Title: The Ivy Tree
Author: Mary Stewart
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Publication date: 1961
Length: 391 pages
Genre: Suspense/thriller
Source: Purchased
Rating:
Mary Grey had come from Canada to the land of her forebears: Northumberland. As she savored the ordered, spare beauty of England’s northern fells, the silence was shattered by the shout of a single name: “Annabel!” And there stood one of the angriest, most threatening young men Mary had ever seen. His name was Connor Winslow, and Mary quickly discovered that he thought she was his cousin—a girl supposedly dead these past eight years. Alive, she would be heiress to an inheritance Connor was determined to have for himself. This remarkably atmospheric novel is one of bestselling-author Mary Stewart’s richest, most tantalizing, and most surprising efforts, proving her a rare master of the genre.
A slightly different synopsis for another edition of the book:
An English June in the Roman Wall countryside; the ruin of a beautiful old house standing cheek-by-jowl with the solid, sunlit prosperity of the manor farm – a lovely place, and a rich inheritance for one of the two remaining Winslow heirs. There had been a third, but Annabel Winslow had died four years ago – so when a young woman calling herself Annabel Winslow comes ‘home’ to Whitescar, Con Winslow and his half-sister Lisa must find out whether she really is who she says she is.
The Ivy Tree opens with gorgeous scenery: A woman enjoys the peace of a pastoral view in Northumberland, savoring the quiet and solitude. But a man shows up and immediately begins yelling at her. He thinks she’s his presumed-dead cousin Annabel, who disappeared eight years earlier. With their grandfather ill and nearing death, her reappearance can’t be coincidence. Connor and his half-sister Lisa have been tending the estate for the old man all these years; it should be theirs. With Annabel’s return, Connor’s inheritance is very much on the line.
But there’s a catch. This woman isn’t Annabel. Although she bears a remarkable resemblance to Annabel, she introduces herself as Mary, a descendant of another line of the family which emigrated to Canada a few generations back. Mary has heard stories of Northumberland all her life, and has come seeking a fresh start.
Almost immediately, Connor proposes a plan. He and Lisa can teach Mary all about Annabel — and if she’ll impersonate her for a brief time, just long enough to convince their grandfather, they’ll make it worth her while. Connor fears that the grandfather has never believed that Annabel truly died, and worries that he’ll leave his fortune to her anyway. With a stand-in, that fear can be addressed. If their scam works, and even if Con himself is left out of the will, “Annabel”‘s inheritance will go to Connor, and fake-Annabel will get a hefty payout for her efforts.
It’s a marvelously twisty scheme, and Mary — who has little money and no real plans — agrees to go along with it. After all, the real Annabel is dead. Who would be hurt by this? After three weeks of intense training, the plan is put into motion, and Mary — now going only by Annabel — arrives at the Whitescar estate to fulfill her role as the returning prodigal.
Annabel’s impersonation is successful with the grandfather, household staff, and visiting younger cousin Julie. But Annabel herself is wracked by guilt and worries as she ingratiates herself into life at Whitescar. Can she succeed, and should she? What does Connor stand to gain? What will this mean for Julie. And what really happened on the night that the original Annabel ran away and left Whitescar behind?
The Ivy Tree is a wonderful example of 1960s-era romantic suspense, verging on the gothic. The old estate makes for a picturesque, lush setting, even while the neighboring estate, Forrest Lodge, lends an air of haunting decay, with the manor house in ruins after a devastating fire years earlier, and an overgrown old tree wrapped in ivy holding up the remaining walls.
For a 21st century reader, this book has an old-school feel to it. The pacing, descriptions, and narrative approach feel very much like throw-backs — which, of course, they are. The Ivy Tree is a great example of its genre and era. There’s an undercurrent of desperation and hidden desires and dire motives. It’s all quite grand and dramatic, but never too over the top.
While the plot moves forward at a mostly fast clip, the author also provides breaks in the action fairly regularly to set the scene. Descriptions of overgrown forests or a centuries-old quarry or even the condition of the roads all add to the overall atmosphere of the book, firmly grounding the characters in their environments and making clear where the beauty and the threats are to be found. A final set-piece involving a mad dash through a terrible storm adds to the overall gothic effect, and is both exciting and chilling.
I loved all the dramatic confrontations, the subterfuges and hidden (and revealed) identities, and the conflicting needs and thwarted ambitions of the various characters. It all adds up to a delightfully suspenseful reading experience. For me, The Ivy Tree feels like an excellent introduction to Mary Stewart’s books.
As far as I can recall, my mother and aunt — two avid readers! — were both fans of this author, and I’m quite sure that at least a few Mary Stewart books were on the shelves of my childhood home. Perhaps that’s another reason why I feel drawn to her novels and want to read more!
Question: Do you have a favorite Mary Stewart book to recommend?
About the author:
Mary, Lady Stewart (born Mary Florence Elinor Rainbow; 17 September 1916 – 9 May 2014) was a British novelist who developed the romantic mystery genre, featuring smart, adventurous heroines who could hold their own in dangerous situations. She also wrote children’s books and poetry, but may be best known for her Merlin series, which straddles the boundary between the historical novel and fantasy.
Her obituary from The Guardian offers a great deal of insight into Mary Stewart’s life and writing career. In addition to the Merlin books (The Crystal Cave and four others), her well-known mysteries include Touch Not the Cat, Madam, Will You Talk?, Nine Coaches Waiting, and many more.
Purchase links: Amazon – Audible audiobook – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.
Bookshelf Fantasies 