and turns one expects from her: multiple plotlines and disparate characters who are strangers to one another equally at the mercy of some inescapable awful fate, neuroses, fixations and obsessions of all kinds. And yet, unlike some of her books where one can be hard-pressed to identify or sympathize with any of the characters, I found myself feeling pity for Barry, who seems like many many young men today - unskilled and rootless yet looking for love, trying to be good men and getting involved with people who devalue and emasculate them. I could also identify with and sympathize with Benet, the young writer, her grief and her choice- this book would be a heck of a choice for a book club. Does anyone know if this book has been filmed by BBC? It would be perfect as a movie.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can see why this story won a Silver Dagger award. The psychological side of the story is excellent.

Posh unwed mother Benet Archdale is a bestselling novelist. Her son James who is 4 suddenly dies during a visit from her mad mother Mopsa. In parallel in a down and heels London neighborhood, barmaid Carol Stratford, a tough young widow with three kids, is being worshiped by naive young live-in boyfriend Barry, who doesn't realize that Carol is a child-abuser and promiscuous. The two stories are linked by crazy mum Mopsa who casually kidnaps Carol's son Jason and brings him home as a replacement for her daughter Benet.

The story revolves around Barry being suspected as a child murderer. A gigolo known to Carol who sells a house in Hampstead he doesn’t own while his lover is away. Benet slowly grows to love the child. Blackmail, real estate scam, naive Barry who is clueless and a finale where two people are murdered. The tense twist at the end was excellent and caught me by surprise. Carol got a surprise along with Edward Benet’s blackmailing ex lover. Good ending.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

...do Prefácio de Ana Teresa Pereira:
"o que mais me impressionou em A Árvore das Mãos foram as histórias de amor. Particularmente uma. São poucos (existe mais algum?) os livros que descrevem assim o amor, o desagrado que se transforma em aceitação, a aceitação em ternura, a ternura em..."

São poucos (existe mais algum?) os livros que me fizeram sentir tanta ternura por uma (duas) criança...

A Árvore das Mãos conta a história de três mães. Uma Grande, uma pequena e outra indefinida...
"Não devo odiar a minha mãe..."

Este romance enquadra-se no género policial porque no seu enredo há crime(s). Mas é um mero pormenor.
Sendo policial, é o Melhor que já li!

[Kaora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love books that have multiple plot lines that throw you for a loop until they are all nicely tied together. This is one of those books. It is dark and disturbing and definitely shows the not so nice side of people.

It doesn't have the happy ending, so if you are looking for that look elsewhere.

[Marta Acosta · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are those books that you read and enjoy and then forget. Tree of Hands has stayed with me for years. Like all of Rendell's books, it is uncomfortably dark and cynical. She never hesitates to lure readers to sympathize with miscreants and then punish the characters. Her books are like tense drives on a dangerous mountain road.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first read this book, I felt as if I was holding my breath through most of it. I am not a mother and don't feel particularly maternal, yet I found this book extremely disturbing for what happens to the children at the centre of the plot. It worried me for ages afterwards and I'd find myself going over it... eventually, a couple of years later, I re-read it. It was no less disturbing but, somehow, second time around I was able to cope with it more.

This is in no way a criticism. I love a novel that 'stays with me' or invades my dreams - and this one did. It's not a Rendell novel that I ever see referred to much, yet I would probably rate it among her best.

[Clare Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's always someone who survives all that mercenary horror unscathed. I spent the whole story wondering how it could be possible this time.

[Elizabeth (Alaska) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Benet Archdale's debut novel was a smash hit and she made more money than in her wldest dreams. She has bought a house in a posh neighborhood of London for herself and her nearly 2-year old son James. Benet wanted that child but not his father. At the opening of the novel, Benet's mother is coming to stay for a month. Mopsa has a history of mental illness and there were a few violent episodes in her past.

In another household is Carol Stratford whose two oldest children are in foster care. Carol and her boyfriend live in council housing together with Carol's illegitimate nearly 2-year old Jason.

And if you think you can see where this is going, I did too. I admit I could not even begin to plumb the depths of this superb psychological fiction. Rendell has her Wexford series which is a good mystery series. But I think it doesn't hold a candle to these stand alone novels of psychological fiction. I'm not sure I could take a steady diet of them, but will be happy to come back again and again. I will be investigating more titles. I might be feeling generous, but for me this climbs over the 4-/5-star line.

[Arlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent. I will miss her story telling.

[Effie Saxioni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Μια θλιβερή ιστορία,απαρτισμένη από άριστα ψυχογραφημένους χαρακτήρες.Πολύ καλή γραφή(δεν υπήρχε αμφιβολία βέβαια) και αρκετά ρεαλιστική απόδοση των καταστάσεων.Παρόλα αυτά δεν ήταν αστυνομικό,ήταν κυρίως ψυχολογικό θρίλερ που θίγει κοινωνικά θέματα με φιλοσοφική διάθεση (Τι θα έκανες αν πέθαινε το μωρό σου?Τι θα έκανες αν απήγαγαν το παιδάκι σου?Πώς θα συνέχιζες τη ζωή σου?)
Από τη μέση και μετά άρχισε να γίνεται εμφανές περίπου πώς θα τελειώσει η ιστορία και αυτό του στοίχισε λίγο στην ένταση-όμως,μια ανατροπή εκεί προς το τέλος έσωσε το γόητρο.Πολύ καλό,4.5⭐

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is more philosophical and psychological than it is a mystery but it is suspenseful and there are crimes and misdeeds aplenty. Benet's first book was wildly successful and she is now living very comfortably in London with her beloved little son James and working on her second book. At the opposite end of the economic spectrum the waitress? Carol lives with Barry, who adores her, but whom she refuses to marry, and her own little son Jason who is more in the way than beloved. At least Jason is with Carol some of the time but mostly at the babysitters. Terence, Carol's former lover, is unhappily house-sitting in a neighborhood near Benet's for his new lover who is on her own on holiday in the sunny Mediterranean. All are struggling with their circumstances, their consciences and their obsessions. As always it is very well-written and she weaves in and out of the threads of these stories very skillfully.

[Jobiska (Cindy)]

I got over 100 pages into the book, but I just couldn't finish it--the only two characters I had feeling for were both in a mess of trouble, there wasn't even a murder yet ("just" a kidnapping--not really a spoiler alert since it's on the back cover--for which one of those two characters either was being blamed or was going to be blamed), and the tension of worrying about the unjust suspicions, the element of mental illness, and worrying whether one of the two characters I liked was either going to murder or going to be murdered, was too much for me. This is by no means to say that the book was ill-written; I have enjoyed reading Rendell's books before. It is merely that this type of suspense provokes sick anxiety in me, rather than anticipation. I hope whomever I pass it along to gets more out of it. But at least I was able to provide a cover image for this edition!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have just recently discovered Ruth Rendell's books. (My local library has been doing some remodeling so books that were formerly on the bottom shelves are now more accessible LOL). Anyway so far I have enjoyed them mainly because she has a rather quirky writing style and I like how there is a lot going on. She was certainly ahead of her time creating characters that are not that likable, but similar to a train wreck, you just can't look away.

I am glad that I have discovered her work and that she was such a prolific writer. I have lots of catching up to do here.

[Mookie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading this, as flipping through the first few pages I was happy to see skillful, unique writing. But ultimately it was far too stressful for me. I cannot conceive of Benet NOT going to the police after discovering Jason was kidnapped. (And honestly, what is Jason going to do about adulthood when he doesn't even have a birth certificate)? It was too much for me. I'll read more of Ruth Rendell, however, as she seems to be on top of her game.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, that was certainly a different type of thriller for me. They never caught her, the body of a child was never found, the abducted child's mother gets killed, the abductee's ex lover gets killed. And nothing is tidied up nicely like a package with a bow. A very quick read that was nothing like I would have expected it to be.

[M. Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant, character-driven psychological thriller by Ruth Rendell. This one tells the story of Benet Archdale, a successful novelist whose mentally ill mother visits from Spain and attempts to relieve a grievous situation with an ill-advised act.

[Ruben Oliveira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where moral dilemmas grow as twisted as the branches of a tree.

The Tree of Hands by Ruth Rendell reminded me a lot of Patricia Highsmith's stories, which is why I was a bit disappointed that I didn't end up loving it. The book switches between different characters' perspectives, and some storylines are more interesting and exciting than others. There are moments of good suspense, and the darker themes of obsession and identity feel similar to Highsmith's work.

