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30th out of 284 books
—
220 voters
Thornyhold
by
Mary Stewart
The story is about a lonely child who is made to see the world through her cousin's unusual eyes. When the child becomes a young woman, she inherits her dead cousin's house as well as her reputation among the local community as a witch. However, as she finds out, this is no normal community, and worries quickly present themselves
Hardcover, 207 pages
Published
1988
by William Morrow
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Apr 02, 2013
Hannah
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
comfort-books,
favorites,
houses-as-characters,
2010-reads,
2011-reads,
re-read,
2012-reads,
2013-reads
Those readers who love the vivid, lyrical prose of Stewart's novels shouldn't be disappointed in this offering, although be warned, it does differ from her earlier works.
Thornyhold is a more subtle and contemplative story then you might be used to when it comes to reading Stewart. After all, she was in her 70's when she wrote this, and I imagine she was harkening back to her youth while penning Thornyhold. Generally absent is the suspense and romance so magically woven throughout in The Moonspi...more
Thornyhold is a more subtle and contemplative story then you might be used to when it comes to reading Stewart. After all, she was in her 70's when she wrote this, and I imagine she was harkening back to her youth while penning Thornyhold. Generally absent is the suspense and romance so magically woven throughout in The Moonspi...more
22 likes · like · see review
view all 21 comments
4.5 stars
A lovely reread of an old favorite....a lonely, unloved child with a godmother known as a healer and white witch inherits Thornyhold when the old woman passes away. A gentle, quiet tale of a young woman's transformation as the magic of her country sanctuary and her love of all creatures great and small lead her to find happiness and love. Pure poetry.
A lovely reread of an old favorite....a lonely, unloved child with a godmother known as a healer and white witch inherits Thornyhold when the old woman passes away. A gentle, quiet tale of a young woman's transformation as the magic of her country sanctuary and her love of all creatures great and small lead her to find happiness and love. Pure poetry.
4 likes · like · see review
Thornyhold has to have been one of the lamest and most boring books I have ever read. The entire thing is exposition, and the only semblance of a climax (and any action at all) happens in the last ten to fifteen pages. Lauren Willig, one of my favorite authors, recommended this book on her website, so I was prepared for something witty and dashing, but this lacked greatly in it all. I don't generally care if a story is told in the past tense, but Thornyhold was the exception. From the beginning,...more
Aug 11, 2011
Terri Lynn
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction,
mystery-suspense-thrillers
This Mary Stewart book is rather hard to classify. Gilly is miserable through most of her childhood as the daughter of a vicar and his rather cold wife in a town she does not like, isolated for the most part because her mother feels too good for her to be around the town's other children. The only sparkle are a few visits from her mother's mysterious cousin , also named Geillis, who brings encouragement and the magic of nature, plants, and art her way. This is something the child whose mother al...more
2 likes · like · see review
The scene that is always vivid on my mind after reading this is that moment in the pond one golden afternoon when time seemed to freeze for Gilly and her aunt Geillis appeared before her.
I love how Mary Stewart writes her words as if entwined with magic. It is indeed captivating for me as a reader.
I love how Mary Stewart writes her words as if entwined with magic. It is indeed captivating for me as a reader.
May 10, 2013
Elinor Loredan
added it
Thornyhold, one of my favorites, gives me a gentle, dreamy feel right away, like I'm looking out over a sunny stretch of countryside. When I surface from the narrative, I feel like I'm in a storybook myself, and everything around me is worth noticing, has significance. It's a very satisfying feeling. There's an interesting paradox as well--there's no sense of urgency in the mild events of the story, they just go along sedately, but I feel a sense of urgency to keep reading it.
