Review: The Silver Bough
Editorial Review - Kirkus ReviewsContemporary fantasy set in Scotland, from Tuttle (The Mysteries, 2005, etc.). Situated on Scotland's northwest coast, the town of Appleton enjoys a mild climate, has a spectacular, if crumbling, library and museum and once produced apples that were the envy of the country. At the annual Apple Fair, a dark stranger would crown the Apple Queen and share with her one of Appleton's famed apples, thus securing the town's prosperity for the coming year. Once in a great while, a magical golden apple appeared, determining the town's magical fortunes half a century hence. But once the apple business collapsed, the town slowly decayed. Now, three American women—librarian Kathleen Mullaroy, would-be apple-harvester Nell Westray and young Ashley Kaldis—are there to visit relatives—and find out about Phemie, who ran away from Appleton in 1950 rather than be crowned Apple Queen. Her dark "stranger"—actually Ronan Wall, scion of one of the town's oldest families—helped her flee. Problem was, this was a golden-apple year, so the town lost its luck. Now, a landslide blocks the only road in or out, cutting the town off from the rest of the world—and who should show up but Ronan himself, miraculously youthful and apparently eager to make amends for his transgression of old. As if to confirm his power, Nell's apple tree brings forth a golden apple. But which of the three women will Ronan choose, and whose heart's desire will be realized? Despite the layered folklore and hardworking backdrop, this suffers from tepid romancing and incoherent plotting.
Review: The Silver Bough
User Review - Skye - GoodreadsGreat premise, but lacked the execution needed to live up to it. Pedestrian writing and no real sense of plot development or the mysterious atmosphere it needed to build. I don't understand why the ... Read full review
Review: The Silver Bough
User Review - Robert - GoodreadsA 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 ... Read full review
Review: The Silver Bough
User Review - Linda A - GoodreadsGhost stories with "real people" ghosts are my passion. Picked this one up at a library book sale. The reviews I checked were excellent, so I settled in. This was a most laborious book to read. By the ... Read full review
Review: The Silver Bough
User Review - Cinward - GoodreadsThis book was awesome, I just found it randomly at my library and I liked the cover, so I was like, why not? Soooo awesome, and the ending, sigh, the ending, I didn't know wether to giggle happily or sniffle. ^_^ Read full review
Review: The Silver Bough
User Review - Laura Cowan - GoodreadsI've never seen this mix of chick lit approach to female characters blended with a really beautifully woven modern Scottish fairy story. It's not a favorite just because the relationship end of it ... Read full review
Review: The Silver Bough
User Review - GoodreadsDefinately different. I did find the idea of the "fairies" getting older a being kept in cupboards rather bizarre but that notwithstanding I was hooked and desperate to find out what was going on in this crazy place.
Review: The Silver Bough
User Review - Lari Don - GoodreadsI 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 ... Read full review
Review: The Silver Bough
User Review - Teddi - GoodreadsI really enjoyed it up until the end. I was kind of left thinking "that's it????" Read full review
Review: The Silver Bough
User Review - Sandy - GoodreadsDelightful little book with a whimsical and soft fantasy about aa community cut off from the mainland of Scotland. A "what if" the floating island of Avalon really maintained its mystical qualities ... Read full review
