What do you think?
Rate this book
The Silver Bough
The award-winning author of The Mysteries returns with another captivating novel in which modern-day enigmas and age-old myths come together with spellbinding results. Here is an enchanting tale set in a land rich with folklore–and ripe for a rekindling of the old ways.
Nestled on the coast of Scotland, Appleton was once famous for its apples. Now, though the orchards are long gone, locals still dream of the town’s glory days, when an Apple Queen was crowned at the annual fair and good luck seemed a way of life. And outsiders are still drawn to the charming village, including three very different American women.
Enchanted by Appleton’s famously ornate, gold-domed library, divorcée Kathleen Mullaroy has left her cosmopolitan job to start anew as the town’s head librarian. Widowed Nell Westray hopes for a quiet life of gardening in the place where she and her husband spent their happiest moments. And young Ashley Kaldis has come to find her roots, and learns that the town’s fortunes turned when her grandmother was crowned Apple Queen–then mysteriously disappeared.
When a sudden landslide cuts Appleton off from the wider world–and the usual constraints of reality–the village reveals itself to be an extraordinary place, inhabited by legendary beings, secret rooms, and the blossoming of a rare fruit not seen in decades. Most unexpected is a handsome stranger who will draw all three women into an Otherworld in which luck and love will return to Appleton–if only one of them will believe.
Lush with the romance and allure of ancient traditions, The Silver Bough will propel you into a land where, as in Eden, the bite of a single apple can alter the whole course of reality.
Nestled on the coast of Scotland, Appleton was once famous for its apples. Now, though the orchards are long gone, locals still dream of the town’s glory days, when an Apple Queen was crowned at the annual fair and good luck seemed a way of life. And outsiders are still drawn to the charming village, including three very different American women.
Enchanted by Appleton’s famously ornate, gold-domed library, divorcée Kathleen Mullaroy has left her cosmopolitan job to start anew as the town’s head librarian. Widowed Nell Westray hopes for a quiet life of gardening in the place where she and her husband spent their happiest moments. And young Ashley Kaldis has come to find her roots, and learns that the town’s fortunes turned when her grandmother was crowned Apple Queen–then mysteriously disappeared.
When a sudden landslide cuts Appleton off from the wider world–and the usual constraints of reality–the village reveals itself to be an extraordinary place, inhabited by legendary beings, secret rooms, and the blossoming of a rare fruit not seen in decades. Most unexpected is a handsome stranger who will draw all three women into an Otherworld in which luck and love will return to Appleton–if only one of them will believe.
Lush with the romance and allure of ancient traditions, The Silver Bough will propel you into a land where, as in Eden, the bite of a single apple can alter the whole course of reality.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published April 25, 2006
33 people are currently reading
1075 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Tuttle
273 books416 followers(Wife of Colin Murray) aka Maria Palmer (house pseudonym).
Lisa Tuttle taught a science fiction course at the City Lit College, part of London University, and has tutored on the Arvon courses. She was residential tutor at the Clarion West SF writing workshop in Seattle, USA. She has published six novels and two short story collections. Many of her books have been translated into French and German editions.
Lisa Tuttle taught a science fiction course at the City Lit College, part of London University, and has tutored on the Arvon courses. She was residential tutor at the Clarion West SF writing workshop in Seattle, USA. She has published six novels and two short story collections. Many of her books have been translated into French and German editions.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
July 8, 2007
_The Silver Bough_ is one of my favorite books read in recent years. It's the story of a small town attached to Scotland by a thin thread of land. When a storm makes the only road to the town impassable, strange things start happening. The town begins to slip into the mists of Faerie. This is one of those books where describing the storyline itself is not enough. Lisa Tuttle's description in this book is incredible...the town takes on a life of its own like few authors can successfully do. This was an absolute page turner, and one I was sad to see end.
Read
June 20, 2013Much better than The Mysteries, but still not something I'd really recommend to someone unless they were really in the mood for light and fluffy (which isn't me, very often). This read to me much more like a romance (down to the gushy descriptions of the hero), and not so much a supernatural/Gothic novel, so maybe that's part of why I mostly bounced off it. A flaw in both books is the plot takes WAY too much time to get moving, and I say this as someone who loves big build-ups.
October 20, 2013
I looked forward to reading this. I loved the cover and found the blurb on the back interesting. When I started reading I couldn't quite get into it and found it difficult to keep the characters apart.
There's this peninsula that used to be an island according to legend. Maybe even Avalon. Now it's called Appleton, although the legendary apple orchards are gone. Ashley comes to visit her relatives and search for her roots, her grandmother ran away from Appleton. Then there's a landslide and the town becomes isolated. Strange things begin to happen. Phones and internet no longer work. As the tension builds, you'd think something interesting would eventually happen. I waited in vain. There is a twist at the end which left me perplexed, perhaps because I skimmed a bit too much during the last hundred pages.
Final judgement: this is really boring. There is only one fascinating scene in this book and that involves very old, translucent great grannies who should have been long dead. Whatever you think or would want this book would be based in the back,it isn't.
There's this peninsula that used to be an island according to legend. Maybe even Avalon. Now it's called Appleton, although the legendary apple orchards are gone. Ashley comes to visit her relatives and search for her roots, her grandmother ran away from Appleton. Then there's a landslide and the town becomes isolated. Strange things begin to happen. Phones and internet no longer work. As the tension builds, you'd think something interesting would eventually happen. I waited in vain. There is a twist at the end which left me perplexed, perhaps because I skimmed a bit too much during the last hundred pages.
Final judgement: this is really boring. There is only one fascinating scene in this book and that involves very old, translucent great grannies who should have been long dead. Whatever you think or would want this book would be based in the back,it isn't.