Stewart does a goo...more
Stewart does a goo...more
When I was in my teens I devoured almost all of Mary Stewart's books but I had never read Thornyhold before. This was one of her last books, written in 1988 although it is set in the 1940s and feels as if it was written much earlier than it was. It's about a woman called Geillis (Gilly) who inherits a cottage from her mother's cousin, also named Geillis. Her cousin was a herbalist who had a reputation as being something of a "white witch". When Gilly arrives at the cottage, she finds that she fe...more
Jan 16, 2009
Wealhtheow
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fans of A Wrinkle in Time
Shelves:
fantasy
Gilly has a lonely childhood in the north of England between the two WWs, and foresees a long, lonely adulthood for herself. But then her father dies, and her godmother Geillis leaves her a house and garden in Thornyhold. Geillis always had an air of mystery and magic about her, and so does her house. Gilly begins exploring her godmother's herbologies and the woods around the cottage, but interruptions by her various neighbors leave her both unsettled and intrigued. Led by occasional messenger p...more
Yet another lovely installment from the inimitable Mary Stewart. How did I ever manage to function without this author in my life? Her prose is absolutely to-die-for, particularly her descriptions of the lush, wild moorlands and woodlands. I can has a passport to visit the English countryside?
Thornyhold isn't as good as Nine Coaches Waiting. Instead of being "gothic" it's "diet-gothic" with a touch of magic-realism. You know what books Thornyhold really reminds me of? Practical Magic by Alice Ho...more
Thornyhold isn't as good as Nine Coaches Waiting. Instead of being "gothic" it's "diet-gothic" with a touch of magic-realism. You know what books Thornyhold really reminds me of? Practical Magic by Alice Ho...more
I read this during a terrible heat wave- I find I migrate to Gothic romance/mystery during the summer for some unknown reason. Maybe it reminds me of The Secret Garden in some way. Or reading that book at my Aunt's house in the summer when I was little. Anyway, I love to read books like this, while I am sitting in my air conditioned house and it is 95 degrees outside and climbing.
Stewart reminds me of Barbara Michaels; she has a similar feel, in her story lines and actual writing. Thornyhold wa...more
Stewart reminds me of Barbara Michaels; she has a similar feel, in her story lines and actual writing. Thornyhold wa...more
I love reading about magic in a story when it’s so subtle that you're not sure if what you're seeing is really magic. Alice Hoffman is a great author for doing this and the way Stewart wrote the “magic” in the story was pretty similar. And really the magic is what the mystery of the book is. Is what’s going on around Gilly really some kind of magic from her godmother and neighbors or is it something that can be rationally explained away?
But really the mystery took the backseat in the book. This...more
But really the mystery took the backseat in the book. This...more
Lovely story ingredients for a Cinderella-style comfort read. A rather beaten-down heroine is left a house in the picturesque English countryside by her rather witchy cousin, and gets a romance with the writer father of an engaging little boy she meets. The reason this book isn't completely successful is that most of Stewart's adult novels are gothic thriller-romances, and she doesn't quite have the nerve to break free of the genre and write straight romance. The maybe-magic stuff is used to cre...more
Well, it's not really fantasy, more of a light little romance. Gilly is a lonely young woman whose strict, religious parents tried their best to keep her from her aunt who was rumored to be a witch. Now that Gilly is grown she's inherited the aunt's cottage . . . and her book of "recipes." Enter a serious widower with a charming son, a rival "witch" and some very daft sheep, and you have a charming book!
This has been one of my favourite books for years, and I have recently re-read it. What I love about it is that it makes magic commonplace, seeing it everywhere in nature. The story is about Geillis (Gilly) Ramsey, who after the death of her parents finds a haven when she inherits a house in the country from her godmother (also called Geillis).
As she brings the house and garden back into good order, Gilly discovers that her godmother was known locally as a witch - and she wasn't the only one. An...more
As she brings the house and garden back into good order, Gilly discovers that her godmother was known locally as a witch - and she wasn't the only one. An...more
4 likes · like · see review
This is the 3rd book I read from Mary Stewart, and what I liked about this one and about Nine Coaches Waiting is the feeling of danger and suspense in the story. The funny thing is that in Thornyhold, there was nothing really dangerous for Gilly, the main character, but like 90% of the book it seemed somebody was trying to poison her, to lure her into the dark world.
