Book review: THE LIE TREE

Publisher: Vorto Palbra

Year published: 2017.

Lies are all around us. How many small lies we say on daily basis? How many lies do we hear? Are we living in one big lie, where the honesty is only a ray of light in the dark?

Novel "The lie tree" comes from the pen of Frances Hardinge. I have put this book on my ~to read in 2019.~ list, but patience was never my virtue. This is my first meeting with her writing, so the only thing I can say so far is - big big like. Her novel "A skinful of shadows" is going to replace this one, I already have it on my shelf.

In 2015, Hardinge won for this book one of the most prestigious British literary awards, the Costa Awa. It was the first in the category of the best children's book in 2015, and then, among all the nominated titles in all six categories, was also chosen as the best book in 2015. Since 1971, this honor has only been attributed to one author, Philip Pullman, who in 2001 won the Costa Award in the same book by the book "Jantarni dalekozor" (the last in the trilogy of his dark matter) categories.

They say that Philip Pullman had finally overcome his main literary rival, J.K. Rowling and "Harry Potter" of that year.

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Faith Sunderly is moving with her family on small island of Vane. Her father Erasmus Sunderly, priest, scientist was accused for faking his archaelogical findings of fossils and similar artefacts, so he had to move his family away from Kent to keep their image and reputation clean.

When they arrive on the island, they are located in big house with three servants. Some things started to be very strange to Faith, especially her father's behavior manifested with very strict educational methods and hiding in his library.

Whole Sunderly family tried to fit in with the locals but they don't seem so friendly. Especially after they receive the subscribed newspaper where they read about Erasmus Sunderly's scandal. One day Ersmus receives mysterious letter. Next day he was found dead. It looked like he killed himself. Faith knows that he hasn't.

The locals doesn't want to bury him according to their religious customs, so Faith takes the task to prove his innocence. But Faith's way to do it all alone is everything but starry road. Faith accidentaly found some of her father's scripts. One of them lead her to the lie tree - the special tree whose fruits are bringing visions which are making things that are happening around it's consumer more clearer. And if you whisper a lie to the tree, and if that lie turns into the true, the tree can grow fully bloomed. Faith knows that she can't rely on anyone but herself with a little help of the tree. She is forced to use the tree's possibilities of turning lies into her advantages to prove her father's innocence and to keep the dignity of her own family.

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I found this novel very exciting. Real crime novel in which fourteen years old girl has to grow up quickly and turn herself in detective who starts real investigation. There is a huge presence of paranormal and supernatural elements which are making this story even more mysterious.

One big thing to focus on is the time - XIX. century. Position of women of that time was very humiliating. Medicine was not so developed, phrenology was starting point of all achievements for scientific explanations. Upbringing methods were very restrictive. All female characters, the good and the bad ones are subordinated to the male ones. Despie it, all of them are doing their best to be brave, clever, capable. Everything they did is the driving force of the book.

First hundred pages, the story goes very slow. But don't give up because the real thing is about to start. Whole atmosphere of the novel is wrecked with the foggy atmosphere that contributes to the tension of the whole plot full of perils which Faith is facing around every corner.

Frances Hardinge did her best to incorporate ellements of many other genres in a very ellegant way: historic, crime/detective, science fiction, gothic,

feminist novels in one. Every element is in right ratio, nothing dominates and all fits together, like good compound tea.

If you want to escape on small British island, full of mystery, grab this book, take your blanket, turn the candle on, take your tea and ........go.......