January 8, 2014
This is an interesting novel and an interesting idea. However I found it difficult to read in places because it seemed to have an identity crisis.I wouldn't call it magic realism because of the fairy/myth/legend aspect. I also found the sex references just weird. Every female character (all American) instantly fall in lust. All the Scottish male characters are a bit loopy and it's only the male incomers that have sex appeal. An awful lot happens to 3 women who are in many ways so alike that I found it hard to figure out whose story I was reading and who was actually the main character. The addition of so called newspaper/journal/diary excerpts to give the story 'verisimilitude' were more often than not intrusive and annoying. The ending felt a little bit of a cop out. Perhaps if we had just focused on Katherine's story it would have been tighter and crisper.
On the upside the descriptive language and writing was beautifully handled and made the setting come alive.
On the upside the descriptive language and writing was beautifully handled and made the setting come alive.
February 26, 2019
Lisa Tuttle writes great stories about magic and mystery. This one is no exception.
A mysterious town on the coast of Scotland where apples are said to be magical and hold the possibility of success or failure for the town.
A story about family, heritage, love, friendship, history, magic, apples and a mystery shrouded in the fog that is rolling in.
An intriguing story that I found hard to put down.
A mysterious town on the coast of Scotland where apples are said to be magical and hold the possibility of success or failure for the town.
A story about family, heritage, love, friendship, history, magic, apples and a mystery shrouded in the fog that is rolling in.
An intriguing story that I found hard to put down.
October 30, 2013
If you are looking for autumnal comfort reading with a magic sheen – look no further. Tuttle's charming tale of an enchanted Scottish town – the invented near-island of Appleton – has a strong sense of place, some distinctive characters, and a clever blend of Celtic mythology and apple folklore. Tuttle slowly builds up a painstaking level of detail in the town's idiosyncracies – architectural, topographical and human – thus establishing some verisimillitude, before the magic starts to leak in from the Otherworld. The pace is gentle, and the multi-linear narrative is soap opera-esque at times, as we hopscotch from one plot thread to another – creating a tartan weave which conveys the interlacement of the community, and the entangled skein of past and present generations, but somewhat dissipates the tension (except for one taboo-busting kiss which is 'frozen' for a whole intervening chapter). However, there are faults – the odd maggot-hole in the polished facade; a few too many Americans shoe-horned in for my liking – as though this was an episode of Downton Abbey pitched at the US market. And sometimes characters slip into 'download', eg ex-rock star Dave Varney, who suddenly seems very knowledgable about esoteric matters. There is the odd unleavened expositional 'lump' e.g. at one point the narrative needlessly states: 'To ancient Celts, heaven was to be found on an island in the west.' But on the whole Tuttle serves up an appetising harvest supper – revelling in the many associations of apples, orchards, forbidden fruit and temptation. The build up – as a tsunami of magic breaks over the town – is better than the denouement. The depiction of the Fairy Folk – who start to crop up in unexpected ways – is refreshingly unsentimental, unglamourous, and edgy. Fairy tale tropes begin to manifest in this realistic setting – and Tuttle has fun with these. Yet on the whole I felt the main protagonists left me cold – I couldn't really relate or care for any of them. Yet, what redeems the whole tale is the depiction of the library as the heart of the community – and the hub of the narrative – and the use of different kinds of 'found' text, invented and actual, to create a lovely sense of the power of printed matter in building and sustaining an illusion. Worth checking out, but it hardly qualifies for one of the '10 Best British Fantasy Novels' as a Guardian feature earlier this year claimed. Someone has been on the cider.
March 10, 2013
A slow burner of a novel, set on a peninsula at the Scottish coast. One by one, a number of characters are drawn there, each seemingly driven by loss of some sort. Except the librarian. Then, this island of apples seems to drift into a more mythical state, with fairy tales and myths of Avalon just beneath the surface.
The myth bits sound like just the sort of thing I'd love, but sadly the novel feels quite flat. Each character gets an introduction, and it takes a very long time before the story moves in any discernible direction. Most of the characters are sadly not very interesting. (Many mope. All the women get stabs of lust around specific male characters.) All the way to the end, the chapters are interspersed with supposedly academic texts and fragments of journals about the island's past, or myths. Instead of enriching the believability and atmosphere, most of these fragments are just somewhat boring.
By the time things get mythical, the novel has taken an awfully long time introducing moping characters who aren't all that interesting to spend time around. They then have various little episodes / encounters, some a little creepy, some a little anticlimactic...
By far the most interesting of the lot is a post man who is only a side character, meandering through several plotlines without having one of his own.
I had hoped for something a bit more interesting and atmospheric.
The myth bits sound like just the sort of thing I'd love, but sadly the novel feels quite flat. Each character gets an introduction, and it takes a very long time before the story moves in any discernible direction. Most of the characters are sadly not very interesting. (Many mope. All the women get stabs of lust around specific male characters.) All the way to the end, the chapters are interspersed with supposedly academic texts and fragments of journals about the island's past, or myths. Instead of enriching the believability and atmosphere, most of these fragments are just somewhat boring.
By the time things get mythical, the novel has taken an awfully long time introducing moping characters who aren't all that interesting to spend time around. They then have various little episodes / encounters, some a little creepy, some a little anticlimactic...
By far the most interesting of the lot is a post man who is only a side character, meandering through several plotlines without having one of his own.
I had hoped for something a bit more interesting and atmospheric.
July 4, 2013
I sometimes hesitate when I'm looking for fantasy books because I find they either throw you into an unknown world too fast, throw too much 'local lore' at you too quickly, or the story becomes action before you're settled into the world with the characters.