Even though I didn't loved it as much as I hoped, it's still a good read for fans of psychological thrillers.

[Emine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruth Rendell’den kötü kitap okumadım. Nasıl yazmış bu kadın bunları. Bravo.

[Kilian Metcalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time I finish a Ruth Rendell book, I swear I'm not going to read another. Her villains really get under my skin and take up residence in my mind. Then one of my subscription services offered a few of her titles at a low price, and I found myself seduced into buying them. I'm glad I did because I found out that that they aren't all straightforward murder mysteries, but they all show her wonderful ability to craft unforgettable characters.

Chief among them is a woman whose young son dies in hospital. Her mad mother kidnaps a replacement child, and the woman cannot force herself to return him. The second character is the boyfriend of the missing child's mother, who is suspected of killing him. Third is a former boyfriend of the child's mother, who is planning his greatest theft and getaway.

By the end of the book, Rendell has wrapped up all three of the stories in this most intricately plotted ending that is still satisfying. Now that I realize that Ms Rendell can write a book without unbalanced killers, I am more willing to take a chance on her. Especially at $1.99 each.

[Chana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chaos within symmetry. It mostly works out in a way that makes sense. Little Jason got lucky while good-hearted Ian did not. Barry "if I only had a brain", was the saddest character in the book. I felt sorry for him and hope he does better when he grows up. I had never heard of a hoopoe before I read this book and as soon as I finished it I ran into hoopoe again in the Torah, parshas Shemini , where it is listed as an unkosher bird. (Startling development today (5/30/08): Israel has voted the hoopoe as it's National Bird.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This a strange Rendell book. It also is perhaps, the most emotionally driven in terms of plot. While Rendell, especially when she writes under the Barbara Vine tend to be mysteries of the psyche, this book is more about psyche and emotion. It is also in some ways, the one where you root for what in other cases would be a villain simply because that character really isn’t bad. At the very least, Rendell makes you consider the meaning of the terms bad and good.

Crossposted at Booklikes.

[Mari Jaanus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alustasin väga suurte ootustega ja oli hea raamat. Algus meeldis kohe eriti ja olin tõesti põnevil, et kuhu see lugu välja jõuab. Mitu liini jooksis koos ja tegelased olid põnevad. Natuke palju jäi minu jaoks lahtisi otsi, millele polnud vastust… vahepeal oli tunne, et ma olen midagi olulist kahe silma vahele jätnud…

[Chrystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was a fast and gripping read with multiple plot lines that kept me on the edge of my seat until the last 3 chapters or so. It just trickled off into la la land. Disappointing; could have ended so much better and been a very good book.

[Babete · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sem dúvida o melhor livro da autora, fabuloso!

[Lizzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, as Ruth always is! The strange and tortured psychology of ordinary people, told in an extraordinary way. I wish I could write like her.

[Cherisa B · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty good all the way through but then very disappointing at the conclusion.

[Henrique · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my old time favourites from one of my favourite authors, I decided to give it yet another go, which is the cozy equivalent of visiting an old cherished friend.
Most things, not all, were as I remembered them. Friends change too, or we remember them with our own filters.
So, hardly a mystery, as the reader is privy to everyone's secrets in turn by following two main story lines, and later a third secondary one. POVs change with each plot line, but there's little kept hidden from the reader.
The same does not happen with most of the characters, who in cases have no clue of what's happening, which eventually evolves into a game of fatal misunderstandings so current in the 1980s.

The characters are quirky and unconventional (Mopsa's complexities are a golden achievement of creativity), as are the story lines Ruth Rendell style, yet they are always absolutely convincing even when they perform actions that defy simple credibility: among other things, I find it hard to swallow England to be, or have been back in the 1980s, a country particularly devoid of basic bureaucracy, like personal IDs bearing photos, to enable you to sell a house.
Somehow though, the plots and the characters are so rich and even parody-like at some instances, that a few bunch of minor technical details don't matter so much as they do with other authors. It is just engrossing, psychologically sound and endlessly fun.

A vivid portrait of the working classes closely family driven living in council estates at the time when unemployment was high is also finely presented, with several interesting and very different types and examples.

In the end, after many people trying to live off of other people's money, what remains are two pungent love stories: that of a young man experiencing first passionate love, and that of a young single mother towards her son.
The development of that particular relationship might cause you to shed a tear or two although it never falls into cheesy sentimentalism (this is Ruth Rendell, right?).

