Helpful Score: 2
Quick read, good story about a girl inheriting the family countryside home and her discoveries about witchcraft and more, as well as a romantic interest.
Helpful Score: 2
Classic Mary Stewart romance, Gilly Ramsey inheriting the mysterious Thornyhold. A nice little read.
Helpful Score: 1
This was a pretty good read.
Helpful Score: 1
{from AMAZON] This old-fashioned gothic romance is as good as they get. When Gilly's witch aunt leaves Thornyhold to her, a house in the middle of the woods, Gilly finds that she has inherited far more than she realized. Along with the house comes a cat, a still room filled with herbs (and a missing recipe book), an attic chamber with carrier pigeons (who have secret messages), and an attractive neighbor whose young son offers the sacred and unique blessing of friendship. But Thornyhold possesses far more than even these simple offerings. The place itself seems to convoke otherworldly gifts as well: Gilly cultivates the abilities to heal and to foresee the future once she makes Thornyhold her home.
Helpful Score: 1
A good quick read! I enjoyed it
It had been decades since I had read any Mary Stewart and this book makes me think that I need to revisit her books -- This was such a wonderful, involving read! This was old fashioned storytelling at its very best. I had a lot on my mind when I began reading this book and within a few paragraphs I left all my troubles behind and disappeared into the magical world of Thornyhold...not that many books can do that! I read hundreds of books a year and this is the rare one that I am going to keep for my keeper shelf to continue to enjoy over the years.
I loved this book! Mary Stewart is a terrific author. It did move a little slow at times but I was so interested in the plot that it didn't matter. I would read it again.
A charming book - filled with magic and romance, but very subtle. I really enjoyed this and liked the characters very much. A very quick and engaging read.
This book is beautifully written. Mary Stewart is a very descriptive author and her detail is just beautiful. You will get lost in this book.
I love most Mary Stewart books and this is one of my fave's! A little romance, a little mystery... little bit of everything.
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 and began to return his love, the inexplicable aura of suspense and witchcraft surrounding Thornyhold turned all too real and dangerous.
I have read a couple of Mary Stewart's books and have enjoyed some very much and others not so much. This book was very good except the plot was somewhat too easy to follow. I give this book a B+!
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 and began to return his love, the inexplicable aura of suspense and witchcraft surrounding Thornyhold turned all too real and dangerous.
I have read a couple of Mary Stewart's books and have enjoyed some very much and others not so much. This book was very good except the plot was somewhat too easy to follow. I give this book a B+!
There was only one part of Gilly Ramsey's lonely childhood that was magical--the visits from her godmother, Geillis Saxon, an extraordinary woman with special powers. When Geillis died suddenly , the grown-up Gilly inherited Thornyhold, Geillis's charming cottage in Wiltshire, and went there to live in the lovely English countryside. But nothing had prepared Gilly for the strange enchantment she was about to discover--sinister neighbors, messages from beyond the grave, and even the whisper of love. Just as Gilly began to return the love of an attractive stranger, the inexplicable aura of suspense and witchcraft surrounding Thornyhold turned all too real and far too dangerous...
When Gilly's witch aunt leaves Thornyhold to her, a house in the middle of the woods, Gilly finds that she has inherited far more than she realized. Along with the house comes a cat, a still room filled with herbs (and a missing recipe book), an attic chamber with carrier pigeons (who have secret messages), and an attractive neighbor whose young son offers the sacred and unique blessing of friendship. But Thornyhold possesses far more than even these simple offerings. The place itself seems to convoke otherworldly gifts as well: Gilly cultivates the abilities to heal and to foresee the future once she makes Thornyhold her home.
Ther was only one part of Gilly Ramsey's lonely childhood that was magical--the visits from her godmother, Geillis Saxon, an extraordinary woman with special powers. When Geillis died suddenly, the grown-up Gilly inherited Thornyhold, Gei9llis's charming cottage in Wiltshire, and went there to live in the lovely English countryside.
But nothing had prepared Gilly for the strange enchantment she was about to discover--sinister neighbors, messages from beyond the grave, and even the whisper of love. Just as Gilly began to return the love of an attractive stranger, the inexplicable aura of suspense and witchcraft surrounding Thornyhold turned all too real and far too dangerous...
But nothing had prepared Gilly for the strange enchantment she was about to discover--sinister neighbors, messages from beyond the grave, and even the whisper of love. Just as Gilly began to return the love of an attractive stranger, the inexplicable aura of suspense and witchcraft surrounding Thornyhold turned all too real and far too dangerous...
I have yet to read a book written by Mary Stewart that I didn't enjoy, this one included.
Leah G.
Leah G.
A SPELLBOUNDING STORY OF MODERN ROMANCE AND ANCIENT ENCHANTMENT-AND A LEGACY OF LOVE THAT WOULD NOT DIE... THERE WAS ONLY ONE PART OF GILLY RAMSEY'S LONELY CHILDHOOD THAT WAS MAGICAL-THE VISITS FROM HER GODMOTHER, GEILIS SAXON, AN EXTRAORDINARY WOMAN WITH SPECIAL POWERS. WHE GEILIS DIED SUDDENLY, THE GROWN UP GILLY INHERITED THORNYHOLD, GEILS;S CHARMING COTAGE IN WILTSHIRE, AND WENT THERE TO LIVE IN THE LOVELY ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE. BUT NOTHING HAD PREPARED GILLY FOR THE STRANGE ENCHANTMENT SHE WAS ABOUT TO DISCOVER-SINISTER NEIGHBORS, MESSAGES FROM BEYOND THE GRAV, AND EVEN THE WHISPER OF LOVE. JUST AS GULLY BEGAN TO RETURN THE LOVE OF AN ATTRACTIVE STRANGER, SURROUNDING THORNYHOLD TURNED ALL TOO REAL AND FAR TOO DANGEROUS.