The Silver Bough is none of the above. The world, although a different country to me, is introduced in such a way that I feel instantly settled and apart of the tiny Scotland island. I feel connected to the modern world that exists within the island, the introduction of the characters isn't forced or rushed, and rather than shove fantasy all in your face in one swoop, Lisa Tuttle slowly introduces the mythology and lore in little titbits as the main plotline and the main characters introduce themselves to you.
By the time you're faced with the fantasy element of the mythology, by the time it starts to exist in the book's world, you're already familiar enough with the lore/mythology to anticipate it and to understand it.
The pace of the book is a little slower than some books I've read but I find that it only adds to the story. Instead of becoming boring ... it becomes a slow tease of what will come, it teased me with 'Oh my gosh, what will happen... who will it be!... when will this happen!' and provoked me to come back to the book.
At the same time I couldn't do what I normally do with books- consume it all in one gulp- and I enjoyed the slow process of soaking in the story bit by bit. Put the book down. Think about it. Enjoy what I've taken in. Come back to the book and continue onwards. Put the book down again. Think about it between life. Come back to the book. I even fell asleep trying to read it one night.
It kept me interested right up till the last page and I was left feeling satisfied and interested in the mythology that Lisa Tuttle used to weave together a tale.
This is an amazing fantasy book set in a world I can relate to. I would love to find out more about Scotland and the mythology used! I almost feel as if I was told a real tale. It's a wonderful feeling and I'm going to be searching for more of her books.
The Silver Bough is none of the above. The world, although a different country to me, is introduced in such a way that I feel instantly settled and apart of the tiny Scotland island. I feel connected to the modern world that exists within the island, the introduction of the characters isn't forced or rushed, and rather than shove fantasy all in your face in one swoop, Lisa Tuttle slowly introduces the mythology and lore in little titbits as the main plotline and the main characters introduce themselves to you.
By the time you're faced with the fantasy element of the mythology, by the time it starts to exist in the book's world, you're already familiar enough with the lore/mythology to anticipate it and to understand it.
The pace of the book is a little slower than some books I've read but I find that it only adds to the story. Instead of becoming boring ... it becomes a slow tease of what will come, it teased me with 'Oh my gosh, what will happen... who will it be!... when will this happen!' and provoked me to come back to the book.
At the same time I couldn't do what I normally do with books- consume it all in one gulp- and I enjoyed the slow process of soaking in the story bit by bit. Put the book down. Think about it. Enjoy what I've taken in. Come back to the book and continue onwards. Put the book down again. Think about it between life. Come back to the book. I even fell asleep trying to read it one night.
It kept me interested right up till the last page and I was left feeling satisfied and interested in the mythology that Lisa Tuttle used to weave together a tale.
This is an amazing fantasy book set in a world I can relate to. I would love to find out more about Scotland and the mythology used! I almost feel as if I was told a real tale. It's a wonderful feeling and I'm going to be searching for more of her books.
September 22, 2012
This is absolutely magical realism. It's not romance (although there is romance involved), it's not chick lit (at ALL), and it's not science fiction (there are no rational explanations provided).
Appleton, despite its name, is a Scottish town. Myths and rumors surround it, and there's always been a little aura of magic around the area. The town thrives on its apple industry--at least, it used to before it fell into economic shambles. The rational explanation for this decline is that the man who owned the apple orchard and mill disappeared without a trace, leaving his property mortgaged and the town without its most important industry. The magical one is that the Apple Queen, crowned at the apple festival, did not eat the gift of the golden apple provided to the town. Eating it with her sweetheart would've brought her her heart's desire and the town's success, but spurning the gift meant ruining the town.
Fast forward 50 years, and that's where this book starts. It follows the lives of three women, recent newcomers to the town. We watch as they fall into the magic and discover what they truly want out of life.
The prose here is absolutely beautiful. The first half of the novel seemed to go by a bit slowly, and the second half a bit too quickly. Overall, though, I thought this was a good example of the genre, and I would recommend this to those who like magical realism.
This was recommended to me by a friend who knows the author. I'm glad I took her up on it.
Appleton, despite its name, is a Scottish town. Myths and rumors surround it, and there's always been a little aura of magic around the area. The town thrives on its apple industry--at least, it used to before it fell into economic shambles. The rational explanation for this decline is that the man who owned the apple orchard and mill disappeared without a trace, leaving his property mortgaged and the town without its most important industry. The magical one is that the Apple Queen, crowned at the apple festival, did not eat the gift of the golden apple provided to the town. Eating it with her sweetheart would've brought her her heart's desire and the town's success, but spurning the gift meant ruining the town.
Fast forward 50 years, and that's where this book starts. It follows the lives of three women, recent newcomers to the town. We watch as they fall into the magic and discover what they truly want out of life.
The prose here is absolutely beautiful. The first half of the novel seemed to go by a bit slowly, and the second half a bit too quickly. Overall, though, I thought this was a good example of the genre, and I would recommend this to those who like magical realism.
This was recommended to me by a friend who knows the author. I'm glad I took her up on it.
January 13, 2011
This is the book that got me out of my month-long fiction slump, and I am full of affection for it.
It isn't really anything new, but it's a lovely, cozy warm book, with occasional eerie moments and a deft handling of folklore.
Three very different American women--college student Ashley, middle-aged librarian Kathleen, and young widow Nell, are drawn to the small Scottish village of Appleton, each seeking escape from a personal loss.
Appleton is rich in folk traditions, and when a rockslide cuts off the only road off the peninsula, that folklore begins coming to life.
Gradually the three women's stories, and the mystery of what happened to the town many years earlier when that year's Apple Queen ran away, begin to weave together.