As a thriller, this is certainly quite tense as you have no idea what is going to happen and there are many ways a lot of things can go horribly wrong, thus building the tension to extreme limits. The two main characters are extremely likeable and relatable (the children are a delight), although Barry eventually becomes a little bit too obsessed and consequently too passive for my taste. The price of first true love I guess?

The ending is bitter sweet and tragedy does inevitably strike (again! It had struck with unexpected emotional violence at the early stages of the novel), but it is mostly satisfying for the reader, as well as for a few, not all, of the characters involved.

Above all, a masterful lesson on story telling by an author at the very peak of her powers.

[Marita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great Ruth Rendell. This is one of those Rendell's that is like a slow motion car crash - you see disaster coming, you know it's coming, but you don't know who's going to survive. The narrative mostly follows Benet, a successful young writer, who is a single mother by choice. She has a complicated relationship with her mentally ill mother, Mopsa, who lives in Spain, but plays a major role in the first act. Across town, in a seedier area, lives a young mother of three, Carol, who could be generously described as a party girl.

The book is often described as a story of three mothers, Benet, Mopsa, and Carol, whose lives converge. But it is much more than that. The center of the story is Benet. Mopsa, as noted above, plays a key role in fucking up Benet's life in the first act, but then recedes. Carol's story is important, but a larger player in the car crash is her weak-willed boyfriend, who becomes a prime suspect when Carol's young son disappears. I found Benet to be fascinating, and her relationship with her mother ("I must not hate my mother") is key in the slow-motion car crash. Not to give anything away, but Benet experiences a tragedy early in the book, and Mopsa's attempt to fix things sweeps all the other characters into the drama.

As always, Rendell constructs a character-driven masterpiece that thoroughly sucks the reader in. I didn't like all the characters, but none of them were one-dimensional, and I felt thoroughly invested in Benet's story. Great read!

[Pedro Alexandre · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A Árvore das Mãos”, de Ruth Rendell, é um thriller que me prendeu do início ao fim, com personagens complexas num enredo muito cativante.

Mopsa, a mãe de Bennet, é uma figura que deixa uma marca profunda. A sua instabilidade mental e excentricidade tornam-na simultaneamente fascinante e inquietante, desempenhando um papel determinante nos acontecimentos que impulsionam a narrativa.

Barry, revela-se uma surpresa agradável. É difícil não simpatizarmos com ele à medida que vamos compreendendo as suas motivações e os dilemas internos que enfrenta.

Por outro lado, Carol é uma personagem ambígua. Aquilo que, inicialmente, poderia ser visto como altruísmo maternal transforma-se num comportamento manipulador e moralmente questionável. As suas escolhas, feitas com frieza e determinação, expõem o lado mais sombrio da sua personalidade, desafiando qualquer empatia inicial que possamos sentir por ela.

Ruth Rendell constrói uma história inesquecível. A forma como as vidas destas personagens se entrelaçam num enredo de sequestro, assassinato e uma afirmação final e imprudente de amor é simplesmente brilhante. “A Árvore das Mãos” é uma obra envolvente, onde cada personagem é meticulosamente desenvolvida, revelando uma profundidade emocional impressionante

Altamente recomendado!

[Maria João Fernandes · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Árvore das Mãos" tem personagens para todos os gostos.

Temos três mães muito diferentes: Mopsa, Benet e Carol. Mopsa é uma mulher desequilibrada que tenta fazer o que acha ser melhor para a filha. Benet é amável, atenciosa e responsável, e merece que a história gire à sua volta. Por último, temos Carol, mãe de três filhos, que tenta ao máximo delegar as suas responsabilidades da maternidade a terceiros.

Seguem-se os homens: Barry, Terry, Edward e Ian. O jovem Barry é incrivelmente inocente. Terry é inseguro, amável e ganancioso. Edward é bastante insistente e irritante. E, por último, Ian é um bom homem que surge no momento errado.

Além disso, há várias crianças, com destaque para Jay, que tem jeito para desenhar e desliga o telefone na cara do interlocutor, se não gostar da voz da pessoa.

Querem saber qual é a ligação entre todos eles? Têm de ler o livro, porque contado ninguém acredita.