The only thing I did not like it was the abrupt end. Like in the last 2 pages or so, the problem was convenientely solved, Gilly g...more
The only thing I did not like it was the abrupt end. Like in the last 2 pages or so, the problem was convenientely solved, Gilly g...more
Dec 10, 2011
Mary
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone who enjoys contemporary mysteries
Recommended to Mary by:
Library Book Sale
There was one thing in Gilly Ramsey's lonely childhood that she enjoyed; the visits from her Godmother, Geillis, an extraordinary woman with unusual powers. When Geillis suddenly died, the adult Gilly inherited her charming little cottage, Thornyhold, and went to live there in the English countryside.
Once she arrived, Gilly encountered many strange occurrences; sinister neighbors, messages from beyond the grave and even the whisper of love. Just as Gilly grew closer to an attractive stranger an...more
Once she arrived, Gilly encountered many strange occurrences; sinister neighbors, messages from beyond the grave and even the whisper of love. Just as Gilly grew closer to an attractive stranger an...more
An average read for those who enjoy a combination of romance, mystery and magic with an edge of suspense. After a lonely childhood, Gilly Ramsey inherits a house from her eccentric aunt who was the only person who truly loved and understood her. However, Gilly discovers that she’s inherited more than she realised. Along with the house comes a cat, a still room filled with herbs, a missing recipe book, an attic chamber with carrier pigeons who deliver messages from beyond the grave and an attract...more
When I was a teenager and a young adult I loved the author, Mary Stewart. Her books were a combination of mystery and romance and historical fiction. Some of my favorites were "Nine Coaches Waiting", "Madam, Will You Talk," "Wildfire at Midnight." She also wrote "The Merlin Novels" about King Arther and Merlin. I thought they were so good. She also had a couple of her novels turned into films, one with Haley Mills called "The Moon-Spinners", that I loved. So when I found this book on this site's...more
1 like · like · see review
I probably read this before, but if so, it was long enough ago that I'd forgotten it pretty well. Took a while to find my way into it, as it's so different from the Mary Stewart books I remember better. But I did like it a lot by the end, despite wondering why on earth Gilly kept talking about 'love' (in the 'being in love with' sense) with characters who either had no real knowledge of the other person or had known them for all of about 5 minutes. Hey ho, I may be getting too old and cranky to...more
I've read this book a couple of times because I can't resist a story about inheriting a house in the English countryside. Set in the late 1940's, this has a gentle, dreamy feel. Having endured a lonely and bleak childhood, Geillis Ramsey inherits a lovely old stone house in Wiltshire, from her mother's cousin, another Geillis, a reputed witch. "A good house, deep in the woods, with a garden all around it and a river flowing past it. Fruit trees, and flowers for the bees. A place to grow my herbs...more
A very comforting read. I enjoyed the details of daily life and human interaction. The kind of book you should read curled up with a cat and a mug of tea and makes you want to eat toast with jelly.
1 like · like · see review
I skipped along through Thornyhold by Mary Stewart in one day. The cover was a bit embarrassing and looked vaguely like a Christian romance or something, which is quite misleading: a good chunk of the book is about the heroine’s childhood, and while something like a romance does eventually develop, the fellow doesn’t even put in an appearance until more than halfway through the book. The rest is an introspective look at the way the heroine’s personality was formed and how it changes as a result...more
It's a rainy night in Southern California, and I'm almost all the way done with this book - and I have a feeling it'll be migrating to my favorites list v. soon. It's a coming of age story (aren't we always coming of an age at all times, anyway?) for a lonely woman in her late twenties, who inherits a wild and rambly house from her eccentric cousin (mother's cousin) and namesake. Thornyhold is the name of the house, and as our heroine Gilly (short for Geillis) discovers, there is more than the i...more
Vivid descriptions of scenery framed with beautiful prose - which, surprisingly, I did enjoy. I wish the rest the plot was as well-developed as the descriptions of the gardens in this book.