There's a definite romance element, though it doesn't dominate the story--my only quibble is that, of the three, Ashley's story is the least developed and resolved. I was definitely less invested in her and her tale than in Kathleen's and Nell's; but that's a fairly minor flaw, imho.
It isn't really anything new, but it's a lovely, cozy warm book, with occasional eerie moments and a deft handling of folklore.
Three very different American women--college student Ashley, middle-aged librarian Kathleen, and young widow Nell, are drawn to the small Scottish village of Appleton, each seeking escape from a personal loss.
Appleton is rich in folk traditions, and when a rockslide cuts off the only road off the peninsula, that folklore begins coming to life.
Gradually the three women's stories, and the mystery of what happened to the town many years earlier when that year's Apple Queen ran away, begin to weave together.
There's a definite romance element, though it doesn't dominate the story--my only quibble is that, of the three, Ashley's story is the least developed and resolved. I was definitely less invested in her and her tale than in Kathleen's and Nell's; but that's a fairly minor flaw, imho.
February 14, 2014
This is a beautiful read.
This story starts out as if it's a contemporary tale, but slowly more and more magical elements appear, until at one point I was just as creeped out as one of the lead characters by the strange things that happened.
The story switches between several viewpoint characters, and I liked most of them. The one character I couldn't relate with was Ashley, she was too self centered and hostile at times. I think Nell was my favorite character. She's a difficult person, but I could understand why she acted like she did.
The setting is beautiful and over the course of the story you get more and more background information, in the form of letters and newspaper articles, about Appleton, which helps with understanding what's happening. Usually I don't much like the inclusion of newspaper articles and such, but in this story it fits and adds to the atmosphere.
All in all this is an intense and beautiful story. I will certainly investigate what other books Tuttle has written, and this book will be added to my keeper shelves.
This story starts out as if it's a contemporary tale, but slowly more and more magical elements appear, until at one point I was just as creeped out as one of the lead characters by the strange things that happened.
The story switches between several viewpoint characters, and I liked most of them. The one character I couldn't relate with was Ashley, she was too self centered and hostile at times. I think Nell was my favorite character. She's a difficult person, but I could understand why she acted like she did.
The setting is beautiful and over the course of the story you get more and more background information, in the form of letters and newspaper articles, about Appleton, which helps with understanding what's happening. Usually I don't much like the inclusion of newspaper articles and such, but in this story it fits and adds to the atmosphere.
All in all this is an intense and beautiful story. I will certainly investigate what other books Tuttle has written, and this book will be added to my keeper shelves.
July 31, 2019
I suppose as a man there are some forms of literature I don’t understand. There is a whole genre of “women’s supernatural “ that escapes me. Such as this book.
It is a mild book. The story is that a small Scottish town call Appleton has been cut off from the world by a landslide. Supernatural things start happening, such as the appearance of Rowan Wall, a refugee from the 1950s who still appears young.
The three women protagonists are all Americans looking for something : a relative ‘s history or refuge from the city or haven from tragedy. Rowan will figure prominently in each woman’s search.
Thing is, there’s no real plot. There’s no danger despite the authors attempt to create one. There’s no cohesiveness. Things happen—a ghostly hotel comes to life, a mermaid attempts to lure a young man into the sea, the ghost of a woman artist appears— but nothing further Lia made if these things.
Everyone is happy in the end. Lovers are reunited, lovers are found...etc. but you don’t feel there was ever any doubt this would happen.
Oh, and did I mention that the first 50 pages of this 320 page book are exposition?
I’m sure this author’s other books are better. I found this in the library.
It is a mild book. The story is that a small Scottish town call Appleton has been cut off from the world by a landslide. Supernatural things start happening, such as the appearance of Rowan Wall, a refugee from the 1950s who still appears young.
The three women protagonists are all Americans looking for something : a relative ‘s history or refuge from the city or haven from tragedy. Rowan will figure prominently in each woman’s search.
Thing is, there’s no real plot. There’s no danger despite the authors attempt to create one. There’s no cohesiveness. Things happen—a ghostly hotel comes to life, a mermaid attempts to lure a young man into the sea, the ghost of a woman artist appears— but nothing further Lia made if these things.
Everyone is happy in the end. Lovers are reunited, lovers are found...etc. but you don’t feel there was ever any doubt this would happen.
Oh, and did I mention that the first 50 pages of this 320 page book are exposition?
I’m sure this author’s other books are better. I found this in the library.
Read
July 15, 2023DNF.
I made it 200 plus pages into this book before I finally let myself off the hook. As someone who works in a library I was really intrigued by the summary given on the back of the book. The main character is a librarian in a small magical town. Sign me up.
However, this book seemed to have little to no plot. 200 pages in and it felt like almost nothing had happened. And anything that had happened was just weird. The dialogue was SO weird and unnatural. There was like a weird sexual tension between ALL the characters that made it awkward to read. The characters were also pretty unlikable and there were too many perspectives to keep track of. I was just bored. And disappointed. Cause I really liked the concept and loved learning about Irish folklore.
I made it 200 plus pages into this book before I finally let myself off the hook. As someone who works in a library I was really intrigued by the summary given on the back of the book. The main character is a librarian in a small magical town. Sign me up.
However, this book seemed to have little to no plot. 200 pages in and it felt like almost nothing had happened. And anything that had happened was just weird. The dialogue was SO weird and unnatural. There was like a weird sexual tension between ALL the characters that made it awkward to read. The characters were also pretty unlikable and there were too many perspectives to keep track of. I was just bored. And disappointed. Cause I really liked the concept and loved learning about Irish folklore.
May 24, 2022
I lied to goodreads. didn't finish this. couldn't make it past 4 chapters. idk maybe its a good book I was just not into it.
February 26, 2020
A shortbread tin Brigadoon piece of nonsense for the modern era. I have read some bad books but these were some caricatures of Scots and the women were just so written so poorly my soul left my body.
March 12, 2015
I can't believe I missed The Silver Bough, by Lisa Tuttle, when it first was published in 2006; she's one of my favourite authors and she writes novels far too infrequently for me (this is, I think, her fourth full-length novel since Windhaven, co-written with George R.R. Martin, appeared in the mid-1970s). But I'm absolutely thrilled to have found it, however belatedly. The Silver Bough is set in Appleton, a small seaside town on a peninsula in the west of Scotland, described by folklore as having once been an island, until in the mid-1600s, it somehow got attached to a tip of the British Isles. Incomers appeared after that, bringing with them the craft of apple-growing, as the climate and soil turn out to be perfect for that fruit, and eventually one arbourer creates the Appleton Fairest, the best apple in all the Isles. But times changed, and the apples failed, and by the time our story opens, Appleton is almost a ghost town, struggling to stay alive in a modern world that has no need for it. Enter several new incomers, three American women from different times of life, including young Ashley whose grandmother was born and raised in, and precipitously left, Appleton in 1950; Kathleen, a transplanted librarian given the job of grounding and eventually modernizing the local library, a magnificent structure built by a local architect some hundred years earlier; and Nell, who has been living at and restoring the Orchard for the past several years, after the sudden death of her husband in a sailing accident. Nell has cut off contact with other humans, mostly, but has filled her days with restoring the old house and planting its gardens, including a walled garden that had previously been home to an apple orchard and which now, thanks to Nell, is an apple orchard once again. She has found an old ailing tree and grafted it, and finds that the Appleton Fairest may truly be alive again. But the Appleton Fairest is far more than a mere apple, however tasty; its fate is tied to the fate of the town, and vice versa, and the three incoming women are the key to determining that fate....None of the above gives even the slightest sense of just how magical this story is, and how wonderful. Tuttle writes in a very clear prose - I am never struck by a particularly "poetic" sentence or turn of phrase, but instead find that after reading a paragraph or a page or a chapter, I have a whole world in my mind that wasn't there before, and all of it is poetic and stunning. Anybody who loves fantasy (including dark fantasy; this is more gentle than some of her work, but there's some scary times here too), or is interested in mythology or in the Celtic worlds, or just loves good, clear writing, is well advised to search this book out. And then go on to discover all of Lisa Tuttle's other work too; this woman is a treasure, to be sure. Very highly recommended.
September 19, 2013
A creepy, haunting, subtly magical novel about the power of stories and the magic of old places.
Kathleen gives up a higher salary, a cosmopolitan life and a failed marriage in London, and moves to tiny, isolated Appleton on the coast of Scotland, to become librarian at the beautiful, out-of-place library in the centre of a once-thriving tourist town. But Appleton is failing, and when a landslide blocks off the only route back to the mainland and sparks off a chain of very strange events, many feel it is the death-knell for their beloved home.
Appleton's fate is intricately tied to its folklore and its history, neatly if somewhat obviously explained by the 'excerpts' from local history books interspersed throughout the intertwining stories of Appleton inhabitants. The appearance of a mysterious stranger who seems to know all about an Appleton that hasn't existed for fifty years or more heralds the slow removal of the island from reality. Shops appear that have never been there before, the weather is unseasonably nice for October, the harbour is suddenly full of strange ships and stranger visitors, and inside the library, a secret door appears behind an apple tree.
All of these elements add up to a very well-told and gloriously creepy story that is like nothing so much as my old childhood favourites, Usborne Puzzle Adventures. Strangers to a town that has gone wrong somewhere along the line experience odder and odder situations, and must solve the puzzle or face being stuck in a strange, in-between state of reality forever. Timelines warp, folkloric figures walk the streets and try to lure passersby to their doom, and an all-enveloping fog rolls in to hide the island from the world. It really is great fun.
For all this, it is a thoroughly normal story, one you can see being of the Maeve Binchy/Catherine Cookson school were it not for the magic. A librarian looking for a change of pace, a woman grieving her lost husband, a boy pining for his older lover, all living and loving in a charming small town. Gag me. And yet, it becomes bearable because these people experience the truly weird, and accept it with remarkably little nonsense. The magic is so entwined in the earth, the sea, the trees, the buildings around them that they take on its credibility, and make useful and practical decisions when faced with fear and confusion.
It is refreshing, and made for a fantastically readable fantasy novel that I devoured whole.
Kathleen gives up a higher salary, a cosmopolitan life and a failed marriage in London, and moves to tiny, isolated Appleton on the coast of Scotland, to become librarian at the beautiful, out-of-place library in the centre of a once-thriving tourist town. But Appleton is failing, and when a landslide blocks off the only route back to the mainland and sparks off a chain of very strange events, many feel it is the death-knell for their beloved home.
Appleton's fate is intricately tied to its folklore and its history, neatly if somewhat obviously explained by the 'excerpts' from local history books interspersed throughout the intertwining stories of Appleton inhabitants. The appearance of a mysterious stranger who seems to know all about an Appleton that hasn't existed for fifty years or more heralds the slow removal of the island from reality. Shops appear that have never been there before, the weather is unseasonably nice for October, the harbour is suddenly full of strange ships and stranger visitors, and inside the library, a secret door appears behind an apple tree.
All of these elements add up to a very well-told and gloriously creepy story that is like nothing so much as my old childhood favourites, Usborne Puzzle Adventures. Strangers to a town that has gone wrong somewhere along the line experience odder and odder situations, and must solve the puzzle or face being stuck in a strange, in-between state of reality forever. Timelines warp, folkloric figures walk the streets and try to lure passersby to their doom, and an all-enveloping fog rolls in to hide the island from the world. It really is great fun.