The main character, Gilly, is the only "real" (I use this term loosely) character in the book. By real, I mean that we are given enough of her history to get a sense of her: a lonely girl, with no hope of making it on her own, relies on magical godmother to provide her with everything she wants - the loving fa...more
The main character, Gilly, is the only "real" (I use this term loosely) character in the book. By real, I mean that we are given enough of her history to get a sense of her: a lonely girl, with no hope of making it on her own, relies on magical godmother to provide her with everything she wants - the loving fa...more
This is about a girl, Gilly, with a lonely childhood who inherits her cousin's cottage after both her parents and her cousin pass away. There she meets a boy and his father and another older lady who is after something (she's not really sure what). I didn't really know what to expect from this story, which continued all the way through. I don't even know how to explain exactly. It could have been about witches, but wasn't and it was a love story, but the part about Gilly's relationship with Chri...more
Amazing how similar this book is to Witch Hill by Marion Zimmer Bradley.
Both have a youngish female artist inheriting a home from a not well known relative.
Both had the letter announcing that fact delivered as she's getting home from her father's funeral.
Both have no other relatives or no place to live.
Both have creepy nosy neighbors living very nearby.
Both are assumed to be witches due to the history of the home.
etc, etc.
I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't list any of the other similarit...more
Both have a youngish female artist inheriting a home from a not well known relative.
Both had the letter announcing that fact delivered as she's getting home from her father's funeral.
Both have no other relatives or no place to live.
Both have creepy nosy neighbors living very nearby.
Both are assumed to be witches due to the history of the home.
etc, etc.
I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't list any of the other similarit...more
Of course. Of course. I was not disappointed! Once again, this Mary Stewart book was a little bit different. It wasn't intense, but it did have mystery mixed with a bit of fantasy that of course played to my liking. I loved the new depth of character, and my heart went out to Gilly. I thoroughly enjoyed the magical setting of this book, and the bit of witchcraft that played such a big part. And I loved how it turned from being just a little bit creepy to comical... :) It was a very enjoyable rea...more
1 like · like · see review
I really appreciate Mary Stewart's knack for storytelling. At first what appears obvious, isn't, then what you think you know, you really don't. The story went from a feeling of dread and menace to that of unrequited love and simple explanations.
She drew her characters well, though I can't say that I liked all of them. A few still gave me the creeps, even though they were good people.
While I had been looking forward to reading this one, I can't say it is one of my favorites, but I'm certainly n...more
She drew her characters well, though I can't say that I liked all of them. A few still gave me the creeps, even though they were good people.
While I had been looking forward to reading this one, I can't say it is one of my favorites, but I'm certainly n...more
1 like · like · see review
I devoured Mary Stewart when I was younger. This one was one of my favorites - that and The Moon-Spinners. These books belong in the old-fashioned romantic suspense - very g-rated romance and a little bit of suspense but all in all a totally cozy read and very satisfying on a cold winters night with a cup of tea. It will make you long for spring
A story of a woman coming of age and finding a world all her own with history of white witch spells and play. I found myself at times ready to stop reading, but kept going and found the book a fairly good read. A nice story of a unsure gilr growing up in a harsh world with a family member that seems to always be there just when needed. Even in death the family support leads her in finding herself and a life of happiness fullfilment and love.
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Lady Mary Stewart is a popular English novelist, and taught at the school of John Norquay elementary for 30 to 35 years, but has now retired.
She is one of the most widely read fiction writers of our time. The author of twenty novels, a volume of poetry, and three books for...more
More about Mary Stewart...
Lady Mary Stewart is a popular English novelist, and taught at the school of John Norquay elementary for 30 to 35 years, but has now retired.
She is one of the most widely read fiction writers of our time. The author of twenty novels, a volume of poetry, and three books for...more
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“You get no writing done at all if you sit at a table with a view. You'd spent the whole time watching the birds or thinking about what you would like to be doing out of doors, instead of flogging yourself to work out of sheer boredom.”
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