For all this, it is a thoroughly normal story, one you can see being of the Maeve Binchy/Catherine Cookson school were it not for the magic. A librarian looking for a change of pace, a woman grieving her lost husband, a boy pining for his older lover, all living and loving in a charming small town. Gag me. And yet, it becomes bearable because these people experience the truly weird, and accept it with remarkably little nonsense. The magic is so entwined in the earth, the sea, the trees, the buildings around them that they take on its credibility, and make useful and practical decisions when faced with fear and confusion.
It is refreshing, and made for a fantastically readable fantasy novel that I devoured whole.
July 5, 2013
The Silver Bough is a gentle fantasy that weaves Scottish mythology, magic and romance into a seamless tale of wonder. It follows three women who are trapped in Appleton after a landslide, who all meet a mysterious stranger and are drawn into an enchanted world that may hold the key to the survival of the old town.
The book begins with Ashley, who has come to this backwater in search of her family's past - her grandmother once lived in Appleton, and was even crowned the Apple Queen in her youth, but ran away to America and buried her past so deeply it's only just come to light. The story is told through chapters alternating from the view of Ashley, Kathleen, the town librarian, and Nell, a widowed recluse with a passion for growing apples. I think Kathleen and Nell's stories are more interesting and compelling than Ashley's - Ashley's demeanour and actions didn't seem natural to me, her story didn't really make sense.
The strangely ageless man who ties the three women together brings the old stories to life, and as plot progresses, it becomes clear that Appleton, now cut off from the world, is slipping away into a world full of magic. I liked the way the story is told, with excerpts from books on Scottish history and mythology (and sometimes they're indistinguishable!) interleaved with the gradual buildup of the fantastical element of the narrative.
Although Appleton spends a lot of the book shrouded in fog, both literally and figuratively, I think the author has brought the small town to life admirably. I could well imagine the quaint atmosphere that permeated the town, the happiness and contentment of the populace before Appleton declined, and their despair when the apples stopped growing, when the cider business went bust, when the tourists stopped coming through. Appleton becomes a character in the book, with its own history and sometimes sinister motivations.
I enjoyed The Silver Bough a lot, and love its clever mix of contemporary story-telling and otherworldly magic. This is a slower-paced novel, and I would recommend it to readers who are looking for a gentle fairy story. I'll be looking out for more of Lisa Tuttle's books in the future.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.
You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic .
The book begins with Ashley, who has come to this backwater in search of her family's past - her grandmother once lived in Appleton, and was even crowned the Apple Queen in her youth, but ran away to America and buried her past so deeply it's only just come to light. The story is told through chapters alternating from the view of Ashley, Kathleen, the town librarian, and Nell, a widowed recluse with a passion for growing apples. I think Kathleen and Nell's stories are more interesting and compelling than Ashley's - Ashley's demeanour and actions didn't seem natural to me, her story didn't really make sense.
The strangely ageless man who ties the three women together brings the old stories to life, and as plot progresses, it becomes clear that Appleton, now cut off from the world, is slipping away into a world full of magic. I liked the way the story is told, with excerpts from books on Scottish history and mythology (and sometimes they're indistinguishable!) interleaved with the gradual buildup of the fantastical element of the narrative.
Although Appleton spends a lot of the book shrouded in fog, both literally and figuratively, I think the author has brought the small town to life admirably. I could well imagine the quaint atmosphere that permeated the town, the happiness and contentment of the populace before Appleton declined, and their despair when the apples stopped growing, when the cider business went bust, when the tourists stopped coming through. Appleton becomes a character in the book, with its own history and sometimes sinister motivations.
I enjoyed The Silver Bough a lot, and love its clever mix of contemporary story-telling and otherworldly magic. This is a slower-paced novel, and I would recommend it to readers who are looking for a gentle fairy story. I'll be looking out for more of Lisa Tuttle's books in the future.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.
You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic .
February 20, 2013
I often tell a traditional tale to infants about the star at the heart of every apple, and the story always holds them entranced. This book investigates the magic star at the heart of the apple in many myths and legends, so I felt an immediate connection with the story.
The Silver Bough is about Appleton, a small town on Scotland’s west coast, which used to produce the most wonderful apples in Scotland. But why did the apples stop growing?
We see the town and its unusual history through the eyes of some incomers, initially through the eyes of an American girl arriving to trace her Scottish ancestors, one of whom may have been the person who started the area’s downfall.
It’s a lovely book, full of very knowledgeable references to genuine Scottish and Celtic tradition and myth, but I had a couple of niggles as I read.
Why were the three main protagonists ALL female American incomers? Couldn’t we have seen some of this from the point of view of a local? But then, perhaps the point of the book was that everyone in Appleton was an incomer at some time.
Also there was a lot of emotion, description and atmosphere, but a minimum of action. For example, there was an earthquake off-stage, rather than on the page, which was a bit of a let down.
But on the whole, it’s a wonderful book, with an initial sense of mystery, then as the mystery is explained, a new sense of darkness and doom grows and spreads like the fog round the town. There is one genuinely shocking and creepy scene about shrinking ancestors, some amazingly authentic-feeling magical images (like blossoms and fruit on the same branch), and a wonderfully light touch with some of our folklore, like an amusing cameo from a fairly thick kelpie. And one of the greatest pleasures were the warm nods to Neil Gaiman’s Stardust: a local family called Wall for example, and the glimpses of exotic people in the harbour waiting for a new apple fair.
This book touched on so much of the material I read and tell and love that at times it felt like it was written just for me. If you love magic, mystery, Scottish legends and a nice juicy apple, perhaps you’ll feel it was written just for you too!
The Silver Bough is about Appleton, a small town on Scotland’s west coast, which used to produce the most wonderful apples in Scotland. But why did the apples stop growing?
We see the town and its unusual history through the eyes of some incomers, initially through the eyes of an American girl arriving to trace her Scottish ancestors, one of whom may have been the person who started the area’s downfall.
It’s a lovely book, full of very knowledgeable references to genuine Scottish and Celtic tradition and myth, but I had a couple of niggles as I read.
Why were the three main protagonists ALL female American incomers? Couldn’t we have seen some of this from the point of view of a local? But then, perhaps the point of the book was that everyone in Appleton was an incomer at some time.
Also there was a lot of emotion, description and atmosphere, but a minimum of action. For example, there was an earthquake off-stage, rather than on the page, which was a bit of a let down.
But on the whole, it’s a wonderful book, with an initial sense of mystery, then as the mystery is explained, a new sense of darkness and doom grows and spreads like the fog round the town. There is one genuinely shocking and creepy scene about shrinking ancestors, some amazingly authentic-feeling magical images (like blossoms and fruit on the same branch), and a wonderfully light touch with some of our folklore, like an amusing cameo from a fairly thick kelpie. And one of the greatest pleasures were the warm nods to Neil Gaiman’s Stardust: a local family called Wall for example, and the glimpses of exotic people in the harbour waiting for a new apple fair.
This book touched on so much of the material I read and tell and love that at times it felt like it was written just for me. If you love magic, mystery, Scottish legends and a nice juicy apple, perhaps you’ll feel it was written just for you too!
September 20, 2015
I read "The Silver Bough" because I had seen it on a Magical Realism shelf.
This probably helped me a lot, as I have read quite a few reviews mentioning the surprise upon stumbling into a world of fairytales.
In the beginning, Lisa Tuttle describes the journeys of three American women, all lonely for some reason or another, to the small Scottish coastal town of Appleton.
The Scottish landscape provides a resounding backdrop to their emotional issues,and apparently there are also enough males in this small place for every one of them. I somewhat disliked the choice of the all-American female cast, after all this is set in Scotland.
There were hints of the intruding other-worldly-ness dropped along the way, but it seemed to encroach on our protagonists quite suddenly. The bits after that read a bit weird, and I struggled a lot with "going back to normal".
In fact, in descriptions of local customs, lead characters that don't belong, and myths that control emotions, reading this feels similar to Alan Garner's The Owl Service (set in Wales), which is why I've decided to rate this book exactly the same.
On an unrelated fact, while I did expect Magical Realism, I had thought more along the lines of Sarah Addison Allen, which definitely doesn't fit.
Read this book if you'd like to read about Scotland, or if you need something in between. I like the fact that I've read it, but somehow I cannot think of a better recommendation. I'm sorry.
This probably helped me a lot, as I have read quite a few reviews mentioning the surprise upon stumbling into a world of fairytales.
In the beginning, Lisa Tuttle describes the journeys of three American women, all lonely for some reason or another, to the small Scottish coastal town of Appleton.
The Scottish landscape provides a resounding backdrop to their emotional issues,and apparently there are also enough males in this small place for every one of them. I somewhat disliked the choice of the all-American female cast, after all this is set in Scotland.
There were hints of the intruding other-worldly-ness dropped along the way, but it seemed to encroach on our protagonists quite suddenly. The bits after that read a bit weird, and I struggled a lot with "going back to normal".
In fact, in descriptions of local customs, lead characters that don't belong, and myths that control emotions, reading this feels similar to Alan Garner's The Owl Service (set in Wales), which is why I've decided to rate this book exactly the same.
On an unrelated fact, while I did expect Magical Realism, I had thought more along the lines of Sarah Addison Allen, which definitely doesn't fit.
Read this book if you'd like to read about Scotland, or if you need something in between. I like the fact that I've read it, but somehow I cannot think of a better recommendation. I'm sorry.
January 23, 2014
I liked this, but I felt it suffered from too many characters - some of whom were pretty much only there so they could be paired off. Seriously, why give Mario all that character development when ultimately he is irrelevant? I'd also agree with other reviews that said the three central women were too similar - and the fact they were all American incomers really jarred with my own experience of growing up in rural Scotland. Although I'm East Coast so maybe things are different in Appleton (or Campbeltown, as I gather it is in real life)...
There were some nice ideas and bits of mythology in this book, although I found it frustrating some of that wasn't explored further. I think I might have cut down on extraneous characters (possibly Ashley and Mario) in favour of more kelpies and weird old ladies in drawers and things. All of which sounds really negative, for which I apologise - The Silver Bough is easy to read and quite good fun, so I'd recommend it as a holiday book I think. Tuttle creates a nice world that sort of washes over you and doesn't require you to think too much, and the different hints of magic and myth come together quite well to take you on a nice journey.
There were some nice ideas and bits of mythology in this book, although I found it frustrating some of that wasn't explored further. I think I might have cut down on extraneous characters (possibly Ashley and Mario) in favour of more kelpies and weird old ladies in drawers and things. All of which sounds really negative, for which I apologise - The Silver Bough is easy to read and quite good fun, so I'd recommend it as a holiday book I think. Tuttle creates a nice world that sort of washes over you and doesn't require you to think too much, and the different hints of magic and myth come together quite well to take you on a nice journey.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2014
A very intriguing book. More than a touch of Brigadoon and The Wicker Man, with a run-down Scottish seaside town proving to be something more when a strangely attractive man returns to his birthplace. His arrival seems to set in motion a sequence of events, with the town's only road cut off by an avalanche, communications going on the blink, plus a mysterious fog that seems to surround the place. Everything revolves around the apples for which the town was famous, but which died out fifty years earlier, contributing to the downturn in the town's fortunes. A recent incomer to the area, an American widow, finds a surviving example of the apple tree, transplants it to her new orchard, where it bears fruit, but not the red apples she had expected, but a single golden one, the significance of which becomes more apparent as the story progresses.
Tuttle's story is well-paced, her characters interesting and involving, while the plot has enough twists and turns to satisfy anyone. A fascinating read.
Tuttle's story is well-paced, her characters interesting and involving, while the plot has enough twists and turns to satisfy anyone. A fascinating read.
December 20, 2014
I really like her style. It's so fairy'tale, but at the same time it fiction. It makes me believe.
This is the story of Appelton. Once it was a nice little town with orchards, now people are leaving. All because of the last Apple Queen and the bad luck that followed.
Our 3 heroines are: Kathleen, a librarian. Nell, who has a few apple trees. And Ashley who wants to know why her grandma left so suddenly and never came back there. They are all different, they are all skeptics, they are all outsiders and they will all meet a handsome stranger.
Because here it is where the magic comes in. There really is something special about this not so much an island anymore. There really are things hiding, and not shown. There really is bad luck over the island, and all cos of an apple. And as the story progresses, more things are shown, you can be a skeptic first, but then you see.
Tuttle really needs to write more mythic books about Scotland. I like it. I like how it makes me want to believe that there still can be traces of magic, and other beings around :)
This is the story of Appelton. Once it was a nice little town with orchards, now people are leaving. All because of the last Apple Queen and the bad luck that followed.
Our 3 heroines are: Kathleen, a librarian. Nell, who has a few apple trees. And Ashley who wants to know why her grandma left so suddenly and never came back there. They are all different, they are all skeptics, they are all outsiders and they will all meet a handsome stranger.
Because here it is where the magic comes in. There really is something special about this not so much an island anymore. There really are things hiding, and not shown. There really is bad luck over the island, and all cos of an apple. And as the story progresses, more things are shown, you can be a skeptic first, but then you see.
Tuttle really needs to write more mythic books about Scotland. I like it. I like how it makes me want to believe that there still can be traces of magic, and other beings around :)
October 31, 2014
Genuinely masterful and romantic modern fantasy, as creepy strange things happen on the odd little Scottish outcrop that is Appleton, where everything is in decline and all the apple trees are gone. But a golden apple has appeared out of season in a walled off orchard and a new chance has come around to make everything right or to lose everything for good. But who will eat the golden apple, and will it be in time? Appleton is cut off from the outside world and the mists are rolling in. Ghosts are stirring and old things are coming back to prey on the living. Well, that might make it sound like more of a horror than it really is. The book is a slow burn, until two thirds of the way through when the weirdness really takes off. It's more creepy and strange and atmospheric as three women search for love or lust and trace the story of the island the people who lived on it, all leading to the peculiar situation our heroines find themselves in.
July 31, 2014
Set on an almost-island on the Scottish coast, famed historically for its apples. But the apple trees have almost all gone now, and the town is in decline. There's a story that once a generation, the trees produce a single golden apple, and if that's shared between a young couple in love, it will bring happiness and prosperity to the town. Last time it should have been eaten, Ashley's grandmother was chosen to be the Apple Queen, but she ran away to America instead and the apple was never eaten. Ashley's visiting her long-lost Scottish family to learn more when the apple fruits again. Well told fairy tale type fantasy building on mythology and folklore, and reminding me of Neil Gaiman.
January 20, 2015
A beautiful story full of mystical magic. What if mythology wasn't fiction? What if ancient tales were more than mere stories of wild fancy? Appleton was a town rumored to be the fabled Avalon of Arthurian legends, a place steeped in Celtic lore, but all that is now history. A young girl grieving for her best friend, a widow lost without her soulmate, a young man cast out from his home, a woman seeking her place in the world, and a beautiful, mysterious stranger all become stranded here in the wake of an earthquake. What do the forces of fate or chance hold for each of them, and what do the secrets of the past mean for the future of Appleton?
January 12, 2015
It took about 175 pages for the story to begin to fully bloom. However, the time spent setting the scene and getting to know the characters was well worth it. The rest of the book moved so swiftly and carried me along like a swift current. I fell in love with this book and didn't want to put it down.... nor did I want it to end.
The author did not rehash old tales, but brought a completely new flavor to tales long told. If you love fantasy with a fair helping of realism, this is a book for you.
The author did not rehash old tales, but brought a completely new flavor to tales long told. If you love fantasy with a fair helping of realism, this is a book for you.
March 21, 2015
An entertaining read with some annoying flaws. Namely that it jumps between different characters' perspectives at a relatively rapid pace. This doesn't effect the understanding of the plot, fortunately, but that's namely because the characters are fairly interchangeable. From the six-or-so perspectives the reader sees, not much changes. The characters, and even their descriptions, quickly blur together until I just stopped caring about their motivations, thoughts, or interests. Would have liked stronger characters with more personality.
September 29, 2015
I wanted to dive into this book head-long, and never look back. The myths surrounding the town of Appleton invited me in, and although I did not think that the format was necessary, the newspaper and letter clippings added to the depth and detail of the setting. However, I did not connect with any of the characters well. The book started off jumping from character to character, giving the reader an introduction of each, but it took pages and pages before some of these characters felt relevant.
December 12, 2015
The Silver Bough is firmly rooted in my heart as a new love; a fairy tale reworked with all the old magic to whisk you away. A story of lost loves, sinister forces awoken, and unlikely heroines and heroes. Glorious apple imagery and history that will steal your heart.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews